French drain cost in Brownsville, TX
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $510 – $1,800
- Per linear ft
- $8.45 – $29.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −15%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #298
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to install a French drain in Brownsville, plan on $510 to $1,800 for 60 linear ft, all in. Per linear ft, that is $8.45 to $29.50 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 15% lower than the national one. Construction laborers earn a median of $16.90 an hour in the Brownsville area, 25% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Brownsville, TX, standard level
$890 to $1,400
About $15 to $23.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 47% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $470 | $740 |
| Labor | $420 | $650 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $890 | $1,400 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Brownsville, TX
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $270 | $610 | $950 | 53% |
| Labor | $240 | $530 | $830 | 47% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $510 | $1,150 | $1,800 | 100% |
Where the Brownsville 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 $16.90 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Brownsville is 0.76 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 47% of the total.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Brownsville metro is 93.8 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 60 linear ft comes to $610, compared with $650 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (86.0) and land at $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 Brownsville. The wage table below marks each row.
What nearby projects cost in Brownsville
Because every project leans on different trades, Brownsville's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, retaining wall runs −12% and gravel driveway −18%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,100 – $11,900 | −12% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,050 – $8,400 | −18% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,250 – $2,750 | −17% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,100 – $4,500 | −14% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,300 – $8,300 | −17% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $30,400 – $95,000 | −16% |
Brownsville against nearby metros and the rest of Texas
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 $1,100 to $1,250 across Brownsville and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brownsville, TXthis page | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | |
| McAllen, TX50 miles | $490 – $1,750 | $1,100 | −3% |
| Corpus Christi, TX125 miles | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | +6% |
| Laredo, TX160 miles | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | +1% |
| San Antonio, TX240 miles | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | +5% |
| Austin, TX285 miles | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +10% |
| Texas (statewide) | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +9% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | +18% |
Across 300 US metros, Brownsville comes in at #298 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, Brownsville is 8% below the Texas figure.
Other Texas metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $580 – $2,050 | $1,300 | +15% |
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +11% |
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +10% |
| San Antonio, TX | 1,126,880 jobs | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | +5% |
| El Paso, TX | 339,120 jobs | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | level |
| McAllen, TX | 296,700 jobs | $490 – $1,750 | $1,100 | −3% |
Cities with a workforce like Brownsville's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Brownsville against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eugene, OR | 157,710 jobs | $640 – $2,250 | $1,450 | +27% |
| Hickory, NC | 154,090 jobs | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +9% |
| Gulfport, MS | 158,310 jobs | $540 – $1,850 | $1,200 | +6% |
| Roanoke, VA | 153,980 jobs | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | +7% |
Cost by quality level and size in Brownsville
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Brownsville 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
$510 to $1,000
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$890 to $1,400
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,250 to $1,800
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $250 – $510 | $440 – $700 | $630 – $890 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $510 – $1,000 | $890 – $1,400 | $1,250 – $1,800 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,000 – $2,050 | $1,800 – $2,800 | $2,550 – $3,550 |
Brownsville labor market for French drain
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 Brownsville is 0.76 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $16.90 an hour, 25% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $14.33 and $18.88 an hour. About 460 work in the metro. That is 29.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 30%) the local median is $19.32 an hour, which is 33% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $17.58 and $22.10 an hour. BLS counts 330 of them working in the area, 21.0 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Pipelayers (47-2151) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Brownsville metro, so we used the Texas statewide median: $21.93 an hour against $23.56 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $19.17 and $23.79 an hour.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the construction laborers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($18.88 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $30. At the 25th percentile ($14.33) it shrinks by about $40. The total moves by 2.7% or 3.5%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 157,450 jobs in the Brownsville-Harlingen area. That makes it the 151st largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.10% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $14.33 | $16.90 | $18.88 | $22.66 | 0.75 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $17.58 | $19.32 | $22.10 | $28.78 | 0.67 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $19.17 | $21.93 | $23.79 | $23.56 | 0.93 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.76 | |||||
French drain: what moves the price in Brownsville
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.
Climate in Brownsville: timing your French drain job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Brownsville (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
October through April is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Brownsville (7 of 12 months). May, June, July, August and September have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Brownsville gets about 27 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, September and October (5.7 inches in September). Inside the workable window, January and February are the driest, at 1.1 and 1.0 inches. The station averages about 140 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 | 73 | 53 | 1.1 | Workable |
| Feb | 76 | 57 | 1.0 | Workable |
| Mar | 81 | 62 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Apr | 86 | 68 | 1.5 | Workable |
| May | 90 | 74 | 2.2 | Hot |
| Jun | 94 | 77 | 2.9 | Hot |
| Jul | 95 | 78 | 2.0 | Hot |
| Aug | 96 | 78 | 2.2 | Hot |
| Sep | 92 | 75 | 5.7 | Hot |
| Oct | 87 | 69 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 80 | 61 | 1.8 | Workable |
| Dec | 74 | 55 | 1.2 | Workable |
Get 3 local quotes
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French drain in Brownsville: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Brownsville?
For 60 linear ft, expect $510 to $1,800 in the Brownsville area. A standard-spec job lands at $890 to $1,400. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in Brownsville?
About $8.45 to $29.50 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 Brownsville or McAllen?
McAllen is 50 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,100, which is 3% less than Brownsville ($1,150). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Brownsville?
About 47% at the midpoint, or $530 out of $1,150. Materials are 53% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Brownsville?
$510 to $1,800. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Brownsville?
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 Brownsville area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Brownsville expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Texas?
Brownsville is 8% below the Texas statewide estimate ($1,250 at the midpoint). We cover 21 metros in Texas; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Brownsville?
The BLS median is $16.90 an hour in the Brownsville area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $14.33 to $18.88.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Brownsville?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $510 to $1,000 and premium work $1,250 to $1,800. 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 Brownsville?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are October through April. January and February 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 Brownsville
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.