French drain cost in Spokane, WA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $680 – $2,400
- Per linear ft
- $11.50 – $40
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +14%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #54
- 1 = most expensive
Spokane homeowners pay roughly $680 to $2,400 to install a French drain at 60 linear ft, or $11.50 to $40 per linear ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Spokane is 14% higher. Construction laborers earn a median of $24.53 an hour in the Spokane area, 8% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Spokane, WA, standard level
$1,200 to $1,900
About $20 to $31.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 56% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $530 | $830 |
| Labor | $670 | $1,050 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,200 | $1,900 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Spokane, WA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $300 | $680 | $1,050 | 44% |
| Labor | $380 | $860 | $1,350 | 56% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $680 | $1,550 | $2,400 | 100% |
What is behind the Spokane number
Labor is 56% 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 Spokane the blended ratio comes out at 1.23.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Spokane metro is 105.0 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 60 linear ft comes to $680, compared with $650 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (100.3) and land at $0 to $0.
Related projects, priced for Spokane
Because every project leans on different trades, Spokane's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, retaining wall runs +12% and sod installation +8%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $8,050 – $14,900 | +12% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,750 – $11,300 | +11% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,650 – $3,550 | +8% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,750 – $5,750 | +11% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,400 – $11,000 | +10% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $40,200 – $125,500 | +11% |
Spokane against nearby metros and the rest of Washington
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 $1,350 to $1,700 across Spokane and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spokane, WAthis page | $680 – $2,400 | $1,550 | |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID55 miles | $630 – $2,200 | $1,400 | −9% |
| Kennewick, WA140 miles | $710 – $2,450 | $1,600 | +3% |
| Missoula, MT175 miles | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −12% |
| Yakima, WA185 miles | $680 – $2,400 | $1,550 | −1% |
| Seattle, WA200 miles | $750 – $2,650 | $1,700 | +10% |
| Washington (statewide) | $720 – $2,550 | $1,650 | +6% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −12% |
Across 300 US metros, Spokane comes in at #54 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, Spokane is 5% below the Washington figure.
Other Washington metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | 2,086,210 jobs | $750 – $2,650 | $1,700 | +10% |
| Olympia, WA | 130,300 jobs | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | +9% |
| Kennewick, WA | 129,490 jobs | $710 – $2,450 | $1,600 | +3% |
| Yakima, WA | 97,010 jobs | $680 – $2,400 | $1,550 | −1% |
| Bremerton, WA | 93,740 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | +4% |
| Bellingham, WA | 91,390 jobs | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | +9% |
Cities with a workforce like Spokane's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Spokane against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland, FL | 265,280 jobs | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | −21% |
| Scranton, PA | 255,620 jobs | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −13% |
| Huntsville, AL | 266,650 jobs | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | −21% |
| Lancaster, PA | 252,230 jobs | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −12% |
Pick a size, pick a tier: french drain pricing in Spokane
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Spokane 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
$680 to $1,350
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,200 to $1,900
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,700 to $2,400
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $340 – $680 | $600 – $940 | $860 – $1,200 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $680 – $1,350 | $1,200 – $1,900 | $1,700 – $2,400 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,350 – $2,750 | $2,400 – $3,750 | $3,400 – $4,800 |
When to schedule French drain in Spokane
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Spokane Felts Fld (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
April through October is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Spokane (7 of 12 months). January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March, November 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 123 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Spokane gets about 17 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, November and December (2.2 inches in December). Inside the workable window, July and August are the driest, at 0.7 and 0.5 inches. The station averages about 29 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 | 38 | 26 | 2.0 | Cold |
| Feb | 43 | 27 | 1.3 | Cold |
| Mar | 51 | 32 | 1.8 | Cold |
| Apr | 60 | 37 | 1.5 | Workable |
| May | 70 | 44 | 1.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 76 | 50 | 1.5 | Workable |
| Jul | 87 | 56 | 0.7 | Workable |
| Aug | 86 | 55 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Sep | 76 | 47 | 0.7 | Workable |
| Oct | 60 | 38 | 1.5 | Workable |
| Nov | 45 | 31 | 2.0 | Cold |
| Dec | 37 | 26 | 2.2 | Cold |
Local wages behind the labor line
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 Spokane is 1.23 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $24.53 an hour, 8% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.24 and $31.37 an hour. About 1,700 work in the metro. That is 66.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 30%) the local median is $35.75 an hour, which is 24% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $29.35 and $42.14 an hour. BLS counts 700 of them working in the area, 27.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is about average.
Pipelayers (47-2151), 20% of the weighting: a median of $36.72 an hour, 56% above the US median of $23.56. The middle half of them earn between $32.97 and $37.35 an hour. About 80 work in the metro. That is 3.1 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 2.1 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the construction laborers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($31.37 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $110. At the 25th percentile ($21.24) it shrinks by about $50. The total moves by 6.9% or 3.3%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 255,820 jobs in the Spokane-Spokane Valley area. That makes it the 101st largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.16% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $21.24 | $24.53 | $31.37 | $22.66 | 1.08 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $29.35 | $35.75 | $42.14 | $28.78 | 1.24 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $32.97 | $36.72 | $37.35 | $23.56 | 1.56 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.23 | |||||
Specs and site conditions that change a Spokane bid
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.
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).
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French drain in Spokane: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Spokane?
For 60 linear ft, expect $680 to $2,400 in the Spokane area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,200 to $1,900. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in Spokane?
About $11.50 to $40 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 Spokane or Coeur d'Alene?
Coeur d'Alene is 55 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,400, which is 9% less than Spokane ($1,550). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Spokane?
About 56% at the midpoint, or $860 out of $1,550. Materials are 44% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Spokane?
$680 to $2,400. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Spokane?
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 Spokane area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Spokane expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Washington?
Spokane is 5% below the Washington statewide estimate ($1,650 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Washington; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Spokane?
The BLS median is $24.53 an hour in the Spokane area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.24 to $31.37.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Spokane?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $680 to $1,350 and premium work $1,700 to $2,400. 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 Spokane?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. July and August 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 Spokane
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.