French drain cost in Wilmington, NC
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $560 – $2,000
- Per linear ft
- $9.40 – $33
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −6%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #201
- 1 = most expensive
Wilmington homeowners pay roughly $560 to $2,000 to install a French drain at 60 linear ft, or $9.40 to $33 per linear ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Wilmington is 6% lower. Construction laborers earn a median of $22.16 an hour in the Wilmington area, 2% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Wilmington, NC, standard level
$990 to $1,550
About $16.50 to $26 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 51% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $490 | $770 |
| Labor | $500 | $790 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $990 | $1,550 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Wilmington, NC
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $280 | $630 | $970 | 49% |
| Labor | $290 | $640 | $1,000 | 51% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $560 | $1,250 | $2,000 | 100% |
What is behind the Wilmington number
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, Wilmington wages are 0.92 times the national level. Labor makes up about 51% of the midpoint estimate (52% at national prices).
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Wilmington metro is 96.6 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 60 linear ft comes to $630, compared with $650 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (96.4) and land at $0 to $0.
Local wages behind the labor line
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 3 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Wilmington is 0.92 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $22.16 an hour, in line with the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.02 and $26.94 an hour. About 1,870 work in the metro. That is 97.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 30%) the local median is $23.03 an hour, which is 20% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $21.55 and $27.13 an hour. BLS counts 790 of them working in the area, 41.3 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Pipelayers (47-2151), 20% of the weighting: a median of $22.18 an hour, 6% below the US median of $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $20.62 and $24.77 an hour. About 160 work in the metro. That is 8.4 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 2.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the construction laborers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($26.94 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $75. At the 25th percentile ($18.02) it shrinks by about $65. The total moves by 5.8% or 5.0%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 191,280 jobs in the Wilmington area. That makes it the 120th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.12% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $18.02 | $22.16 | $26.94 | $22.66 | 0.98 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $21.55 | $23.03 | $27.13 | $28.78 | 0.80 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $20.62 | $22.18 | $24.77 | $23.56 | 0.94 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.92 | |||||
Specs and site conditions that change a Wilmington 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.
How Wilmington 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 $1,200 to $1,300 across Wilmington and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington, NCthis page | $560 – $2,000 | $1,250 | |
| Myrtle Beach, SC60 miles | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | −6% |
| Fayetteville, NC75 miles | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −1% |
| Greenville, NC100 miles | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −2% |
| Florence, SC100 miles | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −3% |
| Raleigh, NC105 miles | $570 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +1% |
| North Carolina (statewide) | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | level |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | +6% |
Across 300 US metros, Wilmington comes in at #201 from the top. The priciest is San Francisco, CA at $1,900; the cheapest is McAllen, TX at $1,100 (midpoints, 60 linear ft). Statewide, Wilmington is 0% above the North Carolina figure.
Other North Carolina metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | 1,358,370 jobs | $570 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +1% |
| Raleigh, NC | 743,120 jobs | $570 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +1% |
| Greensboro, NC | 365,410 jobs | $550 – $1,900 | $1,250 | −3% |
| Durham, NC | 344,020 jobs | $570 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +1% |
| Winston, NC | 271,980 jobs | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −2% |
| Asheville, NC | 180,620 jobs | $570 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +1% |
Cities with a workforce like Wilmington's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Wilmington against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | 192,390 jobs | $620 – $2,200 | $1,400 | +10% |
| Pensacola, FL | 190,480 jobs | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −2% |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 192,580 jobs | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | −5% |
| Salem, OR | 188,620 jobs | $680 – $2,400 | $1,550 | +20% |
When to schedule French drain in Wilmington
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Wilmington Intl Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
August through June is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Wilmington (11 of 12 months). July has an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Wilmington gets about 60 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are July, August and September (8.7 inches in September). Inside the workable window, February and April are the driest, at 3.5 and 3.1 inches. The station averages about 45 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 36 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Feb | 60 | 38 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Mar | 67 | 44 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Apr | 75 | 53 | 3.1 | Workable |
| May | 81 | 61 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Jun | 87 | 69 | 5.7 | Workable |
| Jul | 90 | 73 | 6.9 | Hot |
| Aug | 88 | 72 | 8.2 | Workable |
| Sep | 84 | 67 | 8.7 | Workable |
| Oct | 76 | 56 | 4.7 | Workable |
| Nov | 67 | 45 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Dec | 60 | 39 | 3.7 | Workable |
Cost by quality level and size in Wilmington
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Wilmington wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 3 common sizes.
Basic
$560 to $1,150
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$990 to $1,550
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,400 to $2,000
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $280 – $560 | $490 – $780 | $710 – $990 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $560 – $1,150 | $990 – $1,550 | $1,400 – $2,000 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,150 – $2,250 | $2,000 – $3,100 | $2,800 – $3,950 |
Related projects, priced for Wilmington
Because every project leans on different trades, Wilmington's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, sod installation runs −4% and retaining wall −9%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,300 – $12,300 | −9% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,300 – $9,450 | −7% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,150 | −4% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,200 – $4,800 | −9% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,750 – $9,350 | −7% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $33,200 – $103,500 | −8% |
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $990 to $1,550 for Wilmington, NC is attached.
Detailed french drain report for Wilmington, NC, $9
Multi-page report for Wilmington, NC: 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 Wilmington: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Wilmington?
For 60 linear ft, expect $560 to $2,000 in the Wilmington area. A standard-spec job lands at $990 to $1,550. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in Wilmington?
About $9.40 to $33 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 Wilmington or Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach is 60 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,200, which is 6% less than Wilmington ($1,250). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Wilmington?
About 51% at the midpoint, or $640 out of $1,250. Materials are 49% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Wilmington?
$560 to $2,000. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Wilmington?
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 Wilmington area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Wilmington expensive for French drain compared with the rest of North Carolina?
Wilmington is 0% above the North Carolina statewide estimate ($1,250 at the midpoint). We cover 11 metros in North Carolina; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Wilmington?
The BLS median is $22.16 an hour in the Wilmington area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.02 to $26.94.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Wilmington?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $560 to $1,150 and premium work $1,400 to $2,000. 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 Wilmington?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are August through June. February and April 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 Wilmington
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.