French drain cost in Riverside, CA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $710 – $2,500
- Per linear ft
- $12 – $41.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +18%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #26
- 1 = most expensive
Riverside homeowners pay roughly $710 to $2,500 to install a French drain at 60 linear ft, or $12 to $41.50 per linear ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Riverside is 18% higher. Construction laborers earn a median of $28.61 an hour in the Riverside area, 26% above the US median of $22.66.
Estimate your french drain cost
Pick a size, a quality level and where you live. Prices update as you type.
Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Riverside, CA, standard level
$1,250 to $1,950
About $20.50 to $32.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 59% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $510 | $800 |
| Labor | $730 | $1,150 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,250 | $1,950 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Riverside, CA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $290 | $660 | $1,000 | 41% |
| Labor | $420 | $940 | $1,450 | 59% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $710 | $1,600 | $2,500 | 100% |
Why Riverside prices look the way they do
Labor is 59% 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 Riverside the blended ratio comes out at 1.34.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Riverside metro is 101.4 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 60 linear ft comes to $660, compared with $650 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (106.4) and land at $0 to $0.
Local wages behind the labor line
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 Riverside is 1.34 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $28.61 an hour, 26% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.57 and $37.37 an hour. About 12,120 work in the metro. That is 70.6 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 $37.85 an hour, which is 32% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $29.90 and $57.29 an hour. BLS counts 4,740 of them working in the area, 27.6 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 $36.63 an hour, 55% above the US median of $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $28.66 and $43.39 an hour. About 250 work in the metro. That is 1.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 2.1 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the construction laborers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($37.37 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $140. At the 25th percentile ($22.57) it shrinks by about $95. The total moves by 8.5% or 5.9%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 1,716,760 jobs in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area. That makes it the 16th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 1.10% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $22.57 | $28.61 | $37.37 | $22.66 | 1.26 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $29.90 | $37.85 | $57.29 | $28.78 | 1.32 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $28.66 | $36.63 | $43.39 | $23.56 | 1.55 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.34 | |||||
Riverside against nearby metros and the rest of California
Same job, same size (60 linear ft), priced for the nearest metros. Los Angeles is the priciest of the group at $1,700. Las Vegas is the cheapest at $1,400.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside, CAthis page | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | |
| San Diego, CA110 miles | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | +1% |
| El Centro, CA115 miles | $690 – $2,400 | $1,550 | −3% |
| Los Angeles, CA120 miles | $750 – $2,600 | $1,700 | +6% |
| Las Vegas, NV130 miles | $620 – $2,150 | $1,400 | −13% |
| Bakersfield, CA155 miles | $710 – $2,450 | $1,600 | level |
| California (statewide) | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | +4% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −15% |
Across 300 US metros, Riverside comes in at #26 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, Riverside is 4% below the California figure.
Other California metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 6,271,560 jobs | $750 – $2,600 | $1,700 | +6% |
| San Francisco, CA | 2,373,920 jobs | $840 – $2,950 | $1,900 | +19% |
| San Diego, CA | 1,538,060 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | +1% |
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $820 – $2,850 | $1,850 | +16% |
| Sacramento, CA | 1,080,590 jobs | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | +4% |
| Fresno, CA | 476,890 jobs | $700 – $2,450 | $1,600 | −1% |
Cities with a workforce like Riverside's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Riverside against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit, MI | 1,904,530 jobs | $660 – $2,300 | $1,500 | −7% |
| Denver, CO | 1,609,350 jobs | $630 – $2,200 | $1,400 | −11% |
| Minneapolis, MN | 1,951,650 jobs | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | +4% |
| San Diego, CA | 1,538,060 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | +1% |
When to schedule French drain in Riverside
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Riverside Fire Stn 3 (in the city). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
October through June is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Riverside (9 of 12 months). July, August and September have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Riverside gets about 10 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, February and March (2.5 inches in February). Inside the workable window, May and June are the driest, at 0.2 and 0.1 inches. The station averages about 110 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 | 70 | 43 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Feb | 70 | 44 | 2.5 | Workable |
| Mar | 73 | 46 | 1.6 | Workable |
| Apr | 78 | 50 | 0.6 | Workable |
| May | 81 | 55 | 0.2 | Workable |
| Jun | 89 | 59 | 0.1 | Workable |
| Jul | 95 | 64 | 0.1 | Hot |
| Aug | 97 | 65 | 0.1 | Hot |
| Sep | 93 | 62 | 0.1 | Hot |
| Oct | 84 | 55 | 0.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 76 | 47 | 0.7 | Workable |
| Dec | 69 | 42 | 1.4 | Workable |
Cost by quality level and size in Riverside
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Riverside 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
$710 to $1,400
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,250 to $1,950
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,750 to $2,500
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $350 – $710 | $620 – $980 | $890 – $1,250 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $710 – $1,400 | $1,250 – $1,950 | $1,750 – $2,500 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,400 – $2,850 | $2,500 – $3,900 | $3,550 – $4,950 |
Why two Riverside quotes can differ
Depth and soil
Rocky or clay soil and long trenches raise excavation time.
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).
Related projects, priced for Riverside
Because every project leans on different trades, Riverside's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, gravel driveway runs +15% and concrete slab +7%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,750 – $14,400 | +8% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,900 – $11,700 | +15% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,600 – $3,550 | +8% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,650 – $5,550 | +7% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,400 – $10,900 | +9% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $40,200 – $125,500 | +11% |
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $1,250 to $1,950 for Riverside, CA is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
Multi-page report for Riverside, CA: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
French drain in Riverside: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Riverside?
For 60 linear ft, expect $710 to $2,500 in the Riverside area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,250 to $1,950. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in Riverside?
About $12 to $41.50 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 Riverside or San Diego?
San Diego is 110 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,600, which is 1% more than Riverside ($1,600). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Riverside?
About 59% at the midpoint, or $940 out of $1,600. Materials are 41% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Riverside?
$710 to $2,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Riverside?
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 Riverside area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Riverside expensive for French drain compared with the rest of California?
Riverside is 4% below the California statewide estimate ($1,650 at the midpoint). We cover 23 metros in California; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Riverside?
The BLS median is $28.61 an hour in the Riverside area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.57 to $37.37.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Riverside?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $710 to $1,400 and premium work $1,750 to $2,500. 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 Riverside?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are October through June. May and June 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 Riverside
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.