French drain cost in Evansville, IN
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $670 – $2,350
- Per linear ft
- $11 – $39.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +12%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #67
- 1 = most expensive
A French drain in Evansville, IN usually costs $670 to $2,350 for 60 linear ft. That works out to about $11 to $39.50 per linear ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $170 more. Construction laborers earn a median of $25.59 an hour in the Evansville area, 13% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Evansville, IN, standard level
$1,200 to $1,850
About $19.50 to $31 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 60% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $480 | $750 |
| Labor | $700 | $1,100 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,200 | $1,850 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Evansville, IN
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $270 | $610 | $950 | 40% |
| Labor | $400 | $900 | $1,400 | 60% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $670 | $1,500 | $2,350 | 100% |
Where the Evansville price comes from
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, Evansville wages are 1.29 times the national level. Labor makes up about 60% of the midpoint estimate (52% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Evansville is at 94.3 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $650 nationally becomes $610 here (midpoint, 60 linear ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 91.5: $0 to $0.
Data note: 20% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Evansville. The wage table below marks each row.
Related projects, priced for Evansville
Jobs that often go together with French drain are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Evansville wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, gravel driveway comes out highest (+11%) and sod installation lowest (−4%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,450 – $13,700 | +3% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,800 – $11,300 | +11% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,150 | −4% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,550 – $5,300 | +3% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,300 – $10,700 | +7% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $38,800 – $121,000 | +7% |
French drain: what moves the price in Evansville
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.
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).
How Evansville compares
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 $1,250 to $1,500 across Evansville and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evansville, INthis page | $670 – $2,350 | $1,500 | |
| Clarksville, TN95 miles | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −18% |
| Terre Haute, IN95 miles | $610 – $2,150 | $1,400 | −9% |
| Bowling Green, KY95 miles | $580 – $2,050 | $1,300 | −13% |
| Bloomington, IN95 miles | $620 – $2,200 | $1,400 | −7% |
| Louisville, KY105 miles | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −11% |
| Indiana (statewide) | $660 – $2,300 | $1,500 | −2% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −11% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Evansville ranks #67 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Evansville is 2% above the Indiana figure.
Elsewhere in Indiana
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis, IN | 1,105,170 jobs | $660 – $2,300 | $1,500 | −2% |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 225,520 jobs | $640 – $2,250 | $1,450 | −4% |
| South Bend, IN | 131,670 jobs | $680 – $2,400 | $1,550 | +1% |
| Elkhart, IN | 127,730 jobs | $620 – $2,150 | $1,400 | −8% |
| Lafayette, IN | 102,200 jobs | $660 – $2,300 | $1,500 | −2% |
| Bloomington, IN | 73,240 jobs | $620 – $2,200 | $1,400 | −7% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Evansville against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford, IL | 137,650 jobs | $680 – $2,350 | $1,550 | +1% |
| Flint, MI | 135,040 jobs | $660 – $2,300 | $1,450 | −3% |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 139,260 jobs | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −11% |
| College Station, TX | 134,040 jobs | $520 – $1,800 | $1,150 | −23% |
Evansville 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, Evansville Regional Ap (5 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 Evansville are March through November: 9 of 12. Outside them, January, February and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February 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 90 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Evansville gets about 48 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 11 inches of snow. The wettest months are March, April and May (5.1 inches in April). Inside the workable window, August and September are the driest, at 3.1 and 3.3 inches. The station averages about 41 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 | 42 | 26 | 3.4 | Cold |
| Feb | 47 | 28 | 3.2 | Cold |
| Mar | 57 | 36 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Apr | 68 | 46 | 5.1 | Workable |
| May | 77 | 57 | 5.1 | Workable |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Sep | 82 | 59 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Oct | 70 | 47 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 56 | 37 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Dec | 46 | 30 | 3.8 | Cold |
What local crews earn in Evansville
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 Evansville the blend is 1.29.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $25.59 an hour, which is 13% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.29 and $29.38 an hour. BLS counts 1,500 of them working in the area, 110.9 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 $40.63 an hour, 41% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $29.63 and $42.95 an hour. About 510 work in the metro. That is 37.7 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 the Evansville metro, so we used the Indiana statewide median: $35.38 an hour against $23.56 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $25.02 and $44.16 an hour.
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 $65. That is a swing of roughly 4.4% to 3.9% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Evansville has 135,250 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 162nd 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% | $21.29 | $25.59 | $29.38 | $22.66 | 1.13 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $29.63 | $40.63 | $42.95 | $28.78 | 1.41 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $25.02 | $35.38 | $44.16 | $23.56 | 1.50 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.29 | |||||
Pick a size, pick a tier: french drain pricing in Evansville
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Evansville. 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
$670 to $1,350
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,200 to $1,850
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,700 to $2,350
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $340 – $670 | $590 – $930 | $840 – $1,200 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $670 – $1,350 | $1,200 – $1,850 | $1,700 – $2,350 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,350 – $2,700 | $2,350 – $3,700 | $3,350 – $4,700 |
Get 3 local quotes
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Detailed french drain report for Evansville, IN, $9
Multi-page report for Evansville, IN: 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 Evansville: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Evansville?
For 60 linear ft, expect $670 to $2,350 in the Evansville area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,200 to $1,850. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in Evansville?
About $11 to $39.50 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 Evansville or Clarksville?
Clarksville is 95 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,250, which is 18% less than Evansville ($1,500). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Evansville?
About 60% at the midpoint, or $900 out of $1,500. Materials are 40% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Evansville?
$670 to $2,350. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Evansville?
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 Evansville area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Evansville expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Indiana?
Evansville is 2% above the Indiana statewide estimate ($1,500 at the midpoint). We cover 8 metros in Indiana; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Evansville?
The BLS median is $25.59 an hour in the Evansville area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.29 to $29.38.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Evansville?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $670 to $1,350 and premium work $1,700 to $2,350. 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 Evansville?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through November. August and September 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 Evansville
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.