French drain cost in McAllen, TX
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $490 – $1,750
- Per linear ft
- $8.20 – $29
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −18%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #300
- 1 = most expensive
A French drain in McAllen, TX usually costs $490 to $1,750 for 60 linear ft. That works out to about $8.20 to $29 per linear ft before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $240 less. Construction laborers earn a median of $16.57 an hour in the McAllen area, 27% below the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in McAllen, TX, standard level
$860 to $1,350
About $14.50 to $22.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 45% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $470 | $740 |
| Labor | $390 | $610 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $860 | $1,350 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in McAllen, TX
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $270 | $610 | $950 | 55% |
| Labor | $220 | $500 | $780 | 45% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $490 | $1,100 | $1,750 | 100% |
Why McAllen prices look the way they do
Labor is 45% of the midpoint bill here, against 52% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is construction laborers (50%), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (30%), pipelayers (20%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In McAllen the blended ratio comes out at 0.71.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. McAllen is at 93.8 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $650 nationally becomes $610 here (midpoint, 60 linear ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 85.9: $0 to $0.
French drain: what moves the price in McAllen
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.
McAllen against nearby metros and the rest of Texas
Same job, same size (60 linear ft), priced for the nearest metros. Austin is the priciest of the group at $1,250.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| McAllen, TXthis page | $490 – $1,750 | $1,100 | |
| Brownsville, TX50 miles | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | +3% |
| Corpus Christi, TX115 miles | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | +9% |
| Laredo, TX120 miles | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | +4% |
| San Antonio, TX210 miles | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | +8% |
| Austin, TX270 miles | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +13% |
| Texas (statewide) | $550 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +12% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | +22% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, McAllen ranks #300 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, McAllen is 11% below the Texas figure.
Elsewhere in Texas
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $580 – $2,050 | $1,300 | +18% |
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +14% |
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $560 – $1,950 | $1,250 | +13% |
| San Antonio, TX | 1,126,880 jobs | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | +8% |
| El Paso, TX | 339,120 jobs | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | +3% |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 192,580 jobs | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | +9% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is McAllen against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse, NY | 300,130 jobs | $640 – $2,250 | $1,450 | +30% |
| Toledo, OH | 291,530 jobs | $640 – $2,250 | $1,450 | +29% |
| Provo, UT | 304,660 jobs | $590 – $2,050 | $1,350 | +20% |
| Stockton, CA | 289,660 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | +44% |
McAllen 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, Mcallen Miller Intl 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 McAllen are October through April: 7 of 12. Outside them, May, June, July, August and September have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
McAllen gets about 22 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, September and October (4.6 inches in September). Inside the workable window, January and February are the driest, at 0.8 and 0.7 inches. The station averages about 177 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 | 73 | 53 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Feb | 77 | 57 | 0.7 | Workable |
| Mar | 83 | 63 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Apr | 88 | 68 | 1.4 | Workable |
| May | 93 | 74 | 2.0 | Hot |
| Jun | 97 | 78 | 3.0 | Hot |
| Jul | 99 | 79 | 2.0 | Hot |
| Aug | 100 | 79 | 1.8 | Hot |
| Sep | 94 | 76 | 4.6 | Hot |
| Oct | 89 | 69 | 2.1 | Workable |
| Nov | 80 | 60 | 1.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 74 | 54 | 1.1 | Workable |
What local crews earn in McAllen
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 McAllen the blend is 0.71.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $16.57 an hour, which is 27% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $14.08 and $18.08 an hour. BLS counts 1,360 of them working in the area, 45.8 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 $18.85 an hour, 35% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $17.66 and $22.19 an hour. About 1,010 work in the metro. That is 34.0 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 $17.93 an hour, which is 24% below the national $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $17.25 and $20.42 an hour. BLS counts 80 of them working in the area, 2.7 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 $25 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $40. That is a swing of roughly 3.5% to 2.1% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission has 296,700 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 86th 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% | $14.08 | $16.57 | $18.08 | $22.66 | 0.73 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $17.66 | $18.85 | $22.19 | $28.78 | 0.65 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $17.25 | $17.93 | $20.42 | $23.56 | 0.76 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.71 | |||||
What nearby projects cost in McAllen
Jobs that often go together with French drain are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same McAllen wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, retaining wall comes out highest (−13%) and gravel driveway lowest (−18%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,050 – $11,900 | −13% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,050 – $8,350 | −18% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,250 – $2,750 | −16% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,000 – $4,350 | −17% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,300 – $8,200 | −18% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $30,200 – $94,300 | −16% |
Cost by quality level and size in McAllen
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to McAllen. 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
$490 to $990
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$860 to $1,350
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,250 to $1,750
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $250 – $490 | $430 – $680 | $620 – $860 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $490 – $990 | $860 – $1,350 | $1,250 – $1,750 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $990 – $1,950 | $1,750 – $2,700 | $2,450 – $3,450 |
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French drain in McAllen: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in McAllen?
For 60 linear ft, expect $490 to $1,750 in the McAllen area. A standard-spec job lands at $860 to $1,350. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in McAllen?
About $8.20 to $29 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 McAllen or Brownsville?
Brownsville is 50 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,150, which is 3% more than McAllen ($1,100). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in McAllen?
About 45% at the midpoint, or $500 out of $1,100. Materials are 55% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in McAllen?
$490 to $1,750. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in McAllen?
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 McAllen area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is McAllen expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Texas?
McAllen is 11% 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 McAllen?
The BLS median is $16.57 an hour in the McAllen area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $14.08 to $18.08.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in McAllen?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $490 to $990 and premium work $1,250 to $1,750. 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 McAllen?
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 McAllen
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.