French drain cost in Ohio
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (60 linear ft)
- $650 – $2,250
- Per linear ft
- $11 – $38
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +8%
- US $1,350
- Metros covered
- 8
Ohio prices for French drain: $650 to $2,250 for 60 linear ft, or $11 to $38 per linear ft without the permit. The state midpoint is 8% above the national one. Local wages for construction laborers are $26.96 an hour.
Inside Ohio, the metros we cover range from $1,400 (Youngstown) to $1,550 (Columbus) 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 Ohio (statewide), standard level
$1,150 to $1,800
About $19 to $29.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 58% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $470 | $740 |
| Labor | $660 | $1,050 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,150 | $1,800 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Ohio
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $270 | $610 | $940 | 42% |
| Labor | $380 | $850 | $1,300 | 58% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $650 | $1,450 | $2,250 | 100% |
Related projects, priced for Ohio
Each project weights the trades differently, so Ohio's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, inground pool is +4% and sod installation −3%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,500 – $13,700 | +3% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,600 – $10,600 | +4% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,200 | −3% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,500 – $5,250 | +1% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,050 – $10,200 | +2% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $37,400 – $117,000 | +4% |
Ohio labor market for French drain
Ohio'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 1.21 times the national level.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $26.96 an hour, which is 19% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.09 and $35.76 an hour. BLS counts 31,910 of them working in the state, 57.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 30% of the weighting: a median of $31.22 an hour, 8% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $26.17 and $44.68 an hour. About 16,920 work in the state. That is 30.5 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 $34.41 an hour, which is 46% above the national $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $28.62 and $38.33 an hour. BLS counts 1,160 of them working in the state, 2.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 2.1), so the local bench is about average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for construction laborers ($35.76 an hour) would add about $140 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($22.09) would take off about $75. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 5,550,180 jobs across Ohio (May 2025), which is 3.6% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $22.09 | $26.96 | $35.76 | $22.66 | 1.19 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $26.17 | $31.22 | $44.68 | $28.78 | 1.08 | state |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $28.62 | $34.41 | $38.33 | $23.56 | 1.46 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.21 | |||||
Why two Ohio 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.
Weather windows across Ohio
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Ohio 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.
Cincinnati has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Ohio at 9 months (March through November); Youngstown has the shortest at 8 (April through November). Rainfall runs from 32 inches a year in Toledo to 43 inches in Cincinnati.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | 22 | 85 | 42 | 8: April through November |
| Cincinnati | 24 | 87 | 43 | 9: March through November |
| Cleveland | 24 | 81 | 33 | 8: April through November |
| Dayton | 20 | 87 | 42 | 8: April through November |
| Akron | 21 | 85 | 33 | 8: April through November |
| Toledo | 20 | 85 | 32 | 8: April through November |
| Canton | 20 | 84 | 42 | 8: April through November |
| Youngstown | 19 | 83 | 41 | 8: April through November |
Basic, standard or premium: Ohio 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
$650 to $1,300
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,150 to $1,800
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 – $650 | $570 – $890 | $810 – $1,150 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $650 – $1,300 | $1,150 – $1,800 | $1,600 – $2,250 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,300 – $2,600 | $2,250 – $3,550 | $3,250 – $4,550 |
Which Ohio city is cheapest for French drain?
3 of the 8 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $1,450, and the top-to-bottom gap is 9%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | $680 – $2,400 | $1,550 | +6% |
| Cleveland, OH | $670 – $2,350 | $1,500 | +4% |
| Akron, OH | $660 – $2,300 | $1,450 | +1% |
| Cincinnati, OH | $650 – $2,250 | $1,450 | level |
| Dayton, OH | $640 – $2,250 | $1,450 | −2% |
| Toledo, OH | $640 – $2,250 | $1,450 | −2% |
| Canton, OH | $630 – $2,200 | $1,400 | −2% |
| Youngstown, OH | $630 – $2,200 | $1,400 | −3% |
How Ohio compares with nearby states
Ohio ranks 15 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. Ohio sits at $1,450. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 130 miles away | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | −15% |
| Michigan | 180 miles away | $620 – $2,150 | $1,400 | −5% |
| Indiana | 180 miles away | $660 – $2,300 | $1,500 | +2% |
| Kentucky | 210 miles away | $590 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −9% |
| Illinois | 280 miles away | $720 – $2,500 | $1,600 | +10% |
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Detailed french drain report for Ohio, $9
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French drain in Ohio: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Ohio?
$650 to $2,250 for 60 linear ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Ohio can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Ohio is cheapest for French drain?
Youngstown at about $1,400 (midpoint, 60 linear ft). The priciest is Columbus at $1,550.
+Is French drain cheaper in Ohio than the US average?
It is 8% more expensive: $1,450 against $1,350 for 60 linear ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Ohio?
About 58% ($850). Materials are 42%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.21x the national wage level.
+What do construction laborers earn in Ohio?
The BLS statewide median is $26.96 an hour, against $22.66 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.09 to $35.76.
+Where does Ohio rank for French drain costs?
15th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $1,450 for 60 linear ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Ohio?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $650 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.
+Does the season matter for French drain in Ohio?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Ohio metros we cover, Cincinnati has the most comfortable months (9 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 Ohio
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.