French drain cost in Port St. Lucie, FL
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $560 – $1,950
- Per linear ft
- $9.25 – $32.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −7%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #221
- 1 = most expensive
A French drain in Port St. Lucie, FL usually costs $560 to $1,950 for 60 linear ft. That works out to about $9.25 to $32.50 per linear ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $100 less. Construction laborers earn a median of $20.65 an hour in the Port St. Lucie area, 9% below 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 Port St. Lucie, FL, standard level
$970 to $1,550
About $16 to $25.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 50% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $490 | $760 |
| Labor | $490 | $770 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $970 | $1,550 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Port St. Lucie, FL
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $280 | $620 | $970 | 50% |
| Labor | $280 | $630 | $970 | 50% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $560 | $1,250 | $1,950 | 100% |
What is behind the Port St. Lucie number
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, Port St. Lucie wages are 0.89 times the national level. Labor makes up about 50% of the midpoint estimate (52% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Port St. Lucie is at 96.2 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $650 nationally becomes $620 here (midpoint, 60 linear ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 100.2: $0 to $0.
Port St. Lucie 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, Ft Pierce St Lucie Co Intl Ap (15 miles from the city center). 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 Port St. Lucie are September through June: 10 of 12. Outside them, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Port St. Lucie gets about 51 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, August and September (6.9 inches in August). Inside the workable window, February and December are the driest, at 2.2 and 2.3 inches. The station averages about 67 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 | 73 | 51 | 2.8 | Workable |
| Feb | 76 | 54 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Mar | 78 | 57 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Apr | 82 | 61 | 3.0 | Workable |
| May | 86 | 67 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 89 | 71 | 6.7 | Workable |
| Jul | 90 | 73 | 5.8 | Hot |
| Aug | 90 | 73 | 6.9 | Hot |
| Sep | 88 | 73 | 6.3 | Workable |
| Oct | 84 | 69 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Nov | 79 | 61 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Dec | 75 | 56 | 2.3 | Workable |
Why two Port St. Lucie 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.
What local crews earn in Port St. Lucie
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 Port St. Lucie the blend is 0.89.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $20.65 an hour, which is 9% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.85 and $22.86 an hour. BLS counts 2,310 of them working in the area, 135.2 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 30% of the weighting: a median of $23.37 an hour, 19% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.25 and $27.74 an hour. About 610 work in the metro. That is 35.7 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 $22.66 an hour, which is 4% below the national $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $22.06 and $23.66 an hour. BLS counts 90 of them working in the area, 5.3 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 $35 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $45. That is a swing of roughly 3.5% to 2.7% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Port St. Lucie has 170,820 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 137th 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% | $17.85 | $20.65 | $22.86 | $22.66 | 0.91 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $22.25 | $23.37 | $27.74 | $28.78 | 0.81 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $22.06 | $22.66 | $23.66 | $23.56 | 0.96 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.89 | |||||
Planning more than one job in Port St. Lucie?
Jobs that often go together with French drain are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Port St. Lucie wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (−5%) and sprinkler system lowest (−10%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,350 – $12,400 | −8% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,300 – $9,300 | −9% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,400 – $3,150 | −5% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,250 – $4,800 | −8% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,600 – $9,000 | −10% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $32,800 – $102,500 | −9% |
Pick a size, pick a tier: french drain pricing in Port St. Lucie
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Port St. Lucie. 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
$560 to $1,100
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$970 to $1,550
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,400 to $1,950
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $280 – $560 | $490 – $760 | $690 – $970 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $560 – $1,100 | $970 – $1,550 | $1,400 – $1,950 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,100 – $2,200 | $1,950 – $3,050 | $2,800 – $3,900 |
How Port St. Lucie compares
Same job, same size (60 linear ft), priced for the nearest metros. Miami is the priciest of the group at $1,350. Lakeland is the cheapest at $1,200.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Port St. Lucie, FLthis page | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | |
| Sebastian, FL35 miles | $560 – $2,000 | $1,250 | +2% |
| Palm Bay, FL75 miles | $570 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +2% |
| Miami, FL80 miles | $590 – $2,050 | $1,350 | +6% |
| Lakeland, FL90 miles | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | −3% |
| Naples, FL95 miles | $570 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +3% |
| Florida (statewide) | $570 – $2,000 | $1,250 | +2% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | +8% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Port St. Lucie ranks #221 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Port St. Lucie is 2% below the Florida figure.
Elsewhere in Florida
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami, FL | 2,819,940 jobs | $590 – $2,050 | $1,350 | +6% |
| Tampa, FL | 1,447,120 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +1% |
| Orlando, FL | 1,411,730 jobs | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −1% |
| Jacksonville, FL | 765,930 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +1% |
| North Port, FL | 339,940 jobs | $560 – $2,000 | $1,250 | +2% |
| Cape Coral, FL | 304,790 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Port St. Lucie against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visalia, CA | 171,140 jobs | $650 – $2,300 | $1,450 | +17% |
| Fort Collins, CO | 169,430 jobs | $610 – $2,150 | $1,400 | +10% |
| Mobile, AL | 172,550 jobs | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | −4% |
| Atlantic City, NJ | 168,700 jobs | $690 – $2,400 | $1,550 | +24% |
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 $970 to $1,550 for Port St. Lucie, FL is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
Multi-page report for Port St. Lucie, FL: 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 Port St. Lucie: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Port St. Lucie?
For 60 linear ft, expect $560 to $1,950 in the Port St. Lucie area. A standard-spec job lands at $970 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 Port St. Lucie?
About $9.25 to $32.50 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 Port St. Lucie or Sebastian?
Sebastian is 35 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,250, which is 2% more than Port St. Lucie ($1,250). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Port St. Lucie?
About 50% at the midpoint, or $630 out of $1,250. Materials are 50% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Port St. Lucie?
$560 to $1,950. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Port St. Lucie?
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 Port St. Lucie area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Port St. Lucie expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Florida?
Port St. Lucie is 2% 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 Port St. Lucie?
The BLS median is $20.65 an hour in the Port St. Lucie area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.85 to $22.86.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Port St. Lucie?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $560 to $1,100 and premium work $1,400 to $1,950. 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 Port St. Lucie?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through June. February 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 Port St. Lucie
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.