French drain cost in North Port, FL
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $560 – $2,000
- Per linear ft
- $9.40 – $33
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −6%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #199
- 1 = most expensive
North Port homeowners pay roughly $560 to $2,000 to install a French drain at 60 linear ft, or $9.40 to $33 per linear ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, North Port is 6% lower. Construction laborers earn a median of $21.82 an hour in the North Port area, 4% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in North Port, FL, standard level
$990 to $1,550
About $16.50 to $26 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 51% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $490 | $760 |
| Labor | $500 | $790 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $990 | $1,550 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in North Port, FL
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $280 | $620 | $970 | 49% |
| Labor | $290 | $650 | $1,000 | 51% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $560 | $1,250 | $2,000 | 100% |
Where the North Port price comes from
Labor is 51% 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 North Port the blended ratio comes out at 0.92.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the North Port metro is 96.2 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 60 linear ft comes to $620, compared with $650 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (102.4) and land at $0 to $0.
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 North Port is 0.92 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $21.82 an hour, 4% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.18 and $23.55 an hour. About 4,260 work in the metro. That is 125.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 30%) the local median is $23.78 an hour, which is 17% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.90 and $27.52 an hour. BLS counts 1,090 of them working in the area, 32.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is about average.
Pipelayers (47-2151), 20% of the weighting: a median of $22.75 an hour, 3% below the US median of $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $18.54 and $23.85 an hour. About 260 work in the metro. That is 7.6 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 2.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the construction laborers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($23.55 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $25. At the 25th percentile ($18.18) it shrinks by about $55. The total moves by 2.1% or 4.4%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 339,940 jobs in the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota area. That makes it the 75th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.22% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $18.18 | $21.82 | $23.55 | $22.66 | 0.96 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $22.90 | $23.78 | $27.52 | $28.78 | 0.83 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $18.54 | $22.75 | $23.85 | $23.56 | 0.97 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.92 | |||||
French drain: what moves the price in North Port
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.
Pick a size, pick a tier: french drain pricing in North Port
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for North Port 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
$560 to $1,150
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$990 to $1,550
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,400 to $2,000
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $280 – $560 | $490 – $780 | $710 – $990 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $560 – $1,150 | $990 – $1,550 | $1,400 – $2,000 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,150 – $2,250 | $2,000 – $3,100 | $2,800 – $3,950 |
Is North Port cheap or dear? The local comparison
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 $1,200 to $1,250 across North Port and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Port, FLthis page | $560 – $2,000 | $1,250 | |
| Punta Gorda, FL40 miles | $560 – $2,000 | $1,250 | level |
| Tampa, FL55 miles | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −1% |
| Cape Coral, FL60 miles | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −1% |
| Lakeland, FL60 miles | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | −4% |
| Orlando, FL100 miles | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −2% |
| Florida (statewide) | $570 – $2,000 | $1,250 | level |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | +6% |
Across 300 US metros, North Port comes in at #199 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, North Port is 0% below the Florida figure.
Other Florida metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami, FL | 2,819,940 jobs | $590 – $2,050 | $1,350 | +5% |
| Tampa, FL | 1,447,120 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −1% |
| Orlando, FL | 1,411,730 jobs | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −2% |
| Jacksonville, FL | 765,930 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −1% |
| Cape Coral, FL | 304,790 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −1% |
| Lakeland, FL | 265,280 jobs | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | −4% |
Cities with a workforce like North Port's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is North Port against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham, NC | 344,020 jobs | $570 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +1% |
| El Paso, TX | 339,120 jobs | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | −10% |
| Worcester, MA | 349,880 jobs | $700 – $2,450 | $1,550 | +23% |
| Bakersfield, CA | 338,230 jobs | $710 – $2,450 | $1,600 | +25% |
Related projects, priced for North Port
Because every project leans on different trades, North Port's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, sod installation runs −4% and retaining wall −7%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,450 – $12,500 | −7% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,300 – $9,500 | −7% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,200 | −4% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,300 – $4,900 | −6% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,750 – $9,400 | −6% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $33,500 – $104,500 | −7% |
When to schedule French drain in North Port
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Punta Gorda Charlotte Co Ap (15 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
October through April is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in North Port (7 of 12 months). May, June, July, August and September have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
North Port gets about 53 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, July and August (9.2 inches in June). Inside the workable window, November and December are the driest, at 2.1 and 2.0 inches. The station averages about 124 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 | 75 | 51 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Feb | 78 | 53 | 2.5 | Workable |
| Mar | 81 | 56 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Apr | 86 | 61 | 2.2 | Workable |
| May | 90 | 66 | 3.3 | Hot |
| Jun | 92 | 72 | 9.2 | Hot |
| Jul | 93 | 74 | 8.1 | Hot |
| Aug | 93 | 75 | 9.1 | Hot |
| Sep | 91 | 73 | 6.9 | Hot |
| Oct | 87 | 67 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Nov | 82 | 59 | 2.1 | Workable |
| Dec | 78 | 54 | 2.0 | Workable |
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Detailed french drain report for North Port, FL, $9
The report lays out the french drain numbers for North Port, FL 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 North Port: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in North Port?
For 60 linear ft, expect $560 to $2,000 in the North Port area. A standard-spec job lands at $990 to $1,550. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in North Port?
About $9.40 to $33 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 North Port or Punta Gorda?
Punta Gorda is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,250, which is 0% less than North Port ($1,250). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in North Port?
About 51% at the midpoint, or $650 out of $1,250. Materials are 49% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in North Port?
$560 to $2,000. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in North Port?
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 North Port area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is North Port expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Florida?
North Port is 0% below the Florida statewide estimate ($1,250 at the midpoint). We cover 19 metros in Florida; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in North Port?
The BLS median is $21.82 an hour in the North Port area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.18 to $23.55.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in North Port?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $560 to $1,150 and premium work $1,400 to $2,000. 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 North Port?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are October through April. November and December 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 North Port
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.