French drain cost in Colorado
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (60 linear ft)
- $620 – $2,150
- Per linear ft
- $10.50 – $36
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +3%
- US $1,350
- Metros covered
- 7
Across Colorado, a French drain costs about $620 to $2,150 for 60 linear ft. Statewide, that midpoint is 3% above the US figure of $1,350. Construction laborers earn a median $23.03 an hour in Colorado (US: $22.66).
Inside Colorado, the metros we cover range from $1,300 (Colorado Springs) to $1,400 (Denver) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Colorado (statewide), standard level
$1,100 to $1,700
About $18 to $28.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 54% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $500 | $780 |
| Labor | $580 | $910 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,100 | $1,700 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Colorado
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $280 | $640 | $1,000 | 46% |
| Labor | $330 | $750 | $1,150 | 54% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $620 | $1,400 | $2,150 | 100% |
Why two Colorado quotes can differ
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.
Crawl space drains
A crawl space French drain is $2,000-$8,000 installed.
If you are planning more than one job in Colorado
Each project weights the trades differently, so Colorado's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, sod installation is +6% and sprinkler system level.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,200 – $13,600 | +1% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,550 – $10,300 | +1% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,600 – $3,500 | +6% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,500 – $5,250 | +1% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,000 – $10,000 | level |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $36,400 – $114,000 | +1% |
Weather windows across Colorado
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Colorado is not uniform. The table uses NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals from the weather station nearest each metro we cover, and counts the months that are neither cold nor hot enough to complicate the job.
Colorado Springs has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Colorado at 7 months (April through October); Pueblo has the shortest at 5 (April through June and September through October). Rainfall runs from 9 inches a year in Grand Junction to 21 inches in Boulder.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 18 | 90 | 15 | 6: April through June and August through October |
| Colorado Springs | 19 | 87 | 16 | 7: April through October |
| Boulder | 22 | 88 | 21 | 7: April through October |
| Fort Collins | 18 | 87 | 16 | 7: April through October |
| Greeley | 18 | 92 | 15 | 6: April through June and August through October |
| Grand Junction | 17 | 95 | 9 | 5: April through June and September through October |
| Pueblo | 15 | 93 | 12 | 5: April through June and September through October |
How Colorado compares with nearby states
Colorado ranks 21 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for French drain, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $1,850 and the cheapest Arkansas at $1,150, both for 60 linear ft at the midpoint. Colorado sits at $1,400. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 120 miles away | $590 – $2,050 | $1,300 | −5% |
| New Mexico | 340 miles away | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | −12% |
| Utah | 410 miles away | $590 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −4% |
| South Dakota | 440 miles away | $580 – $2,050 | $1,300 | −5% |
| Kansas | 450 miles away | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −9% |
Basic, standard or premium: Colorado prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid from short run (30 linear ft) to long run (120 linear ft).
Basic
$620 to $1,250
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,100 to $1,700
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,550 to $2,150
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $310 – $620 | $540 – $850 | $770 – $1,100 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $620 – $1,250 | $1,100 – $1,700 | $1,550 – $2,150 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,250 – $2,450 | $2,150 – $3,400 | $3,100 – $4,300 |
Which Colorado city is cheapest for French drain?
2 of the 7 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $1,400, and the top-to-bottom gap is 8%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (60 linear ft) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | $630 – $2,200 | $1,400 | +3% |
| Boulder, CO | $620 – $2,200 | $1,400 | +1% |
| Fort Collins, CO | $610 – $2,150 | $1,400 | −1% |
| Pueblo, CO | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −3% |
| Greeley, CO | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −3% |
| Grand Junction, CO | $590 – $2,050 | $1,350 | −4% |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $590 – $2,050 | $1,300 | −5% |
Colorado labor market for French drain
Colorado's labor line is priced from 3 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 1.07 times the national level.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $23.03 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $20.53 and $27.25 an hour. BLS counts 18,680 of them working in the state, 65.0 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 30% of the weighting: a median of $30.11 an hour, 5% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $27.74 and $35.42 an hour. About 11,700 work in the state. That is 40.7 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For pipelayers (47-2151, weighted 20%) the local median is $28.72 an hour, which is 22% above the national $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $24.38 and $33.52 an hour. BLS counts 790 of them working in the state, 2.7 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 2.1), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for construction laborers ($27.25 an hour) would add about $65 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($20.53) would take off about $40. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 2,873,900 jobs across Colorado (May 2025), which is 1.8% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $20.53 | $23.03 | $27.25 | $22.66 | 1.02 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $27.74 | $30.11 | $35.42 | $28.78 | 1.05 | state |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $24.38 | $28.72 | $33.52 | $23.56 | 1.22 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.07 | |||||
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French drain in Colorado: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Colorado?
$620 to $2,150 for 60 linear ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Colorado can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Colorado is cheapest for French drain?
Colorado Springs at about $1,300 (midpoint, 60 linear ft). The priciest is Denver at $1,400.
+Is French drain cheaper in Colorado than the US average?
It is 3% more expensive: $1,400 against $1,350 for 60 linear ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Colorado?
About 54% ($750). Materials are 46%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.07x the national wage level.
+What do construction laborers earn in Colorado?
The BLS statewide median is $23.03 an hour, against $22.66 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $20.53 to $27.25.
+Where does Colorado rank for French drain costs?
21st most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $1,400 for 60 linear ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Colorado?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $620 to $1,250 and premium work $1,550 to $2,150. Basic means: shallow yard drain, easy digging. Premium means: deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge.
+Does the season matter for French drain in Colorado?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Colorado metros we cover, Colorado Springs has the most comfortable months (7 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
French drain by city in Colorado
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.