French drain cost in Clarksville, TN
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
- $9.25 – $32.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −8%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #226
- 1 = most expensive
A French drain in Clarksville, TN usually costs $550 to $1,950 for 60 linear ft. That works out to about $9.25 to $32.50 per linear ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $100 less. Construction laborers earn a median of $20.17 an hour in the Clarksville area, 11% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Clarksville, TN, standard level
$970 to $1,500
About $16 to $25.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 50% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $490 | $760 |
| Labor | $480 | $760 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $970 | $1,500 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Clarksville, TN
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $280 | $620 | $970 | 50% |
| Labor | $280 | $620 | $970 | 50% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $550 | $1,250 | $1,950 | 100% |
Where the Clarksville price comes from
The wage side of the estimate leans on construction laborers, who do 50% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $20.17 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Clarksville is 0.89 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 50% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Clarksville is at 96.2 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 90.9: $0 to $0.
Data note: 20% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Clarksville. The wage table below marks each row.
Specs and site conditions that change a Clarksville 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.
Planning more than one job in Clarksville?
Jobs that often go together with French drain are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Clarksville wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, retaining wall comes out highest (−4%) and concrete slab lowest (−9%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,750 – $12,900 | −4% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,300 – $9,350 | −8% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,400 – $3,100 | −6% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,200 – $4,750 | −9% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,700 – $9,300 | −7% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $33,700 – $105,500 | −7% |
Clarksville 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, Clarksville Wwtp (in the city). 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 Clarksville are March through June and September through November: 7 of 12. Outside them, January, February 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 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 79 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Clarksville gets about 54 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are April, May and December (5.6 inches in May). Inside the workable window, September and November are the driest, at 3.4 and 4.1 inches. The station averages about 57 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 | 47 | 28 | 4.0 | Cold |
| Feb | 52 | 31 | 4.5 | Cold |
| Mar | 61 | 38 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 5.0 | Workable |
| May | 79 | 57 | 5.6 | Workable |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 4.7 | Workable |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.6 | Hot |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 3.7 | Hot |
| Sep | 84 | 60 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Nov | 60 | 37 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Dec | 50 | 31 | 4.9 | Cold |
What local crews earn in Clarksville
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 Clarksville the blend is 0.89.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $20.17 an hour, which is 11% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.68 and $23.18 an hour. BLS counts 620 of them working in the area, 60.1 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 $24.48 an hour, 15% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $21.78 and $28.30 an hour. About 420 work in the metro. That is 40.7 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Pipelayers (47-2151) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Clarksville metro, so we used the Tennessee statewide median: $22.12 an hour against $23.56 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $20.10 and $23.54 an hour.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (construction laborers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $45 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $40. That is a swing of roughly 3.1% to 3.7% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Clarksville has 103,220 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 200th 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% | $17.68 | $20.17 | $23.18 | $22.66 | 0.89 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $21.78 | $24.48 | $28.30 | $28.78 | 0.85 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $20.10 | $22.12 | $23.54 | $23.56 | 0.94 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.89 | |||||
Pick a size, pick a tier: french drain pricing in Clarksville
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Clarksville. 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
$970 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 – $970 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $550 – $1,100 | $970 – $1,500 | $1,400 – $1,950 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,100 – $2,200 | $1,950 – $3,050 | $2,750 – $3,900 |
Clarksville against nearby metros and the rest of Tennessee
Same job, same size (60 linear ft), priced for the nearest metros. Evansville is the priciest of the group at $1,500. Huntsville is the cheapest at $1,200.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarksville, TNthis page | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | |
| Nashville, TN65 miles | $580 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +4% |
| Bowling Green, KY70 miles | $580 – $2,050 | $1,300 | +6% |
| Evansville, IN95 miles | $670 – $2,350 | $1,500 | +22% |
| Jackson, TN95 miles | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +1% |
| Huntsville, AL140 miles | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | −3% |
| Tennessee (statewide) | $570 – $2,000 | $1,250 | +2% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | +8% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Clarksville ranks #226 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Clarksville is 2% below the Tennessee figure.
Elsewhere in Tennessee
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | 1,099,300 jobs | $580 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +4% |
| Memphis, TN | 611,670 jobs | $570 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +3% |
| Knoxville, TN | 424,600 jobs | $560 – $2,000 | $1,250 | +2% |
| Chattanooga, TN | 268,750 jobs | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | level |
| Kingsport, TN | 119,560 jobs | $570 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +3% |
| Jackson, TN | 84,530 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +1% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Clarksville against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, WV | 103,450 jobs | $580 – $2,000 | $1,300 | +4% |
| Lafayette, IN | 102,200 jobs | $660 – $2,300 | $1,500 | +19% |
| Gainesville, GA | 103,870 jobs | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | −3% |
| Lake Charles, LA | 101,690 jobs | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | level |
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 $970 to $1,500 for Clarksville, TN is attached.
Detailed french drain report for Clarksville, TN, $9
Multi-page report for Clarksville, TN: 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 Clarksville: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Clarksville?
For 60 linear ft, expect $550 to $1,950 in the Clarksville area. A standard-spec job lands at $970 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 Clarksville?
About $9.25 to $32.50 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 Clarksville or Nashville?
Nashville is 65 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,300, which is 4% more than Clarksville ($1,250). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Clarksville?
About 50% at the midpoint, or $620 out of $1,250. Materials are 50% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Clarksville?
$550 to $1,950. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Clarksville?
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 Clarksville area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Clarksville expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Tennessee?
Clarksville is 2% below the Tennessee statewide estimate ($1,250 at the midpoint). We cover 8 metros in Tennessee; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Clarksville?
The BLS median is $20.17 an hour in the Clarksville area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $17.68 to $23.18.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Clarksville?
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 Clarksville?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through June and September through November. September 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 Clarksville
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.