Retaining wall cost calculator

Enter the wall length and type, add grading, and enter your ZIP. The per-foot price combines three guides.

$2,700Typical 30 ft landscape wall

$6,082Average project (HomeAdvisor)

$30 to $150A linear foot (Bob Vila)

Retaining wall cost

$1,200 to $4,500

Typical $2,700 (US average)

$90Per linear ft, all in, typical

$1,200Low

$4,500High

Walls over about 4 feet often need an engineer and a permit. Ask your building department.

Free. Your numbers become an estimate you can send from your phone.

How we got this

Block landscape wall, installed$40 to $150 a linear ft (typical $90)Fixr's table (10 linear feet: $400 to $1.2K), HomeAdvisor's (10 feet: $400 to $3,600) and Bob Vila's $30 to $150 a linear foot for landscape walls; the middle of the three a foot.
Wall length30 linear ftLow, typical and high each times 30.
RegionUS average prices (no ZIP entered)Enter a ZIP to scale the labor part of the price to your state's wages.
Total$1,200 to $4,500, typical $2,700

Item	Qty	Low	Typical	High
Block landscape wall, installed	30 linear ft	$1,200	$2,700	$4,500
Total		$1,200	$2,700	$4,500

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); US Census Bureau, 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Area to county relationship file. Checked 2026-10-09.

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Key takeaways

A retaining wall project usually costs $3,191 to $9,206, HomeAdvisor says, $6,082 on average.
Per foot, Bob Vila puts landscape walls at $30 to $150 and driveway walls at $50 to $150.
Height drives cost more than length; tall walls need engineering, drainage and permits.
Fixr's typical job is a concrete block wall, $5,463 on average.

Retaining wall cost per foot

Length	Fixr	HomeAdvisor
10 ft	$400 to $1.2K	$400 to $3,600
20 ft	$800 to $2.4K	$800 to $7,200
50 ft	Not listed	$2,000 to $18,000
100 ft	Not listed	$4,000 to $36,000

HomeAdvisor's wider range covers taller walls and costlier materials. The calculator takes the middle of Fixr's, HomeAdvisor's and Bob Vila's per-foot figures.

Wall types

Fixr lists gravity, anchored and hybrid walls at $10 to $30 a square foot of face and sheet piling at $10 to $50. Segmental concrete block is the common homeowner choice.

Site work

HomeAdvisor lists land grading at $900 to $3,000 and tree removal at $200 to $2,000. Drainage behind the wall, gravel backfill and a perforated pipe, keeps water pressure from pushing it over.

A worked example

Thirty feet of block landscape wall at the US average comes to $1,200 to $4,500, about $2,700 typical. Fifty feet with grading is about $6,450. Enter a ZIP to scale the 50% labor share.

Quoting walls

Height and length on the estimate. Square feet of face is what you build.
Drainage and geogrid as lines.
Engineer and permit for tall walls.

Send it from Koira.

Last checked October 9, 2026. More for your trade: how lawn and landscape crews run on Koira.

FAQ

How much does a retaining wall cost?

HomeAdvisor says $3,191 to $9,206, $6,082 average. Fixr says $3,500 to $10,000.

How much is a retaining wall per foot?

Bob Vila puts landscape walls at $30 to $150 a linear foot.

Do I need a permit for a retaining wall?

Often for taller walls. Check with your building department.

What is the cheapest retaining wall?

Short timber or simple block walls are usually the cheapest.

How much does grading cost?

HomeAdvisor says $900 to $3,000.

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