French drain cost in Denver, CO
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $630 – $2,200
- Per linear ft
- $10.50 – $37
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +6%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #103
- 1 = most expensive
A French drain in Denver, CO usually costs $630 to $2,200 for 60 linear ft. That works out to about $10.50 to $37 per linear ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $75 more. Construction laborers earn a median of $23.44 an hour in the Denver area, 3% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Denver, CO, standard level
$1,100 to $1,750
About $18.50 to $29 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 54% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $510 | $800 |
| Labor | $600 | $940 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,100 | $1,750 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Denver, CO
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $290 | $650 | $1,000 | 46% |
| Labor | $340 | $770 | $1,200 | 54% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $630 | $1,400 | $2,200 | 100% |
What is behind the Denver number
The wage side of the estimate leans on construction laborers, who do 50% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $23.44 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Denver is 1.10 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 54% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Denver is at 101.0 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $650 nationally becomes $650 here (midpoint, 60 linear ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 105.8: $0 to $0.
Why two Denver quotes can differ
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).
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.
How Denver compares
Of the five closest metros, all are cheaper than Denver. Colorado Springs is the lowest at about $1,300 (midpoint, 60 linear ft), 45 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, COthis page | $630 – $2,200 | $1,400 | |
| Colorado Springs, CO45 miles | $590 – $2,050 | $1,300 | −7% |
| Boulder, CO55 miles | $620 – $2,200 | $1,400 | −2% |
| Greeley, CO80 miles | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −6% |
| Fort Collins, CO90 miles | $610 – $2,150 | $1,400 | −3% |
| Pueblo, CO90 miles | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −5% |
| Colorado (statewide) | $620 – $2,150 | $1,400 | −3% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −5% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Denver ranks #103 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Denver is 3% above the Colorado figure.
Elsewhere in Colorado
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, CO | 316,060 jobs | $590 – $2,050 | $1,300 | −7% |
| Boulder, CO | 192,390 jobs | $620 – $2,200 | $1,400 | −2% |
| Fort Collins, CO | 169,430 jobs | $610 – $2,150 | $1,400 | −3% |
| Greeley, CO | 119,540 jobs | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −6% |
| Grand Junction, CO | 67,170 jobs | $590 – $2,050 | $1,350 | −7% |
| Pueblo, CO | 61,780 jobs | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −5% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Denver against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside, CA | 1,716,760 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | +12% |
| San Diego, CA | 1,538,060 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | +13% |
| Detroit, MI | 1,904,530 jobs | $660 – $2,300 | $1,500 | +4% |
| Tampa, FL | 1,447,120 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −12% |
What nearby projects cost in Denver
Jobs that often go together with French drain are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Denver wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (+8%) and sprinkler system lowest (+2%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,600 – $14,200 | +7% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,600 – $10,500 | +3% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,600 – $3,550 | +8% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,550 – $5,400 | +4% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,100 – $10,200 | +2% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $37,700 – $118,000 | +4% |
Denver weather and the french drain calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Denver-Stapleton (in the city). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
For digging, grading and setting material in the ground, the comfortable months in Denver are April through June and August through October: 6 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F), and July has an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
In January, February, March, November and December the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 156 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Denver gets about 15 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 49 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, July and August (2.3 inches in May). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 1.5 and 1.0 inches. The station averages about 42 days a year at 90°F or above.
We do not adjust the estimate by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. It is still worth asking contractors whether an off-peak start date changes their bid.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 18 | 0.5 | Cold |
| Feb | 48 | 19 | 0.5 | Cold |
| Mar | 56 | 27 | 1.1 | Cold |
| Apr | 63 | 34 | 1.7 | Workable |
| May | 72 | 43 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Jun | 84 | 53 | 1.7 | Workable |
| Jul | 90 | 59 | 2.1 | Hot |
| Aug | 88 | 57 | 1.8 | Workable |
| Sep | 80 | 48 | 1.5 | Workable |
| Oct | 67 | 36 | 1.0 | Workable |
| Nov | 55 | 26 | 0.7 | Cold |
| Dec | 46 | 18 | 0.5 | Cold |
What local crews earn in Denver
The labor line is built from BLS wage data, one trade at a time. This job draws on 3 trades. We compare each trade's local median with the US median, weight the ratios by how much of the job each trade does, and apply the blend to the national labor cost. For Denver the blend is 1.10.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $23.44 an hour, which is 3% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.48 and $27.44 an hour. BLS counts 9,650 of them working in the area, 60.0 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 $30.81 an hour, 7% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $29.32 and $36.58 an hour. About 5,150 work in the metro. That is 32.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For pipelayers (47-2151, weighted 20%) the local median is $30.49 an hour, which is 29% above the national $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $27.58 and $36.24 an hour. BLS counts 500 of them working in the area, 3.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 2.1), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (construction laborers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $60 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $30. That is a swing of roughly 2.1% to 4.3% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Denver-Aurora-Centennial has 1,609,350 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 17th by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $21.48 | $23.44 | $27.44 | $22.66 | 1.03 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $29.32 | $30.81 | $36.58 | $28.78 | 1.07 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $27.58 | $30.49 | $36.24 | $23.56 | 1.29 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.10 | |||||
Denver: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Denver. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from short run (30 linear ft) to long run (120 linear ft).
Basic
$630 to $1,250
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,100 to $1,750
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,600 to $2,200
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $320 – $630 | $550 – $870 | $790 – $1,100 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $630 – $1,250 | $1,100 – $1,750 | $1,600 – $2,200 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,250 – $2,550 | $2,200 – $3,500 | $3,150 – $4,450 |
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French drain in Denver: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Denver?
For 60 linear ft, expect $630 to $2,200 in the Denver area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,100 to $1,750. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in Denver?
About $10.50 to $37 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 Denver or Colorado Springs?
Colorado Springs is 45 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,300, which is 7% less than Denver ($1,400). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Denver?
About 54% at the midpoint, or $770 out of $1,400. Materials are 46% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Denver?
$630 to $2,200. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Denver?
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 Denver area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Denver expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Colorado?
Denver is 3% above the Colorado statewide estimate ($1,400 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Colorado; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Denver?
The BLS median is $23.44 an hour in the Denver area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.48 to $27.44.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Denver?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $630 to $1,250 and premium work $1,600 to $2,200. 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 Denver?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through June and August through October. September and October 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 Denver
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.