- Retaining wall usually costs $3,350 to $9,600, about $5,750 typical.
- A segmental block or similar retaining wall of moderate length and height.
- Price your own job with the calculator above; it breaks the job into lines.
What retaining wall costs
Retaining wall usually runs $3,350 to $9,600. A typical job lands near $5,750. A segmental block or similar retaining wall of moderate length and height.
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Low end | $3,350 |
| Typical | $5,750 |
| High end | $9,600 |
Sources: Fixr and HomeAdvisor, combined as shown below. Local wages shift the typical price from about $5,089 in Arkansas to $6,856 in Hawaii.
What drives the price
- Height and length. HomeAdvisor says taller and longer walls cost more per linear foot.
- Material. Block is the common choice. Poured concrete, natural stone and timber differ in price and life.
- Engineering. Taller walls often need an engineer, a permit, geogrid and drainage.
- Drainage. Gravel backfill and a drain pipe keep water from pushing the wall over.
Retaining wall cost by wall use
| Wall use | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape wall | $30 to $150 a linear foot | Bob Vila |
| Driveway wall | $50 to $150 a linear foot | Bob Vila |
Retaining wall cost by state
These state figures are Koira estimates. The labor share of the national price, about 50%, moves with each state's median wage for construction and extraction workers; materials stay at the national price. Use them to sanity-check a retaining wall quote.
| State | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $3,020 | $5,184 | $8,654 |
| Alaska | $3,802 | $6,526 | $10,896 |
| Arizona | $3,307 | $5,677 | $9,478 |
| Arkansas | $2,965 | $5,089 | $8,497 |
| California | $3,691 | $6,335 | $10,577 |
| Colorado | $3,396 | $5,829 | $9,732 |
| Connecticut | $3,690 | $6,333 | $10,574 |
| Delaware | $3,345 | $5,741 | $9,585 |
| District of Columbia | $3,647 | $6,260 | $10,452 |
| Florida | $3,063 | $5,258 | $8,778 |
| Georgia | $3,076 | $5,279 | $8,814 |
| Hawaii | $3,994 | $6,856 | $11,446 |
| Idaho | $3,255 | $5,586 | $9,327 |
| Illinois | $3,941 | $6,765 | $11,295 |
| Indiana | $3,415 | $5,861 | $9,786 |
| Iowa | $3,348 | $5,746 | $9,593 |
| Kansas | $3,221 | $5,529 | $9,231 |
| Kentucky | $3,170 | $5,441 | $9,084 |
| Louisiana | $3,080 | $5,286 | $8,825 |
| Maine | $3,372 | $5,787 | $9,662 |
| Maryland | $3,359 | $5,766 | $9,627 |
| Massachusetts | $3,854 | $6,616 | $11,045 |
| Michigan | $3,396 | $5,829 | $9,732 |
| Minnesota | $3,717 | $6,380 | $10,651 |
| Mississippi | $2,991 | $5,134 | $8,572 |
| Missouri | $3,411 | $5,855 | $9,776 |
| Montana | $3,390 | $5,818 | $9,714 |
| Nebraska | $3,188 | $5,472 | $9,136 |
| Nevada | $3,411 | $5,855 | $9,776 |
| New Hampshire | $3,365 | $5,776 | $9,644 |
| New Jersey | $3,741 | $6,422 | $10,722 |
| New Mexico | $3,079 | $5,284 | $8,822 |
| New York | $3,655 | $6,274 | $10,475 |
| North Carolina | $3,064 | $5,260 | $8,782 |
| North Dakota | $3,396 | $5,828 | $9,731 |
| Ohio | $3,423 | $5,876 | $9,810 |
| Oklahoma | $3,043 | $5,223 | $8,720 |
| Oregon | $3,535 | $6,067 | $10,130 |
| Pennsylvania | $3,377 | $5,797 | $9,679 |
| Rhode Island | $3,448 | $5,919 | $9,882 |
| South Carolina | $3,069 | $5,268 | $8,795 |
| South Dakota | $3,085 | $5,295 | $8,841 |
| Tennessee | $3,096 | $5,314 | $8,872 |
| Texas | $3,058 | $5,249 | $8,763 |
| Utah | $3,283 | $5,635 | $9,407 |
| Vermont | $3,355 | $5,759 | $9,615 |
| Virginia | $3,263 | $5,600 | $9,350 |
| Washington | $3,799 | $6,520 | $10,886 |
| West Virginia | $3,296 | $5,657 | $9,444 |
| Wisconsin | $3,465 | $5,948 | $9,930 |
| Wyoming | $3,356 | $5,760 | $9,617 |
Cities inside a state can run well above or below the state figure.
How we got these numbers
| Guide | Range | Average | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixr | $3,500 to $10,000 | $5,463 | Counted |
| HomeAdvisor | $3,191 to $9,206 | $6,082 | Counted |
| Bob Vila | $3,199 to $9,196 | $6,060 | Shown, not counted: it repeats another guide's figures |
We take the middle of the guides' lows for the low end, the middle of their highs for the high end, and the middle of their averages for the typical retaining wall price. Where a guide gives no average we use its midpoint. All read on October 9, 2026.
Labor share used: 50%. None of the guides splits labor out for this job, so this share is Koira's working assumption for patios, decks and outdoor living work. State factor: the state's median hourly wage for construction and extraction workers over the national $28.63 (BLS, May 2025), kept between 0.7 and 1.4.
For contractors: price this job in Koira
Outdoor builds are priced by size and material, so show both and add the permit as its own line.
Run the numbers for a real retaining wall in the free retaining wall cost calculator, then save the result as an estimate. Koira's free Office plan turns a retaining wall quote into a clean estimate the customer approves on their phone, then into an invoice they can pay. Price this job in Koira, free.
Sources: Fixr, retaining wall cost; HomeAdvisor, retaining wall cost; Bob Vila, retaining wall cost; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state and national files). Prices checked October 9, 2026. More for your trade: how the trade runs on Koira.