French drain cost in Hawaii
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (60 linear ft)
- $820 – $2,850
- Per linear ft
- $13.50 – $48
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +37%
- US $1,350
- Metros covered
- 2
Across Hawaii, a French drain costs about $820 to $2,850 for 60 linear ft. Statewide, that midpoint is 37% above the US figure of $1,350. Construction laborers earn a median $37.07 an hour in Hawaii (US: $22.66).
Inside Hawaii, the metros we cover range from $1,850 (Honolulu) to $1,900 (Kahului) at the midpoint.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Hawaii (statewide), standard level
$1,450 to $2,250
About $24 to $37.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 61% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $560 | $880 |
| Labor | $870 | $1,350 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,450 | $2,250 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Hawaii
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $320 | $720 | $1,100 | 39% |
| Labor | $500 | $1,100 | $1,750 | 61% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $820 | $1,850 | $2,850 | 100% |
Other Hawaii jobs that often go with French drain
Each project weights the trades differently, so Hawaii's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, gravel driveway is +45% and sod installation +18%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $9,550 – $17,100 | +30% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $3,650 – $14,700 | +45% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,800 – $3,900 | +18% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $3,400 – $6,900 | +34% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $5,350 – $13,300 | +33% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $49,700 – $155,000 | +37% |
Basic, standard or premium: Hawaii 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
$820 to $1,650
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,450 to $2,250
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$2,050 to $2,850
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $410 – $820 | $720 – $1,150 | $1,050 – $1,450 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $820 – $1,650 | $1,450 – $2,250 | $2,050 – $2,850 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,650 – $3,300 | $2,850 – $4,500 | $4,100 – $5,750 |
Why two Hawaii 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.
Which Hawaii city is cheapest for French drain?
2 of the 2 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $1,850, and the top-to-bottom gap is 2%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului, HI | $840 – $2,950 | $1,900 | +3% |
| Honolulu, HI | $830 – $2,900 | $1,850 | +1% |
Hawaii against its neighbors
Hawaii ranks 1 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. Hawaii sits at $1,850. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2530 miles away | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | −10% |
| Oregon | 2590 miles away | $670 – $2,350 | $1,500 | −19% |
| Washington | 2710 miles away | $720 – $2,550 | $1,650 | −12% |
| Nevada | 2730 miles away | $630 – $2,200 | $1,400 | −23% |
| Alaska | 2850 miles away | $680 – $2,400 | $1,550 | −17% |
Hawaii seasons and French drain
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Hawaii 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.
Honolulu has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Hawaii at 12 months; Kahului has the shortest at 10 (October through July). Rainfall runs from 16 inches a year in Kahului to 16 inches in Honolulu.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | 67 | 88 | 16 | 12: all year |
| Kahului | 64 | 89 | 16 | 10: October through July |
Hawaii labor market for French drain
Hawaii'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 1.60 times the national level.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $37.07 an hour, which is 64% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $25.13 and $42.19 an hour. BLS counts 4,580 of them working in the state, 73.0 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 $55.70 an hour, 94% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $35.19 and $58.55 an hour. About 2,380 work in the state. That is 37.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Pipelayers (47-2151) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for Hawaii, so we used the national median: $23.56 an hour against $23.56 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $21.15 and $29.52 an hour.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for construction laborers ($42.19 an hour) would add about $80 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($25.13) would take off about $180. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 627,530 jobs across Hawaii (May 2025), which is 0.4% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $25.13 | $37.07 | $42.19 | $22.66 | 1.64 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $35.19 | $55.70 | $58.55 | $28.78 | 1.94 | state |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $21.15 | $23.56 | $29.52 | $23.56 | 1.00 | US |
| Blended | 100% | 1.60 | |||||
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French drain in Hawaii: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Hawaii?
$820 to $2,850 for 60 linear ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Hawaii can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Hawaii is cheapest for French drain?
Honolulu at about $1,850 (midpoint, 60 linear ft). The priciest is Kahului at $1,900.
+Is French drain cheaper in Hawaii than the US average?
It is 37% more expensive: $1,850 against $1,350 for 60 linear ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Hawaii?
About 61% ($1,100). Materials are 39%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.60x the national wage level.
+What do construction laborers earn in Hawaii?
The BLS statewide median is $37.07 an hour, against $22.66 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $25.13 to $42.19.
+Where does Hawaii rank for French drain costs?
1st most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $1,850 for 60 linear ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Hawaii?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $820 to $1,650 and premium work $2,050 to $2,850. 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 Hawaii?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Hawaii metros we cover, Honolulu has the most comfortable months (12 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 Hawaii
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.