French drain cost in Sheboygan, WI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $670 – $2,350
- Per linear ft
- $11 – $39
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +11%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #73
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a French drain in the Sheboygan area: $670 to $2,350 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 11% higher than the US figure. Construction laborers earn a median of $27.14 an hour in the Sheboygan area, 20% above the US median of $22.66.
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Sheboygan, WI, standard level
$1,150 to $1,850
About $19.50 to $30.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 60% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $470 | $740 |
| Labor | $700 | $1,100 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,150 | $1,850 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Sheboygan, WI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $270 | $610 | $950 | 40% |
| Labor | $400 | $900 | $1,400 | 60% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $670 | $1,500 | $2,350 | 100% |
Why Sheboygan prices look the way they do
Labor is 60% 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 Sheboygan the blended ratio comes out at 1.28.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Sheboygan 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 94.0: $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 Sheboygan. The wage table below marks each row.
Pick a size, pick a tier: french drain pricing in Sheboygan
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Sheboygan. 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
$670 to $1,350
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,150 to $1,850
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,650 to $2,350
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $330 – $670 | $580 – $920 | $840 – $1,150 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $670 – $1,350 | $1,150 – $1,850 | $1,650 – $2,350 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,350 – $2,650 | $2,350 – $3,650 | $3,350 – $4,700 |
The best months for French drain in Sheboygan
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Sheboygan (in the city). 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 Sheboygan are April through October: 7 of 12. Outside them, 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 133 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Sheboygan gets about 35 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are May, June and August (4.0 inches in August). Inside the workable window, July and September are the driest, at 3.2 and 2.7 inches. The station averages about 9 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 | 30 | 15 | 2.1 | Cold |
| Feb | 33 | 17 | 1.7 | Cold |
| Mar | 42 | 26 | 2.1 | Cold |
| Apr | 52 | 36 | 3.5 | Workable |
| May | 63 | 46 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Jun | 74 | 56 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 82 | 63 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Aug | 80 | 62 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 72 | 55 | 2.7 | Workable |
| Oct | 59 | 42 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Nov | 47 | 31 | 2.4 | Cold |
| Dec | 36 | 22 | 2.1 | Cold |
Is Sheboygan cheap or dear? The local comparison
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 $1,500 to $1,600 across Sheboygan and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheboygan, WIthis page | $670 – $2,350 | $1,500 | |
| Appleton, WI50 miles | $710 – $2,450 | $1,600 | +6% |
| Oshkosh, WI50 miles | $670 – $2,350 | $1,500 | level |
| Green Bay, WI50 miles | $690 – $2,400 | $1,550 | +3% |
| Milwaukee, WI55 miles | $700 – $2,450 | $1,600 | +5% |
| Racine, WI65 miles | $700 – $2,450 | $1,600 | +5% |
| Wisconsin (statewide) | $690 – $2,400 | $1,550 | +3% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | −10% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Sheboygan ranks #73 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Sheboygan is 3% below the Wisconsin figure.
Elsewhere in Wisconsin
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 820,780 jobs | $700 – $2,450 | $1,600 | +5% |
| Madison, WI | 408,070 jobs | $700 – $2,450 | $1,550 | +5% |
| Green Bay, WI | 174,550 jobs | $690 – $2,400 | $1,550 | +3% |
| Appleton, WI | 124,230 jobs | $710 – $2,450 | $1,600 | +6% |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $670 – $2,350 | $1,500 | level |
| Eau Claire, WI | 86,060 jobs | $690 – $2,400 | $1,550 | +4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Sheboygan against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dothan, AL | 60,720 jobs | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | −23% |
| Jonesboro, AR | 60,620 jobs | $510 – $1,800 | $1,150 | −23% |
| Decatur, AL | 61,240 jobs | $540 – $1,900 | $1,200 | −20% |
| Chambersburg, PA | 60,280 jobs | $590 – $2,050 | $1,350 | −12% |
Why two Sheboygan quotes can differ
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.
Related projects, priced for Sheboygan
Jobs that often go together with French drain are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Sheboygan wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sprinkler system comes out highest (+11%) and sod installation lowest (level); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $7,800 – $14,100 | +7% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,600 – $10,600 | +4% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,500 – $3,300 | level |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,550 – $5,300 | +3% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,450 – $11,100 | +11% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $38,900 – $121,500 | +8% |
Who does the work: Sheboygan 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 Sheboygan the blend is 1.28.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 50%) the local median is $27.14 an hour, which is 20% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.69 and $31.93 an hour. BLS counts 310 of them working in the area, 51.1 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 $30.91 an hour, 7% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $30.16 and $41.78 an hour. About 100 work in the metro. That is 16.5 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 Sheboygan metro, so we used the Wisconsin statewide median: $41.77 an hour against $23.56 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $38.94 and $44.98 an hour.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (construction laborers) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $75 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $85. That is a swing of roughly 5.6% to 4.9% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Sheboygan has 60,630 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 285th 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% | $21.69 | $27.14 | $31.93 | $22.66 | 1.20 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $30.16 | $30.91 | $41.78 | $28.78 | 1.07 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $38.94 | $41.77 | $44.98 | $23.56 | 1.77 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.28 | |||||
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French drain in Sheboygan: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Sheboygan?
For 60 linear ft, expect $670 to $2,350 in the Sheboygan area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,150 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 Sheboygan?
About $11 to $39 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 Sheboygan or Appleton?
Appleton is 50 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,600, which is 6% more than Sheboygan ($1,500). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Sheboygan?
About 60% at the midpoint, or $900 out of $1,500. Materials are 40% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Sheboygan?
$670 to $2,350. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Sheboygan?
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 Sheboygan area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Sheboygan expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Wisconsin?
Sheboygan is 3% below the Wisconsin statewide estimate ($1,550 at the midpoint). We cover 12 metros in Wisconsin; see the state page to compare them.
+What do construction laborers earn in Sheboygan?
The BLS median is $27.14 an hour in the Sheboygan area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.69 to $31.93.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Sheboygan?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $670 to $1,350 and premium work $1,650 to $2,350. 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 Sheboygan?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. July 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 Sheboygan
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.