French drain cost in Nebraska
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (60 linear ft)
- $580 – $2,000
- Per linear ft
- $9.60 – $33.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −4%
- US $1,350
- Metros covered
- 2
Nebraska prices for French drain: $580 to $2,000 for 60 linear ft, or $9.60 to $33.50 per linear ft without the permit. The state midpoint is 4% below the national one. Local wages for construction laborers are $22.72 an hour.
Inside Nebraska, the metros we cover range from $1,300 (Lincoln) to $1,350 (Omaha) at the midpoint.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Nebraska (statewide), standard level
$1,000 to $1,600
About $17 to $26.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 53% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $470 | $750 |
| Labor | $530 | $840 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,000 | $1,600 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Nebraska
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $270 | $610 | $950 | 47% |
| Labor | $300 | $680 | $1,050 | 53% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $580 | $1,300 | $2,000 | 100% |
Nebraska labor market for French drain
Nebraska'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 0.98 times the national level.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $22.72 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $19.38 and $26.71 an hour. BLS counts 8,530 of them working in the state, 83.3 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 $28.06 an hour, in line with the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $23.05 and $30.52 an hour. About 3,180 work in the state. That is 31.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For pipelayers (47-2151, weighted 20%) the local median is $21.38 an hour, which is 9% below the national $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $18.32 and $26.79 an hour. BLS counts 570 of them working in the state, 5.6 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 2.1), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for construction laborers ($26.71 an hour) would add about $60 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($19.38) would take off about $50. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 1,024,370 jobs across Nebraska (May 2025), which is 0.7% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $19.38 | $22.72 | $26.71 | $22.66 | 1.00 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $23.05 | $28.06 | $30.52 | $28.78 | 0.97 | state |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $18.32 | $21.38 | $26.79 | $23.56 | 0.91 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.98 | |||||
Nebraska seasons and French drain
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Nebraska 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.
Every Nebraska metro on the list has 7 comfortable months, though rainfall ranges from 29 inches a year in Lincoln to 32 in Omaha.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha | 15 | 88 | 32 | 7: April through October |
| Lincoln | 14 | 89 | 29 | 7: April through October |
Basic, standard or premium: Nebraska 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
$580 to $1,150
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,000 to $1,600
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,450 to $2,000
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $290 – $580 | $500 – $790 | $720 – $1,000 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $580 – $1,150 | $1,000 – $1,600 | $1,450 – $2,000 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,150 – $2,300 | $2,000 – $3,150 | $2,900 – $4,050 |
Related projects, priced for Nebraska
Each project weights the trades differently, so Nebraska's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, sod installation is −3% and concrete slab −7%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,850 – $12,900 | −4% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,400 – $9,850 | −4% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,200 | −3% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,250 – $4,850 | −7% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,850 – $9,600 | −4% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $34,800 – $109,000 | −4% |
Nebraska metro-by-metro prices
2 of the 2 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $1,300, and the top-to-bottom gap is 3%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha, NE | $590 – $2,100 | $1,350 | +3% |
| Lincoln, NE | $580 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +1% |
Nebraska against its neighbors
Nebraska ranks 37 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. Nebraska sits at $1,300. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 190 miles away | $590 – $2,100 | $1,350 | +3% |
| South Dakota | 220 miles away | $580 – $2,050 | $1,300 | +1% |
| Kansas | 220 miles away | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −3% |
| Missouri | 270 miles away | $620 – $2,200 | $1,400 | +8% |
| Minnesota | 320 miles away | $720 – $2,500 | $1,600 | +25% |
Why two Nebraska 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.
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French drain in Nebraska: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Nebraska?
$580 to $2,000 for 60 linear ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Nebraska can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Nebraska is cheapest for French drain?
Lincoln at about $1,300 (midpoint, 60 linear ft). The priciest is Omaha at $1,350.
+Is French drain cheaper in Nebraska than the US average?
It is 4% cheaper: $1,300 against $1,350 for 60 linear ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Nebraska?
About 53% ($680). Materials are 47%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.98x the national wage level.
+What do construction laborers earn in Nebraska?
The BLS statewide median is $22.72 an hour, against $22.66 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $19.38 to $26.71.
+Where does Nebraska rank for French drain costs?
37th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $1,300 for 60 linear ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Nebraska?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $580 to $1,150 and premium work $1,450 to $2,000. 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 Nebraska?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Nebraska metros we cover, Omaha has the most comfortable months (7 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 Nebraska
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.