French drain cost in Santa Rosa, CA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $760 – $2,650
- Per linear ft
- $12.50 – $44.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +27%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #7
- 1 = most expensive
Santa Rosa homeowners pay roughly $760 to $2,650 to install a French drain at 60 linear ft, or $12.50 to $44.50 per linear ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Santa Rosa is 27% higher. Construction laborers earn a median of $28.98 an hour in the Santa Rosa area, 28% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Santa Rosa, CA, standard level
$1,350 to $2,100
About $22.50 to $35 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 60% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $530 | $830 |
| Labor | $810 | $1,250 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,350 | $2,100 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Santa Rosa, CA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $300 | $680 | $1,050 | 40% |
| Labor | $460 | $1,050 | $1,600 | 60% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $760 | $1,700 | $2,650 | 100% |
Where the Santa Rosa price comes from
Labor is 60% 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 Santa Rosa the blended ratio comes out at 1.48.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Santa Rosa metro is 105.2 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 60 linear ft comes to $680, compared with $650 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (107.8) 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 Santa Rosa. 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 Santa Rosa is 1.48 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $28.98 an hour, 28% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $23.67 and $37.88 an hour. About 1,550 work in the metro. That is 75.5 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 $50.52 an hour, which is 76% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $36.00 and $62.96 an hour. BLS counts 710 of them working in the area, 34.6 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is about average.
Pipelayers (47-2151) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Santa Rosa 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 ($37.88 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $140. At the 25th percentile ($23.67) it shrinks by about $80. The total moves by 8.0% or 4.8%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 205,260 jobs in the Santa Rosa-Petaluma area. That makes it the 112th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.13% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $23.67 | $28.98 | $37.88 | $22.66 | 1.28 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $36.00 | $50.52 | $62.96 | $28.78 | 1.76 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $29.74 | $36.63 | $45.46 | $23.56 | 1.55 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.48 | |||||
Specs and site conditions that change a Santa Rosa bid
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 Santa Rosa
Because every project leans on different trades, Santa Rosa's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, gravel driveway runs +28% and sod installation +13%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $8,600 – $15,600 | +18% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $3,250 – $13,100 | +28% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,700 – $3,700 | +13% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,800 – $5,850 | +13% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,650 – $11,600 | +16% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $44,200 – $138,000 | +22% |
Cost by quality level and size in Santa Rosa
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Santa Rosa 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
$760 to $1,550
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,350 to $2,100
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,900 to $2,650
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $380 – $760 | $670 – $1,050 | $950 – $1,350 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $760 – $1,550 | $1,350 – $2,100 | $1,900 – $2,650 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,550 – $3,050 | $2,650 – $4,200 | $3,800 – $5,350 |
When to schedule French drain in Santa Rosa
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Santa Rosa (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 Santa Rosa: 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.
Santa Rosa gets about 32 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, February and December (6.5 inches in December). The station averages about 26 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 | 60 | 38 | 5.8 | Workable |
| Feb | 64 | 40 | 6.4 | Workable |
| Mar | 67 | 42 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Apr | 71 | 44 | 2.0 | Workable |
| May | 75 | 48 | 1.3 | Workable |
| Jun | 80 | 51 | 0.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 82 | 52 | 0.0 | Workable |
| Aug | 83 | 53 | 0.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 84 | 51 | 0.1 | Workable |
| Oct | 79 | 48 | 1.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 67 | 42 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Dec | 59 | 38 | 6.5 | Workable |
Is Santa Rosa cheap or dear? The local comparison
Of the five closest metros, 4 are cheaper than Santa Rosa. Stockton is the lowest at about $1,600 (midpoint, 60 linear ft), 100 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa, CAthis page | $760 – $2,650 | $1,700 | |
| Napa, CA30 miles | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | −3% |
| Vallejo, CA55 miles | $760 – $2,650 | $1,700 | −1% |
| San Francisco, CA65 miles | $840 – $2,950 | $1,900 | +11% |
| Stockton, CA100 miles | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | −7% |
| Sacramento, CA105 miles | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | −3% |
| California (statewide) | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | −3% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −21% |
Across 300 US metros, Santa Rosa comes in at #7 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, Santa Rosa is 3% 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 | −2% |
| San Francisco, CA | 2,373,920 jobs | $840 – $2,950 | $1,900 | +11% |
| Riverside, CA | 1,716,760 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | −7% |
| San Diego, CA | 1,538,060 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | −7% |
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $820 – $2,850 | $1,850 | +7% |
| Sacramento, CA | 1,080,590 jobs | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | −3% |
Cities with a workforce like Santa Rosa's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Santa Rosa against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lansing, MI | 217,180 jobs | $630 – $2,200 | $1,450 | −17% |
| Springfield, MA | 201,240 jobs | $670 – $2,350 | $1,500 | −12% |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 219,730 jobs | $610 – $2,150 | $1,400 | −20% |
| Santa Maria, CA | 200,760 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | −7% |
Get 3 local quotes
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French drain in Santa Rosa: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Santa Rosa?
For 60 linear ft, expect $760 to $2,650 in the Santa Rosa area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,350 to $2,100. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in Santa Rosa?
About $12.50 to $44.50 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 Santa Rosa or Napa?
Napa is 30 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,650, which is 3% less than Santa Rosa ($1,700). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Santa Rosa?
About 60% at the midpoint, or $1,050 out of $1,700. Materials are 40% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Santa Rosa?
$760 to $2,650. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Santa Rosa?
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 Santa Rosa area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Santa Rosa expensive for French drain compared with the rest of California?
Santa Rosa is 3% 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 Santa Rosa?
The BLS median is $28.98 an hour in the Santa Rosa area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.67 to $37.88.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Santa Rosa?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $760 to $1,550 and premium work $1,900 to $2,650. 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 Santa Rosa?
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 Santa Rosa
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.