French drain cost in Vermont
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (60 linear ft)
- $600 – $2,100
- Per linear ft
- $9.90 – $34.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −1%
- US $1,350
- Metros covered
- 1
What does it cost to install a French drain in Vermont? Plan on $600 to $2,100 for 60 linear ft. Wages (1.01x the US blend), materials (price index 97.3) and permit costs (98.0) put the state below the national midpoint by 1%.
Vermont has one metro in our dataset, Burlington, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Vermont (statewide), standard level
$1,050 to $1,650
About $17.50 to $27.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 53% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $490 | $770 |
| Labor | $550 | $870 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,050 | $1,650 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Vermont
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $280 | $630 | $980 | 47% |
| Labor | $320 | $710 | $1,100 | 53% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $600 | $1,350 | $2,100 | 100% |
When Vermont weather lets you install
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Vermont 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.
Burlington has 7 comfortable months (April through October), with about 38 inches of precipitation a year.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 13 | 82 | 38 | 7: April through October |
Wages behind the Vermont number
Vermont'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 1.01 times the national level.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $23.36 an hour, which is 3% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.49 and $27.94 an hour. BLS counts 1,430 of them working in the state, 47.1 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 $28.30 an hour, in line with the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $25.37 and $30.62 an hour. About 1,280 work in the state. That is 42.1 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 Vermont, so we used the national median: $23.56 an hour against $23.56 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $21.15 and $29.52 an hour.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for construction laborers ($27.94 an hour) would add about $70 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($22.49) would take off about $15. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 303,890 jobs across Vermont (May 2025), which is 0.2% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $22.49 | $23.36 | $27.94 | $22.66 | 1.03 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $25.37 | $28.30 | $30.62 | $28.78 | 0.98 | state |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $21.15 | $23.56 | $29.52 | $23.56 | 1.00 | US |
| Blended | 100% | 1.01 | |||||
Basic, standard or premium: Vermont 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
$600 to $1,200
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,050 to $1,650
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,500 to $2,100
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $300 – $600 | $520 – $820 | $740 – $1,050 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $600 – $1,200 | $1,050 – $1,650 | $1,500 – $2,100 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,200 – $2,400 | $2,100 – $3,250 | $3,000 – $4,150 |
Other Vermont jobs that often go with French drain
Each project weights the trades differently, so Vermont's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, sod installation is +6% and retaining wall −2%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,900 – $13,200 | −2% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,500 – $10,100 | −1% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,600 – $3,500 | +6% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,450 – $5,200 | level |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,950 – $9,850 | −1% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $35,600 – $111,000 | −1% |
Vermont metro-by-metro prices
Vermont has one metro in our dataset, Burlington, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, VT | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | +1% |
How Vermont compares with nearby states
Vermont ranks 28 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. Vermont sits at $1,350. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 140 miles away | $620 – $2,150 | $1,400 | +3% |
| Maine | 150 miles away | $590 – $2,050 | $1,300 | −2% |
| Massachusetts | 180 miles away | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | +19% |
| Connecticut | 220 miles away | $660 – $2,300 | $1,500 | +11% |
| Rhode Island | 220 miles away | $630 – $2,200 | $1,400 | +6% |
Why two Vermont 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.
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French drain in Vermont: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Vermont?
$600 to $2,100 for 60 linear ft, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Vermont can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Vermont is cheapest for French drain?
Burlington at about $1,350 (midpoint, 60 linear ft).
+Is French drain cheaper in Vermont than the US average?
It is 1% cheaper: $1,350 against $1,350 for 60 linear ft at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Vermont?
About 53% ($710). Materials are 47%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.01x the national wage level.
+What do construction laborers earn in Vermont?
The BLS statewide median is $23.36 an hour, against $22.66 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.49 to $27.94.
+Where does Vermont rank for French drain costs?
28th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $1,350 for 60 linear ft. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Vermont?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $600 to $1,200 and premium work $1,500 to $2,100. 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 Vermont?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Vermont metros we cover, Burlington has the most comfortable months (7 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 Vermont
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.