French drain cost in Illinois
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (60 linear ft)
- $720 – $2,500
- Per linear ft
- $12 – $42
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +19%
- US $1,350
- Metros covered
- 6
What does it cost to install a French drain in Illinois? Plan on $720 to $2,500 for 60 linear ft. Wages (1.34x the US blend), materials (price index 103.8) and permit costs (100.0) put the state above the national midpoint by 19%.
Inside Illinois, the metros we cover range from $1,500 (Champaign) to $1,650 (Chicago) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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 Illinois (statewide), standard level
$1,250 to $1,950
About $21 to $33 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 58% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $520 | $820 |
| Labor | $730 | $1,150 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,250 | $1,950 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Illinois
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $300 | $670 | $1,050 | 42% |
| Labor | $420 | $940 | $1,450 | 58% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $720 | $1,600 | $2,500 | 100% |
Basic, standard or premium: Illinois 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
$720 to $1,450
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,250 to $1,950
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,800 to $2,500
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $360 – $720 | $630 – $980 | $890 – $1,250 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $720 – $1,450 | $1,250 – $1,950 | $1,800 – $2,500 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,450 – $2,850 | $2,500 – $3,950 | $3,600 – $5,000 |
Why two Illinois 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.
When Illinois weather lets you install
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Illinois 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.
Chicago has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Illinois at 8 months (April through November); Bloomington has the shortest at 7 (April through October). Rainfall runs from 34 inches a year in Chicago to 40 inches in Springfield.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 19 | 85 | 34 | 8: April through November |
| Peoria | 18 | 86 | 38 | 8: April through November |
| Rockford | 15 | 84 | 37 | 7: April through October |
| Champaign | 18 | 85 | 37 | 7: April through October |
| Springfield | 19 | 86 | 40 | 8: April through November |
| Bloomington | 16 | 86 | 39 | 7: April through October |
Illinois against its neighbors
Illinois ranks 6 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. Illinois sits at $1,600. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
Illinois metro-by-metro prices
1 of the 6 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $1,600, and the top-to-bottom gap is 10%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | +4% |
| Springfield, IL | $690 – $2,400 | $1,550 | −4% |
| Bloomington, IL | $680 – $2,400 | $1,550 | −4% |
| Rockford, IL | $680 – $2,350 | $1,550 | −5% |
| Peoria, IL | $680 – $2,350 | $1,500 | −6% |
| Champaign, IL | $670 – $2,350 | $1,500 | −6% |
Other Illinois jobs that often go with French drain
Each project weights the trades differently, so Illinois's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, sprinkler system is +26% and sod installation +9%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $9,000 – $16,000 | +22% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $3,150 – $12,700 | +25% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,650 – $3,600 | +9% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,950 – $6,050 | +17% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $5,050 – $12,600 | +26% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $45,300 – $141,500 | +25% |
Illinois labor market for French drain
Illinois'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 1.34 times the national level.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $29.18 an hour, which is 29% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.14 and $45.79 an hour. BLS counts 35,940 of them working in the state, 58.9 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 30% of the weighting: a median of $46.99 an hour, 63% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $33.28 and $52.56 an hour. About 12,290 work in the state. That is 20.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For pipelayers (47-2151, weighted 20%) the local median is $23.84 an hour, which is in line with the national $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $21.97 and $26.90 an hour. BLS counts 280 of them working in the state, 0.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 2.1), so the local bench is thinner than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for construction laborers ($45.79 an hour) would add about $260 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($22.14) would take off about $110. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 6,098,130 jobs across Illinois (May 2025), which is 3.9% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $22.14 | $29.18 | $45.79 | $22.66 | 1.29 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $33.28 | $46.99 | $52.56 | $28.78 | 1.63 | state |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $21.97 | $23.84 | $26.90 | $23.56 | 1.01 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.34 | |||||
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 $1,250 to $1,950 for Illinois is attached.
Detailed french drain report for Illinois, $9
The report lays out the french drain numbers for Illinois 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 Illinois: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Illinois?
$720 to $2,500 for 60 linear ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Illinois can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Illinois is cheapest for French drain?
Champaign at about $1,500 (midpoint, 60 linear ft). The priciest is Chicago at $1,650.
+Is French drain cheaper in Illinois than the US average?
It is 19% more expensive: $1,600 against $1,350 for 60 linear ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Illinois?
About 58% ($940). Materials are 42%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.34x the national wage level.
+What do construction laborers earn in Illinois?
The BLS statewide median is $29.18 an hour, against $22.66 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.14 to $45.79.
+Where does Illinois rank for French drain costs?
6th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $1,600 for 60 linear ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Illinois?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $720 to $1,450 and premium work $1,800 to $2,500. 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 Illinois?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Illinois metros we cover, Chicago has the most comfortable months (8 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 Illinois
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.