French drain cost in Cheyenne, WY
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (60 linear ft)
- $580 – $2,050
- Per linear ft
- $9.70 – $34
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −3%
- US $1,350
- Rank of 300 metros
- #175
- 1 = most expensive
Cheyenne homeowners pay roughly $580 to $2,050 to install a French drain at 60 linear ft, or $9.70 to $34 per linear ft (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Cheyenne is 3% lower. Building materials run about 5% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 95.4).
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Estimated cost for 60 linear ft in Cheyenne, WY, standard level
$1,000 to $1,600
About $17 to $26.50 per linear ft before permits. Labor is about 53% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $480 | $760 |
| Labor | $540 | $840 |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $1,000 | $1,600 |
Cost breakdown for 60 linear ft in Cheyenne, WY
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $270 | $620 | $960 | 47% |
| Labor | $310 | $690 | $1,050 | 53% |
| Permits and fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | 0% |
| Total | $580 | $1,300 | $2,050 | 100% |
Why Cheyenne prices look the way they do
Labor is 53% 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 Cheyenne the blended ratio comes out at 0.98.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Cheyenne metro is 95.4 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 60 linear ft comes to $620, compared with $650 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (96.5) and land at $0 to $0.
Data note: 20% of the labor weighting for this project uses a national median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Cheyenne. The wage table below marks each row.
Cheyenne against nearby metros and the rest of Wyoming
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 $1,300 to $1,400 across Cheyenne and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne, WYthis page | $580 – $2,050 | $1,300 | |
| Greeley, CO55 miles | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | +3% |
| Fort Collins, CO60 miles | $610 – $2,150 | $1,400 | +5% |
| Boulder, CO90 miles | $620 – $2,200 | $1,400 | +7% |
| Denver, CO130 miles | $630 – $2,200 | $1,400 | +9% |
| Colorado Springs, CO170 miles | $590 – $2,050 | $1,300 | +1% |
| Wyoming (statewide) | $590 – $2,050 | $1,300 | +1% |
| United States | $600 – $2,100 | $1,350 | +3% |
Across 300 US metros, Cheyenne comes in at #175 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, Cheyenne is 1% below the Wyoming figure.
Cheyenne is the only Wyoming metro we cover, so the statewide page is the only in-state comparison. It uses statewide wages, which include rural areas.
Cities with a workforce like Cheyenne's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Cheyenne against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Havasu City, AZ | 56,490 jobs | $580 – $2,050 | $1,300 | level |
| Pittsfield, MA | 56,810 jobs | $650 – $2,250 | $1,450 | +11% |
| Punta Gorda, FL | 57,530 jobs | $560 – $2,000 | $1,250 | −3% |
| Texarkana, TX | 57,580 jobs | $520 – $1,850 | $1,150 | −10% |
When to schedule French drain in Cheyenne
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Cheyenne (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
May through October is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Cheyenne (6 of 12 months). January, February, March, April, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March, April, 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 170 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Cheyenne gets about 15 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 63 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and July (2.4 inches in May). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 1.5 and 1.0 inches. The station averages about 15 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 | 40 | 18 | 0.3 | Cold |
| Feb | 41 | 18 | 0.5 | Cold |
| Mar | 49 | 25 | 1.0 | Cold |
| Apr | 55 | 31 | 1.8 | Cold |
| May | 64 | 40 | 2.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 77 | 49 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Jul | 84 | 56 | 2.1 | Workable |
| Aug | 82 | 54 | 1.5 | Workable |
| Sep | 73 | 46 | 1.5 | Workable |
| Oct | 59 | 34 | 1.0 | Workable |
| Nov | 48 | 25 | 0.6 | Cold |
| Dec | 39 | 18 | 0.5 | Cold |
What nearby projects cost in Cheyenne
Because every project leans on different trades, Cheyenne's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, concrete slab runs −2% and sod installation −4%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retaining wall | 200 sq ft of wall face | $6,800 – $12,900 | −4% |
| Gravel driveway | 1,000 sq ft | $2,400 – $9,850 | −4% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,150 | −4% |
| Concrete slab | 400 sq ft | $2,400 – $5,100 | −2% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,850 – $9,650 | −4% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $34,800 – $108,500 | −4% |
French drain: what moves the price in Cheyenne
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).
Cheyenne: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Cheyenne 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
$580 to $1,150
Shallow yard drain, easy digging
Standard
$1,000 to $1,600
Standard drain with fabric, gravel and a pop-up outlet
Premium
$1,450 to $2,050
Deep or long drain, hard soil, dry well or sump discharge
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short run (30 linear ft) | $290 – $580 | $510 – $800 | $730 – $1,000 |
| side yard (60 linear ft) | $580 – $1,150 | $1,000 – $1,600 | $1,450 – $2,050 |
| long run (120 linear ft) | $1,150 – $2,300 | $2,050 – $3,200 | $2,900 – $4,050 |
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 Cheyenne is 0.98 times the national level.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 50% of the weighting: a median of $22.23 an hour, in line with the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.67 and $23.46 an hour. About 420 work in the metro. That is 86.7 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 30%) the local median is $27.87 an hour, which is 3% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $24.03 and $29.54 an hour. BLS counts 270 of them working in the area, 55.7 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Pipelayers (47-2151) carry 20% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Cheyenne metro, 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.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the construction laborers on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($23.46 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $20. At the 25th percentile ($18.67) it shrinks by about $55. The total moves by 1.5% or 4.2%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 48,470 jobs in the Cheyenne area. That makes it the 300th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.03% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 50% | $18.67 | $22.23 | $23.46 | $22.66 | 0.98 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 30% | $24.03 | $27.87 | $29.54 | $28.78 | 0.97 | metro |
| Pipelayers (47-2151) | 20% | $21.15 | $23.56 | $29.52 | $23.56 | 1.00 | US |
| Blended | 100% | 0.98 | |||||
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French drain in Cheyenne: your questions
+How much does it cost to install a French drain in Cheyenne?
For 60 linear ft, expect $580 to $2,050 in the Cheyenne area. A standard-spec job lands at $1,000 to $1,600. Small jobs usually cost more per linear ft and large ones less.
+What is the price per linear ft for French drain in Cheyenne?
About $9.70 to $34 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 Cheyenne or Greeley?
Greeley is 55 miles away. The midpoint for 60 linear ft there is $1,350, which is 3% more than Cheyenne ($1,300). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Cheyenne?
About 53% at the midpoint, or $690 out of $1,300. Materials are 47% and permits 0%. Nationally, labor is 52%.
+What would side yard (60 linear ft) cost in Cheyenne?
$580 to $2,050. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does French drain need a permit in Cheyenne?
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 Cheyenne area (our national range of $0 to $0 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Cheyenne expensive for French drain compared with the rest of Wyoming?
Cheyenne is 1% below the Wyoming statewide estimate ($1,300 at the midpoint).
+What do construction laborers earn in Cheyenne?
The BLS median is $22.23 an hour in the Cheyenne area, compared with $22.66 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.67 to $23.46.
+What do basic and premium French drain work cost in Cheyenne?
For 60 linear ft, basic work runs $580 to $1,150 and premium work $1,450 to $2,050. 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 Cheyenne?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are May through October. September and October 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 Cheyenne
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.