French drain cost in Grand Rapids, MI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $610 – $2,100
- Per linear ft
- $10 – $35.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +1%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #128
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a French drain in the Grand Rapids area: $610 to $2,100 for 60 linear ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint lands close to the US figure. Construction laborers earn a median of $22.97 an hour in the Grand Rapids area, 1% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Grand Rapids, MI, standard level
$1,050 to $1,650
About $17.50 to $28 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 55% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $470 | $740 |
| Labor | $590 | $930 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,050 | $1,650 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Grand Rapids, MI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $270 | $610 | $940 | 45% |
| Labor | $340 | $760 | $1,200 | 55% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $610 | $1,350 | $2,100 | 100% |
What is behind the Grand Rapids number
Labor is 55% of the midpoint bill here, against 52% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is construction laborers (50%), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (30%), pipelayers (20%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Grand Rapids the blended ratio comes out at 1.08.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Grand Rapids is at 93.7 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 95.5: $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 Grand Rapids. The wage table below marks each row.
Who does the work: Grand Rapids trade wages
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 Grand Rapids the blend is 1.08.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $22.97 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $20.19 and $28.78 an hour. BLS counts 3,990 of them working in the area, 66.7 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 $30.70 an hour, 7% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $26.06 and $36.63 an hour. About 900 work in the metro. That is 15.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
Pipelayers (47-2151) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Grand Rapids metro, so we used the Michigan statewide median: $29.60 an hour against $23.56 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $27.46 and $37.30 an hour.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (construction laborers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $90 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $45. That is a swing of roughly 3.2% to 6.6% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood has 598,260 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 48th 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% | $20.19 | $22.97 | $28.78 | $22.66 | 1.01 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $26.06 | $30.70 | $36.63 | $28.78 | 1.07 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $27.46 | $29.60 | $37.30 | $23.56 | 1.26 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.08 | |||||
What nearby projects cost in Grand Rapids
Jobs that often go together with French drain are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Grand Rapids wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sprinkler system comes out highest (+3%) and sod installation lowest (−5%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,100 – $13,200 | −1% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,500 – $10,100 | −1% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,150 | −5% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,400 – $5,050 | −2% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,150 – $10,300 | +3% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $36,200 – $113,000 | level |
The best months for French drain in Grand Rapids
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, E Grand Rapids (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 Grand Rapids are April through October: 7 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March, November 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 143 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Grand Rapids gets about 40 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 75 inches of snow. The wettest months are April, May and June (4.4 inches in May). Inside the workable window, July and August are the driest, at 3.3 and 3.0 inches. The station averages about 9 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 | 31 | 17 | 2.7 | Cold |
| Feb | 34 | 18 | 2.1 | Cold |
| Mar | 44 | 24 | 2.6 | Cold |
| Apr | 57 | 35 | 4.1 | Workable |
| May | 69 | 46 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 79 | 56 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 82 | 60 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Aug | 81 | 58 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 74 | 51 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Oct | 61 | 40 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Nov | 47 | 31 | 3.3 | Cold |
| Dec | 36 | 23 | 2.8 | Cold |
Cost by quality level and size in Grand Rapids
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Grand Rapids. 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
$610 to $1,200
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,050 to $1,650
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,500 to $2,100
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $300 – $610 | $530 – $830 | $760 – $1,050 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $610 – $1,200 | $1,050 – $1,650 | $1,500 – $2,100 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,200 – $2,450 | $2,100 – $3,350 | $3,050 – $4,250 |
How Grand Rapids 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 $1,350 to $1,550 across Grand Rapids and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids, MIthis page | $610 – $2,100 | $1,350 | |
| Muskegon, MI45 miles | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −2% |
| Kalamazoo, MI50 miles | $610 – $2,150 | $1,400 | +1% |
| Lansing, MI60 miles | $630 – $2,200 | $1,450 | +5% |
| South Bend, IN85 miles | $680 – $2,400 | $1,550 | +12% |
| Saginaw, MI85 miles | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | level |
| Michigan (statewide) | $620 – $2,150 | $1,400 | +2% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −1% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Grand Rapids ranks #128 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Grand Rapids is 2% below the Michigan figure.
Elsewhere in Michigan
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit, MI | 1,904,530 jobs | $660 – $2,300 | $1,500 | +9% |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 219,730 jobs | $610 – $2,150 | $1,400 | +1% |
| Lansing, MI | 217,180 jobs | $630 – $2,200 | $1,450 | +5% |
| Flint, MI | 135,040 jobs | $660 – $2,300 | $1,450 | +8% |
| Kalamazoo, MI | 121,790 jobs | $610 – $2,150 | $1,400 | +1% |
| Saginaw, MI | 80,000 jobs | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Grand Rapids against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford, CT | 599,770 jobs | $650 – $2,250 | $1,450 | +7% |
| Buffalo, NY | 534,550 jobs | $670 – $2,350 | $1,500 | +10% |
| Memphis, TN | 611,670 jobs | $570 – $2,000 | $1,300 | −6% |
| Birmingham, AL | 520,290 jobs | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −9% |
Why two Grand Rapids quotes can differ
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.
Get 3 local quotes
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Detailed french drain report for Grand Rapids, MI, $9
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French drain in Grand Rapids: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Grand Rapids?
For 60 linear ft, expect $610 to $2,100 in the Grand Rapids area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,050 to $1,650. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in Grand Rapids?
About $10 to $35.50 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 Grand Rapids or Muskegon?
Muskegon is 45 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,350, which is 2% less than Grand Rapids ($1,350). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Grand Rapids?
About 55% at the midpoint, or $760 out of $1,350. Materials are 45% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Grand Rapids?
$610 to $2,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Grand Rapids?
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 Grand Rapids area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Grand Rapids expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Michigan?
Grand Rapids is 2% below the Michigan statewide estimate ($1,400 at the midpoint). We cover 10 metros in Michigan; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Grand Rapids?
The BLS median is $22.97 an hour in the Grand Rapids area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $20.19 to $28.78.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Grand Rapids?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $610 to $1,200 and premium work $1,500 to $2,100. 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 Grand Rapids?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. July and August 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 Grand Rapids
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.