French drain cost in Yakima, 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 – $39.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +14%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #58
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a French drain in the Yakima area: $680 to $2,400 for 60 linear ft. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 14% higher than the US figure. Construction laborers earn a median of $23.47 an hour in the Yakima area, 4% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Yakima, WA, standard level
$1,200 to $1,850
About $20 to $31 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 56% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $530 | $830 |
| Labor | $660 | $1,050 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,200 | $1,850 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Yakima, WA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $300 | $680 | $1,050 | 44% |
| Labor | $380 | $850 | $1,350 | 56% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $680 | $1,550 | $2,400 | 100% |
Where the Yakima 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 $23.47 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Yakima is 1.21 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 56% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Yakima is at 105.0 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $650 nationally becomes $680 here (midpoint, 60 linear ft). Permits follow the all-items index of 95.5: $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 Yakima. The wage table below marks each row.
How Yakima compares
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 $1,550 to $1,700 across Yakima and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yakima, WAthis page | $680 – $2,400 | $1,550 | |
| Kennewick, WA70 miles | $710 – $2,450 | $1,600 | +4% |
| Seattle, WA90 miles | $750 – $2,650 | $1,700 | +11% |
| Portland, OR100 miles | $700 – $2,450 | $1,600 | +3% |
| Olympia, WA105 miles | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | +9% |
| Bremerton, WA120 miles | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | +4% |
| Washington (statewide) | $720 – $2,550 | $1,650 | +6% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −12% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Yakima ranks #58 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Yakima is 6% below the Washington figure.
Elsewhere in Washington
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | 2,086,210 jobs | $750 – $2,650 | $1,700 | +11% |
| Spokane, WA | 255,820 jobs | $680 – $2,400 | $1,550 | +1% |
| Olympia, WA | 130,300 jobs | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | +9% |
| Kennewick, WA | 129,490 jobs | $710 – $2,450 | $1,600 | +4% |
| Bremerton, WA | 93,740 jobs | $710 – $2,500 | $1,600 | +4% |
| Bellingham, WA | 91,390 jobs | $740 – $2,600 | $1,650 | +9% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Yakima against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binghamton, NY | 97,030 jobs | $640 – $2,250 | $1,450 | −6% |
| Athens, GA | 95,800 jobs | $530 – $1,850 | $1,200 | −22% |
| Lynchburg, VA | 97,190 jobs | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | −21% |
| Fort Smith, AR | 95,560 jobs | $510 – $1,750 | $1,150 | −26% |
What nearby projects cost in Yakima
Jobs that often go together with French drain are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Yakima wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, concrete slab comes out highest (+15%) and sprinkler system lowest (+4%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $8,100 – $15,000 | +13% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,700 – $11,000 | +8% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,600 – $3,450 | +5% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,850 – $5,950 | +15% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,150 – $10,400 | +4% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $39,600 – $123,500 | +10% |
French drain: what moves the price in Yakima
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.
Yakima: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Yakima. 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
$680 to $1,350
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,200 to $1,850
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 | $850 – $1,200 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $680 – $1,350 | $1,200 – $1,850 | $1,700 – $2,400 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,350 – $2,750 | $2,400 – $3,750 | $3,400 – $4,750 |
The best months for French drain in Yakima
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Yakima Air Terminal (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 Yakima are April through June and August through October: 6 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F), and July has an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
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 147 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Yakima gets about 8 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 20 inches of snow. The wettest months are January, November and December (1.4 inches in December). Inside the workable window, August and September are the driest, at 0.2 and 0.2 inches. The station averages about 40 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 | 40 | 24 | 1.2 | Cold |
| Feb | 47 | 26 | 0.8 | Cold |
| Mar | 57 | 30 | 0.6 | Cold |
| Apr | 65 | 35 | 0.6 | Workable |
| May | 74 | 44 | 0.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 81 | 50 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Jul | 90 | 55 | 0.2 | Hot |
| Aug | 89 | 53 | 0.2 | Workable |
| Sep | 79 | 45 | 0.2 | Workable |
| Oct | 64 | 35 | 0.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 49 | 27 | 0.9 | Cold |
| Dec | 38 | 23 | 1.4 | Cold |
Who does the work: Yakima trade wages
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 Yakima the blend is 1.21.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $23.47 an hour, which is 4% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.25 and $29.70 an hour. BLS counts 590 of them working in the area, 60.8 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 $34.52 an hour, 20% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $29.42 and $39.41 an hour. About 190 work in the metro. That is 19.6 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
Pipelayers (47-2151) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Yakima metro, so we used the Washington statewide median: $39.64 an hour against $23.56 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $33.71 and $45.76 an hour.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (construction laborers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $95 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $35. That is a swing of roughly 2.2% to 6.3% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Yakima has 97,010 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 208th 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% | $21.25 | $23.47 | $29.70 | $22.66 | 1.04 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $29.42 | $34.52 | $39.41 | $28.78 | 1.20 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $33.71 | $39.64 | $45.76 | $23.56 | 1.68 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.21 | |||||
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French drain in Yakima: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Yakima?
For 60 linear ft, expect $680 to $2,400 in the Yakima area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,200 to $1,850. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in Yakima?
About $11.50 to $39.50 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 Yakima or Kennewick?
Kennewick is 70 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,600, which is 4% more than Yakima ($1,550). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Yakima?
About 56% at the midpoint, or $850 out of $1,550. Materials are 44% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Yakima?
$680 to $2,400. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Yakima?
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 Yakima area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Yakima expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Washington?
Yakima is 6% 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 Yakima?
The BLS median is $23.47 an hour in the Yakima area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.25 to $29.70.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Yakima?
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 Yakima?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through June and August through October. August and September 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 Yakima
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.