French drain cost in Vallejo, 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
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +26%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #8
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to install a French drain in Vallejo, plan on $760 to $2,650 for 60 linear ft, all in. Per linear ft, that is $12.50 to $44 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 26% higher than the national one. Construction laborers earn a median of $30.05 an hour in the Vallejo area, 33% 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 Vallejo, CA, standard level
$1,300 to $2,100
About $22 to $34.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 60% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $530 | $830 |
| Labor | $790 | $1,250 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,300 | $2,100 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Vallejo, CA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $300 | $680 | $1,050 | 40% |
| Labor | $450 | $1,000 | $1,600 | 60% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $760 | $1,700 | $2,650 | 100% |
Where the Vallejo price comes from
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 3 trades: construction laborers at 50%, operating engineers and other construction equipment operators at 30%, pipelayers at 20%. Weighted together, Vallejo wages are 1.45 times the national level. Labor makes up about 60% of the midpoint estimate (52% at national prices).
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Vallejo 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 (108.5) 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 Vallejo. The wage table below marks each row.
Climate in Vallejo: timing your French drain job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Napa Co Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
Weather is not a serious constraint for digging, grading and setting material in the ground in Vallejo: 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.
Vallejo gets about 20 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, February and December (4.2 inches in January). The station averages about 16 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 | 57 | 38 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Feb | 61 | 40 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 1.3 | Workable |
| May | 73 | 48 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Jun | 78 | 52 | 0.2 | Workable |
| Jul | 79 | 55 | 0.0 | Workable |
| Aug | 80 | 54 | 0.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 80 | 51 | 0.1 | Workable |
| Oct | 75 | 46 | 0.9 | Workable |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 2.0 | Workable |
| Dec | 57 | 38 | 3.8 | Workable |
What nearby projects cost in Vallejo
Because every project leans on different trades, Vallejo's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, gravel driveway runs +25% and sod installation +12%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $8,350 – $15,300 | +15% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $3,150 – $12,800 | +25% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,700 – $3,700 | +12% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,800 – $5,800 | +12% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,700 – $11,800 | +18% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $43,400 – $135,500 | +20% |
Pick a size, pick a tier: french drain pricing in Vallejo
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Vallejo 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 $1,500
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,300 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 | $660 – $1,050 | $940 – $1,300 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $760 – $1,500 | $1,300 – $2,100 | $1,900 – $2,650 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,500 – $3,000 | $2,650 – $4,150 | $3,800 – $5,300 |
Specs and site conditions that change a Vallejo bid
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.
Depth and soil
Rocky or clay soil and long trenches raise excavation time.
How Vallejo compares
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 60 linear ft range from $1,600 to $1,900 across Vallejo and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CAthis page | $760 – $2,650 | $1,700 | |
| Napa, CA25 miles | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | −2% |
| San Francisco, CA40 miles | $840 – $2,950 | $1,900 | +12% |
| Stockton, CA45 miles | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | −6% |
| Santa Rosa, CA55 miles | $760 – $2,650 | $1,700 | +1% |
| Sacramento, CA60 miles | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | −2% |
| California (statewide) | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | −2% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −21% |
Across 300 US metros, Vallejo comes in at #8 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, Vallejo is 2% 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 | −1% |
| San Francisco, CA | 2,373,920 jobs | $840 – $2,950 | $1,900 | +12% |
| Riverside, CA | 1,716,760 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | −6% |
| San Diego, CA | 1,538,060 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | −6% |
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $820 – $2,850 | $1,850 | +9% |
| Sacramento, CA | 1,080,590 jobs | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | −2% |
Cities with a workforce like Vallejo's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Vallejo against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myrtle Beach, SC | 146,260 jobs | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | −30% |
| Huntington, WV | 140,740 jobs | $590 – $2,050 | $1,300 | −23% |
| Fargo, ND | 148,660 jobs | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −21% |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 139,260 jobs | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −21% |
Vallejo 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 Vallejo is 1.45 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $30.05 an hour, 33% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $24.06 and $37.35 an hour. About 1,080 work in the metro. That is 74.9 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 $45.72 an hour, which is 59% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $34.44 and $59.84 an hour. BLS counts 630 of them working in the area, 43.7 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Pipelayers (47-2151) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Vallejo 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 ($37.35 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $110. At the 25th percentile ($24.06) it shrinks by about $95. The total moves by 6.7% or 5.5%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 144,130 jobs in the Vallejo area. That makes it the 158th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.09% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $24.06 | $30.05 | $37.35 | $22.66 | 1.33 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $34.44 | $45.72 | $59.84 | $28.78 | 1.59 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $29.74 | $36.63 | $45.46 | $23.56 | 1.55 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.45 | |||||
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 $1,300 to $2,100 for Vallejo, CA is attached.
Detailed french drain report for Vallejo, CA, $9
Multi-page report for Vallejo, 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 Vallejo: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Vallejo?
For 60 linear ft, expect $760 to $2,650 in the Vallejo area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,300 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 Vallejo?
About $12.50 to $44 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 Vallejo or Napa?
Napa is 25 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,650, which is 2% less than Vallejo ($1,700). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Vallejo?
About 60% at the midpoint, or $1,000 out of $1,700. Materials are 40% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Vallejo?
$760 to $2,650. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Vallejo?
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 Vallejo area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Vallejo expensive for French drain compared with the rest of California?
Vallejo is 2% 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 Vallejo?
The BLS median is $30.05 an hour in the Vallejo area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $24.06 to $37.35.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Vallejo?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $760 to $1,500 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 Vallejo?
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 Vallejo
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.