French drain cost in Reno, NV
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $640 – $2,250
- Per linear ft
- $10.50 – $37.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +7%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #90
- 1 = most expensive
A French drain in Reno, NV usually costs $640 to $2,250 for 60 linear ft. That works out to about $10.50 to $37.50 per linear ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $100 more. Construction laborers earn a median of $24.63 an hour in the Reno area, 9% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Reno, NV, standard level
$1,150 to $1,750
About $19 to $29.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 57% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $490 | $760 |
| Labor | $640 | $1,000 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,150 | $1,750 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Reno, NV
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $280 | $620 | $970 | 43% |
| Labor | $370 | $830 | $1,300 | 57% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $640 | $1,450 | $2,250 | 100% |
What is behind the Reno number
The wage side of the estimate leans on construction laborers, who do 50% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $24.63 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Reno is 1.18 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 57% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Reno is at 96.3 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $650 nationally becomes $620 here (midpoint, 60 linear ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 101.0: $0 to $0.
Is Reno cheap or dear? The local comparison
Of the five closest metros, none is cheaper than Reno. Chico comes closest at about $1,600.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reno, NVthis page | $640 – $2,250 | $1,450 | |
| Chico, CA115 miles | $700 – $2,450 | $1,600 | +9% |
| Sacramento, CA125 miles | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | +15% |
| Redding, CA135 miles | $710 – $2,450 | $1,600 | +9% |
| Stockton, CA185 miles | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | +10% |
| Vallejo, CA185 miles | $760 – $2,650 | $1,700 | +17% |
| Nevada (statewide) | $630 – $2,200 | $1,400 | −2% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −7% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Reno ranks #90 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Reno is 2% above the Nevada figure.
Elsewhere in Nevada
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas, NV | 1,136,960 jobs | $620 – $2,150 | $1,400 | −4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Reno against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Haven, CT | 281,410 jobs | $670 – $2,350 | $1,500 | +4% |
| Fayetteville, AR | 275,180 jobs | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | −18% |
| Lexington, KY | 286,910 jobs | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −7% |
| Winston, NC | 271,980 jobs | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −14% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Reno bid
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.
Cost by quality level and size in Reno
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Reno. 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
$640 to $1,300
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,150 to $1,750
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,600 to $2,250
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $320 – $640 | $560 – $890 | $810 – $1,150 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $640 – $1,300 | $1,150 – $1,750 | $1,600 – $2,250 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,300 – $2,600 | $2,250 – $3,550 | $3,200 – $4,500 |
Planning more than one job in Reno?
Jobs that often go together with French drain are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Reno wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sprinkler system comes out highest (+7%) and retaining wall lowest (+1%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,200 – $13,500 | +1% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,650 – $10,800 | +6% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,550 – $3,450 | +5% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,500 – $5,300 | +2% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,250 – $10,700 | +7% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $37,700 – $117,500 | +4% |
Reno 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, Reno Tahoe Intl 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 Reno are March through June and September through October: 6 of 12. Outside them, January, February, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F), and July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
In January, February, 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 122 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Reno gets about 7 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 21 inches of snow. The wettest months are January, February and December (1.3 inches in January). Inside the workable window, June and September are the driest, at 0.4 and 0.2 inches. The station averages about 65 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 | 48 | 26 | 1.3 | Cold |
| Feb | 52 | 29 | 1.0 | Cold |
| Mar | 59 | 34 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Apr | 65 | 39 | 0.4 | Workable |
| May | 74 | 47 | 0.6 | Workable |
| Jun | 85 | 54 | 0.4 | Workable |
| Jul | 94 | 60 | 0.2 | Hot |
| Aug | 92 | 58 | 0.2 | Hot |
| Sep | 84 | 50 | 0.2 | Workable |
| Oct | 70 | 40 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Nov | 57 | 31 | 0.6 | Cold |
| Dec | 47 | 26 | 1.1 | Cold |
What local crews earn in Reno
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 Reno the blend is 1.18.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $24.63 an hour, which is 9% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.27 and $34.75 an hour. BLS counts 2,510 of them working in the area, 91.0 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 $35.22 an hour, 22% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $30.08 and $39.09 an hour. About 1,290 work in the metro. That is 46.8 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 $31.39 an hour, which is 33% above the national $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $25.73 and $37.32 an hour. BLS counts 80 of them working in the area, 2.9 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 2.1), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (construction laborers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $160 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $35. That is a swing of roughly 2.5% to 10.8% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Reno has 275,680 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 92nd 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% | $22.27 | $24.63 | $34.75 | $22.66 | 1.09 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $30.08 | $35.22 | $39.09 | $28.78 | 1.22 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $25.73 | $31.39 | $37.32 | $23.56 | 1.33 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.18 | |||||
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French drain in Reno: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Reno?
For 60 linear ft, expect $640 to $2,250 in the Reno area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,150 to $1,750. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in Reno?
About $10.50 to $37.50 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 Reno or Chico?
Chico is 115 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,600, which is 9% more than Reno ($1,450). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Reno?
About 57% at the midpoint, or $830 out of $1,450. Materials are 43% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Reno?
$640 to $2,250. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Reno?
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 Reno area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Reno expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Nevada?
Reno is 2% above the Nevada statewide estimate ($1,400 at the midpoint). We cover 2 metros in Nevada; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Reno?
The BLS median is $24.63 an hour in the Reno area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.27 to $34.75.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Reno?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $640 to $1,300 and premium work $1,600 to $2,250. 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 Reno?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through June and September through October. June 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 Reno
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.