French drain cost in San Francisco, CA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $840 – $2,950
- Per linear ft
- $14 – $49.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +41%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #1
- 1 = most expensive
San Francisco homeowners pay roughly $840 to $2,950 to install a French drain at 60 linear ft, or $14 to $49.50 per linear ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, San Francisco is 41% higher. Construction laborers earn a median of $34.91 an hour in the San Francisco area, 54% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in San Francisco, CA, standard level
$1,500 to $2,300
About $24.50 to $38.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 63% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $550 | $860 |
| Labor | $930 | $1,450 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,500 | $2,300 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in San Francisco, CA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $310 | $700 | $1,100 | 37% |
| Labor | $530 | $1,200 | $1,850 | 63% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $840 | $1,900 | $2,950 | 100% |
Why San Francisco prices look the way they do
Labor is 63% 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 San Francisco the blended ratio comes out at 1.71.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the San Francisco metro is 108.5 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 60 linear ft comes to $700, compared with $650 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (115.6) and land at $0 to $0.
Data note: 20% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in San Francisco. The wage table below marks each row.
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 San Francisco is 1.71 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $34.91 an hour, 54% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $28.03 and $40.50 an hour. About 11,620 work in the metro. That is 48.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 30%) the local median is $59.97 an hour, which is 108% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $38.08 and $64.34 an hour. BLS counts 4,080 of them working in the area, 17.2 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Pipelayers (47-2151) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the San Francisco metro, so we used the California statewide median: $36.63 an hour against $23.56 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $29.74 and $45.46 an hour.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the construction laborers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($40.50 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $85. At the 25th percentile ($28.03) it shrinks by about $110. The total moves by 4.6% or 5.6%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 2,373,920 jobs in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area. That makes it the 12th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 1.53% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $28.03 | $34.91 | $40.50 | $22.66 | 1.54 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $38.08 | $59.97 | $64.34 | $28.78 | 2.08 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $29.74 | $36.63 | $45.46 | $23.56 | 1.55 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.71 | |||||
Why two San Francisco 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).
When to schedule French drain in San Francisco
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for San Francisco Dwtn (in the city). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
Weather is not a serious constraint for digging, grading and setting material in the ground in San Francisco: no month in the averages is cold enough (an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F)) or hot enough (an average daytime high of 90°F or more) to rule it out, so the workable window is all year.
San Francisco gets about 23 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, February and December (4.8 inches in December). The station averages about 3 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 | 58 | 47 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Feb | 60 | 48 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Mar | 62 | 49 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Apr | 63 | 50 | 1.6 | Workable |
| May | 64 | 51 | 0.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 67 | 53 | 0.2 | Workable |
| Jul | 66 | 54 | 0.0 | Workable |
| Aug | 68 | 56 | 0.1 | Workable |
| Sep | 70 | 56 | 0.1 | Workable |
| Oct | 70 | 54 | 0.9 | Workable |
| Nov | 64 | 51 | 2.6 | Workable |
| Dec | 58 | 47 | 4.8 | Workable |
Is San Francisco cheap or dear? The local comparison
Of the five closest metros, all are cheaper than San Francisco. Stockton is the lowest at about $1,600 (midpoint, 60 linear ft), 55 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CAthis page | $840 – $2,950 | $1,900 | |
| Vallejo, CA40 miles | $760 – $2,650 | $1,700 | −11% |
| Napa, CA50 miles | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | −13% |
| Santa Cruz, CA55 miles | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | −16% |
| Stockton, CA55 miles | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | −16% |
| Santa Rosa, CA65 miles | $760 – $2,650 | $1,700 | −10% |
| California (statewide) | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | −13% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −29% |
Across 300 US metros, San Francisco comes in at #1 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, San Francisco is 14% above the California figure.
Other California metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | 6,271,560 jobs | $750 – $2,600 | $1,700 | −11% |
| Riverside, CA | 1,716,760 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | −16% |
| San Diego, CA | 1,538,060 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | −16% |
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $820 – $2,850 | $1,850 | −3% |
| Sacramento, CA | 1,080,590 jobs | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | −12% |
| Fresno, CA | 476,890 jobs | $700 – $2,450 | $1,600 | −17% |
Cities with a workforce like San Francisco's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is San Francisco against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | 2,375,760 jobs | $610 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −28% |
| Seattle, WA | 2,086,210 jobs | $750 – $2,650 | $1,700 | −11% |
| Boston, MA | 2,703,890 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | −16% |
| Minneapolis, MN | 1,951,650 jobs | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | −13% |
What nearby projects cost in San Francisco
Because every project leans on different trades, San Francisco's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, gravel driveway runs +45% and sod installation +19%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $9,400 – $16,800 | +28% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $3,650 – $14,700 | +45% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,800 – $3,900 | +19% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $3,150 – $6,450 | +26% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $5,250 – $13,100 | +31% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $49,100 – $153,000 | +36% |
Pick a size, pick a tier: french drain pricing in San Francisco
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for San Francisco 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
$840 to $1,700
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,500 to $2,300
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$2,100 to $2,950
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $420 – $840 | $740 – $1,150 | $1,050 – $1,500 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $840 – $1,700 | $1,500 – $2,300 | $2,100 – $2,950 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,700 – $3,400 | $2,950 – $4,650 | $4,200 – $5,900 |
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 $1,500 to $2,300 for San Francisco, CA is attached.
Detailed french drain report for San Francisco, CA, $9
The report lays out the french drain numbers for San Francisco, CA line by line, with the local wage and price inputs, permit and timing notes, a quote comparison sheet and the full method. 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 San Francisco: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in San Francisco?
For 60 linear ft, expect $840 to $2,950 in the San Francisco area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,500 to $2,300. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in San Francisco?
About $14 to $49.50 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 San Francisco or Vallejo?
Vallejo is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,700, which is 11% less than San Francisco ($1,900). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in San Francisco?
About 63% at the midpoint, or $1,200 out of $1,900. Materials are 37% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in San Francisco?
$840 to $2,950. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in San Francisco?
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 San Francisco area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is San Francisco expensive for French drain compared with the rest of California?
San Francisco is 14% above 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 San Francisco?
The BLS median is $34.91 an hour in the San Francisco area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $28.03 to $40.50.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in San Francisco?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $840 to $1,700 and premium work $2,100 to $2,950. Basic means: shallow yard drain, easy digging. Premium means: deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge.
+Is there a bad season to install a French drain in San Francisco?
Not from a temperature point of view. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals show no month with a freezing-level overnight low or a 90°F-plus average high, so timing is mostly about contractor availability and rain.
French drain near San Francisco
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.