French drain cost in Louisiana
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (60 linear ft)
- $530 – $1,850
- Per linear ft
- $8.90 – $31
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −11%
- US $1,350
- Metros covered
- 9
Across Louisiana, a French drain costs about $530 to $1,850 for 60 linear ft. Statewide, that midpoint is 11% below the US figure of $1,350. Construction laborers earn a median $18.38 an hour in Louisiana (US: $22.66).
Inside Louisiana, the metros we cover range from $1,150 (Monroe) to $1,250 (Lake Charles) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Louisiana (statewide), standard level
$930 to $1,450
About $15.50 to $24.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 49% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $470 | $740 |
| Labor | $460 | $730 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $930 | $1,450 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Louisiana
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $270 | $610 | $940 | 51% |
| Labor | $260 | $590 | $920 | 49% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $530 | $1,200 | $1,850 | 100% |
Basic, standard or premium: Louisiana 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
$530 to $1,050
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$930 to $1,450
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,350 to $1,850
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $270 – $530 | $470 – $730 | $670 – $930 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $530 – $1,050 | $930 – $1,450 | $1,350 – $1,850 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,050 – $2,150 | $1,850 – $2,950 | $2,650 – $3,750 |
Other Louisiana jobs that often go with French drain
Each project weights the trades differently, so Louisiana's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, sprinkler system is −8% and gravel driveway −11%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,350 – $12,300 | −9% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,200 – $9,050 | −11% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,350 – $3,000 | −10% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,200 – $4,650 | −11% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,650 – $9,150 | −8% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $32,500 – $101,500 | −10% |
Louisiana versus the states around it
Louisiana ranks 47 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. Louisiana sits at $1,200. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 130 miles away | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | −1% |
| Alabama | 310 miles away | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | −1% |
| Texas | 360 miles away | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +4% |
| Arkansas | 360 miles away | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | −4% |
| Tennessee | 460 miles away | $570 – $2,000 | $1,250 | +6% |
Which Louisiana city is cheapest for French drain?
3 of the 9 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $1,200, and the top-to-bottom gap is 7%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles, LA | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +4% |
| New Orleans, LA | $550 – $1,900 | $1,250 | +3% |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $550 – $1,900 | $1,250 | +2% |
| Shreveport, LA | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | level |
| Slidell, LA | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | level |
| Lafayette, LA | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | level |
| Houma, LA | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | −2% |
| Alexandria, LA | $520 – $1,800 | $1,150 | −3% |
| Monroe, LA | $520 – $1,800 | $1,150 | −3% |
Why two Louisiana 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.
Louisiana labor market for French drain
Louisiana'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 0.85 times the national level.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $18.38 an hour, which is 19% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.59 and $22.74 an hour. BLS counts 22,100 of them working in the state, 114.2 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 $24.86 an hour, 14% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.33 and $29.92 an hour. About 7,860 work in the state. That is 40.6 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 $21.32 an hour, which is 10% below the national $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $17.97 and $23.20 an hour.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for construction laborers ($22.74 an hour) would add about $70 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($16.59) would take off about $30. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 1,934,900 jobs across Louisiana (May 2025), which is 1.2% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $16.59 | $18.38 | $22.74 | $22.66 | 0.81 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $22.33 | $24.86 | $29.92 | $28.78 | 0.86 | state |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $17.97 | $21.32 | $23.20 | $23.56 | 0.90 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.85 | |||||
Louisiana seasons and French drain
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Louisiana 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.
New Orleans has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Louisiana at 10 months (September through June); Shreveport has the shortest at 8 (October through May). Rainfall runs from 51 inches a year in Shreveport to 66 inches in Slidell.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | 47 | 91 | 60 | 10: September through June |
| Baton Rouge | 42 | 92 | 62 | 9: September through May |
| Lafayette | 44 | 92 | 63 | 9: September through May |
| Shreveport | 37 | 94 | 51 | 8: October through May |
| Lake Charles | 43 | 92 | 60 | 9: September through May |
| Slidell | 42 | 90 | 66 | 10: September through June |
| Monroe | 37 | 93 | 55 | 9: September through May |
| Houma | 44 | 91 | 65 | 9: September through May |
| Alexandria | 39 | 92 | 61 | 10: September through June |
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Detailed french drain report for Louisiana, $9
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French drain in Louisiana: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Louisiana?
$530 to $1,850 for 60 linear ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Louisiana can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Louisiana is cheapest for French drain?
Monroe at about $1,150 (midpoint, 60 linear ft). The priciest is Lake Charles at $1,250.
+Is French drain cheaper in Louisiana than the US average?
It is 11% cheaper: $1,200 against $1,350 for 60 linear ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Louisiana?
About 49% ($590). Materials are 51%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.85x the national wage level.
+What do construction laborers earn in Louisiana?
The BLS statewide median is $18.38 an hour, against $22.66 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $16.59 to $22.74.
+Where does Louisiana rank for French drain costs?
47th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $1,200 for 60 linear ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Louisiana?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $530 to $1,050 and premium work $1,350 to $1,850. 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 Louisiana?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Louisiana metros we cover, New Orleans has the most comfortable months (10 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 Louisiana
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.