French drain cost in Florence, SC
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $550 – $1,950
- Per linear ft
- $9.15 – $32
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −8%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #237
- 1 = most expensive
A French drain in Florence, SC usually costs $550 to $1,950 for 60 linear ft. That works out to about $9.15 to $32 per linear ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $110 less. Construction laborers earn a median of $21.75 an hour in the Florence area, 4% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Florence, SC, standard level
$960 to $1,500
About $16 to $25 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 50% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $490 | $760 |
| Labor | $480 | $750 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $960 | $1,500 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Florence, SC
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $280 | $620 | $970 | 50% |
| Labor | $270 | $610 | $950 | 50% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $550 | $1,250 | $1,950 | 100% |
What is behind the Florence 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 $21.75 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Florence is 0.87 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 50% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Florence 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 86.8: $0 to $0.
Florence 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, Florence Rgnl 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 Florence are September through June: 10 of 12. Outside them, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Florence gets about 45 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, July and August (5.8 inches in July). Inside the workable window, February and November are the driest, at 3.0 and 2.6 inches. The station averages about 70 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 | 57 | 36 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Feb | 61 | 39 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Mar | 68 | 44 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Apr | 77 | 52 | 3.0 | Workable |
| May | 84 | 61 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 5.8 | Hot |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 4.9 | Hot |
| Sep | 85 | 66 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Oct | 77 | 54 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 67 | 44 | 2.6 | Workable |
| Dec | 59 | 38 | 3.5 | Workable |
Is Florence cheap or dear? The local comparison
Of the five closest metros, 1 is cheaper than Florence. Myrtle Beach is the lowest at about $1,200 (midpoint, 60 linear ft), 50 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence, SCthis page | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | |
| Myrtle Beach, SC50 miles | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | −3% |
| Columbia, SC70 miles | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | level |
| Fayetteville, NC75 miles | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +1% |
| Charleston, SC80 miles | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +2% |
| Charlotte, NC90 miles | $570 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +4% |
| South Carolina (statewide) | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +1% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | +9% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Florence ranks #237 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Florence is 1% below the South Carolina figure.
Elsewhere in South Carolina
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | 434,900 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +2% |
| Columbia, SC | 394,200 jobs | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | level |
| Charleston, SC | 394,170 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +2% |
| Spartanburg, SC | 165,150 jobs | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +1% |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | 146,260 jobs | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | −3% |
| Hilton Head, SC | 81,920 jobs | $560 – $2,000 | $1,250 | +3% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Florence against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medford, OR | 89,060 jobs | $640 – $2,250 | $1,450 | +17% |
| Bloomington, IL | 88,110 jobs | $680 – $2,400 | $1,550 | +24% |
| St. George, UT | 90,500 jobs | $590 – $2,050 | $1,300 | +6% |
| Monroe, LA | 87,500 jobs | $520 – $1,800 | $1,150 | −6% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Florence bid
Crawl space drains
A crawl space French drain is $2,000-$8,000 installed.
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.
Cost by quality level and size in Florence
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Florence. 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
$550 to $1,100
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$960 to $1,500
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,400 to $1,950
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $280 – $550 | $480 – $760 | $690 – $960 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $550 – $1,100 | $960 – $1,500 | $1,400 – $1,950 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,100 – $2,200 | $1,950 – $3,050 | $2,750 – $3,850 |
What local crews earn in Florence
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 Florence the blend is 0.87.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $21.75 an hour, which is 4% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.11 and $26.11 an hour. BLS counts 650 of them working in the area, 73.0 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 $23.08 an hour, 20% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.08 and $27.20 an hour. About 250 work in the metro. That is 28.1 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 $18.10 an hour, which is 23% below the national $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $18.10 and $21.23 an hour. BLS counts 30 of them working in the area, 3.4 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 $70 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $55. That is a swing of roughly 4.6% to 5.5% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Florence has 89,060 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 221st 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% | $18.11 | $21.75 | $26.11 | $22.66 | 0.96 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $22.08 | $23.08 | $27.20 | $28.78 | 0.80 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $18.10 | $18.10 | $21.23 | $23.56 | 0.77 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.87 | |||||
Planning more than one job in Florence?
Jobs that often go together with French drain are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Florence wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sprinkler system comes out highest (−7%) and retaining wall lowest (−9%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| 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 – $9,400 | −8% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,400 – $3,050 | −7% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,250 – $4,750 | −9% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,700 – $9,300 | −7% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $33,000 – $103,000 | −9% |
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Multi-page report for Florence, SC: 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 Florence: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Florence?
For 60 linear ft, expect $550 to $1,950 in the Florence area. A standard-spec job lands at $960 to $1,500. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in Florence?
About $9.15 to $32 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 Florence or Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach is 50 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,200, which is 3% less than Florence ($1,250). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Florence?
About 50% at the midpoint, or $610 out of $1,250. Materials are 50% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Florence?
$550 to $1,950. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Florence?
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 Florence area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Florence expensive for French drain compared with the rest of South Carolina?
Florence is 1% below the South Carolina statewide estimate ($1,250 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in South Carolina; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Florence?
The BLS median is $21.75 an hour in the Florence area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.11 to $26.11.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Florence?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $550 to $1,100 and premium work $1,400 to $1,950. 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 Florence?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through June. February and November 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 Florence
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.