French drain cost in Little Rock, AR
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $510 – $1,800
- Per linear ft
- $8.55 – $30
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −14%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #295
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to install a French drain in Little Rock, plan on $510 to $1,800 for 60 linear ft, all in. Per linear ft, that is $8.55 to $30 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 14% lower than the national one. Construction laborers earn a median of $17.88 an hour in the Little Rock area, 21% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Little Rock, AR, standard level
$900 to $1,400
About $15 to $23.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 48% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $470 | $740 |
| Labor | $430 | $670 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $900 | $1,400 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Little Rock, AR
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $270 | $610 | $940 | 52% |
| Labor | $240 | $550 | $850 | 48% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $510 | $1,150 | $1,800 | 100% |
What is behind the Little Rock number
Labor is 48% of the midpoint bill here, against 52% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is construction laborers (50%), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (30%), pipelayers (20%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Little Rock the blended ratio comes out at 0.78.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Little Rock metro is 93.6 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 60 linear ft comes to $610, compared with $650 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (89.4) and land at $0 to $0.
Is Little Rock cheap or dear? The local comparison
Of the five closest metros, 1 is cheaper than Little Rock. Fort Smith is the lowest at about $1,150 (midpoint, 60 linear ft), 125 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock, ARthis page | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | |
| Jonesboro, AR120 miles | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | level |
| Fort Smith, AR125 miles | $510 – $1,750 | $1,150 | −2% |
| Fayetteville, AR135 miles | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | +2% |
| Texarkana, TX135 miles | $520 – $1,850 | $1,150 | +2% |
| Monroe, LA145 miles | $520 – $1,800 | $1,150 | +1% |
| Arkansas (statewide) | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | level |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | +17% |
Across 300 US metros, Little Rock comes in at #295 from the top. The priciest is San Francisco, CA at $1,900; the cheapest is McAllen, TX at $1,100 (midpoints, 60 linear ft). Statewide, Little Rock is 0% above the Arkansas figure.
Other Arkansas metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, AR | 275,180 jobs | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | +2% |
| Fort Smith, AR | 95,560 jobs | $510 – $1,750 | $1,150 | −2% |
| Jonesboro, AR | 60,620 jobs | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | level |
Cities with a workforce like Little Rock's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Little Rock against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greensboro, NC | 365,410 jobs | $550 – $1,900 | $1,250 | +7% |
| Worcester, MA | 349,880 jobs | $700 – $2,450 | $1,550 | +36% |
| Dayton, OH | 372,660 jobs | $640 – $2,250 | $1,450 | +24% |
| Durham, NC | 344,020 jobs | $570 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +11% |
Little Rock labor market for French drain
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 3 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Little Rock is 0.78 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $17.88 an hour, 21% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.75 and $20.34 an hour. About 2,790 work in the metro. That is 77.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 30%) the local median is $22.25 an hour, which is 23% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $19.43 and $23.95 an hour. BLS counts 1,230 of them working in the area, 34.3 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is about average.
Pipelayers (47-2151), 20% of the weighting: a median of $18.27 an hour, 22% below the US median of $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $17.79 and $19.33 an hour. About 190 work in the metro. That is 5.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 2.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the construction laborers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($20.34 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $40. At the 25th percentile ($16.75) it shrinks by about $20. The total moves by 3.3% or 1.5%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 358,210 jobs in the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway area. That makes it the 72nd largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.23% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $16.75 | $17.88 | $20.34 | $22.66 | 0.79 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $19.43 | $22.25 | $23.95 | $28.78 | 0.77 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $17.79 | $18.27 | $19.33 | $23.56 | 0.78 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.78 | |||||
Planning more than one job in Little Rock?
Because every project leans on different trades, Little Rock's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, sod installation runs −8% and sprinkler system −15%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,300 – $12,200 | −10% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,150 – $8,750 | −14% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,400 – $3,050 | −8% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,100 – $4,550 | −12% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,400 – $8,550 | −15% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $31,500 – $98,400 | −13% |
Climate in Little Rock: timing your French drain job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Little Rock Ap Adams Fld (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
February through June and September through December are the stretches where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Little Rock (9 of 12 months). January has an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F); July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
In January the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 50 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Little Rock gets about 50 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 4 inches of snow. The wettest months are April, May and December (5.6 inches in April). Inside the workable window, June and September are the driest, at 3.5 and 3.0 inches. The station averages about 76 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 31 | 3.5 | Cold |
| Feb | 55 | 34 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 5.0 | Workable |
| Apr | 73 | 50 | 5.6 | Workable |
| May | 81 | 59 | 5.1 | Workable |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 3.3 | Hot |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 3.2 | Hot |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Nov | 62 | 40 | 4.7 | Workable |
| Dec | 53 | 33 | 5.1 | Workable |
Specs and site conditions that change a Little Rock bid
Crawl space drains
A crawl space French drain is $2,000-$8,000 installed.
Exterior versus interior
A shallow exterior French drain is $10-$35 per linear foot; an interior basement drain is $40-$85 per foot, or $4,000-$17,000 installed (HomeGuide).
Where the water goes
A sump pump adds $500-$1,800 and a dry well $50-$3,000+. Discharging to a storm drain can mean extra permit fees.
Little Rock: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Little Rock wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 3 common sizes.
Basic
$510 to $1,050
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$900 to $1,400
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,300 to $1,800
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $260 – $510 | $450 – $710 | $640 – $900 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $510 – $1,050 | $900 – $1,400 | $1,300 – $1,800 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,050 – $2,050 | $1,800 – $2,800 | $2,550 – $3,600 |
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French drain in Little Rock: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Little Rock?
For 60 linear ft, expect $510 to $1,800 in the Little Rock area. A standard-spec job lands at $900 to $1,400. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in Little Rock?
About $8.55 to $30 per linear ft for materials and labor, plus $0 to $0 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $10 to $35.
+Is French drain cheaper in Little Rock or Jonesboro?
Jonesboro is 120 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,150, which is 0% more than Little Rock ($1,150). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Little Rock?
About 48% at the midpoint, or $550 out of $1,150. Materials are 52% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Little Rock?
$510 to $1,800. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Little Rock?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $0 to $0 for fees in the Little Rock area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Little Rock expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Arkansas?
Little Rock is 0% above the Arkansas statewide estimate ($1,150 at the midpoint). We cover 4 metros in Arkansas; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Little Rock?
The BLS median is $17.88 an hour in the Little Rock area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $16.75 to $20.34.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Little Rock?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $510 to $1,050 and premium work $1,300 to $1,800. Basic means: shallow yard drain, easy digging. Premium means: deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge.
+When is the best time to install a French drain in Little Rock?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are February through June and September through December. June and September are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
French drain near Little Rock
Where these numbers come from
Base prices are national ranges from the sources below. We scale labor by local BLS wages, materials by BEA goods prices and permits by the BEA all-items price level. Full method on the methodology page.
- HomeGuide: How Much Does a French Drain Cost? (2026) (accessed November 4, 2026)
- Cost to Renovate: Renovation Labor Report 2026: Where the Money Goes (accessed November 4, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
Note on derived figures: Materials = 48% of the installed price, from Cost to Renovate's mid-range 'Outdoor Living' category split (44% labor, 48% materials). It is a category average, not a French-drain figure, so the materials line here is a rough one.