Retaining wall cost in Auburn, AL
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,050 – $12,000
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $30 – $58
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −12%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #285
- 1 = most expensive
Auburn homeowners pay roughly $6,050 to $12,000 to build a retaining wall at 200 sq ft of wall face, or $30 to $58 per sq ft of wall face (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Auburn is 12% lower. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $23.90 an hour in the Auburn area, 20% below the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Auburn, AL, standard level
$7,850 to $10,200
About $38.50 to $49.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 41% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $6,050 |
| Labor | $3,550 | $3,850 |
| Permits and fees | $150 | $290 |
| Total | $7,850 | $10,200 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Auburn, AL
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,500 | 57% |
| Labor | $3,300 | $3,700 | $4,100 | 41% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $220 | $400 | 2% |
| Total | $6,050 | $9,050 | $12,000 | 100% |
Why Auburn prices look the way they do
Labor is 41% of the midpoint bill here, against 46% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is brickmasons and blockmasons (50%), construction laborers (30%), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (20%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Auburn the blended ratio comes out at 0.79. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Alabama statewide median.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Auburn metro is 96.4 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 200 sq ft of wall face comes to $5,100, compared with $5,300 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (87.9) and land at $45 to $400.
Data note: 50% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Auburn. The wage table below marks each row.
Retaining wall: what moves the price in Auburn
Height
Walls over 4 feet need engineering, deeper excavation and more skilled labor; many cities require permits over 3-4 feet (HomeGuide).
Material
Block, poured concrete and natural stone are priced differently; concrete and stone walls run higher than the segmental block default.
Drainage
Every wall needs drainage behind it. A French drain adds $10-$85+ per linear foot.
Is Auburn cheap or dear? The local comparison
Of the five closest metros, 3 are cheaper than Auburn. Dothan is the lowest at about $8,900 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face), 85 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn, ALthis page | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | |
| Columbus, GA40 miles | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | level |
| Montgomery, AL50 miles | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,000 | level |
| Dothan, AL85 miles | $5,950 – $11,900 | $8,900 | −1% |
| Birmingham, AL100 miles | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,250 | +2% |
| Albany, GA100 miles | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,000 | level |
| Alabama (statewide) | $6,100 – $12,000 | $9,050 | level |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +14% |
Across 300 US metros, Auburn comes in at #285 from the top. The priciest is Kahului, HI at $13,500; the cheapest is El Paso, TX at $8,850 (midpoints, 200 sq ft of wall face). Statewide, Auburn is 0% below the Alabama figure.
Other Alabama metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | 520,290 jobs | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,250 | +2% |
| Huntsville, AL | 266,650 jobs | $6,100 – $12,100 | $9,100 | +1% |
| Mobile, AL | 172,550 jobs | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | level |
| Montgomery, AL | 165,550 jobs | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,000 | level |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 108,460 jobs | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | level |
| Daphne, AL | 87,120 jobs | $6,100 – $12,100 | $9,100 | +1% |
Cities with a workforce like Auburn's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Auburn against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IN | 73,240 jobs | $7,350 – $13,500 | $10,400 | +16% |
| Prescott Valley, AZ | 72,300 jobs | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,900 | +10% |
| Kahului, HI | 73,750 jobs | $9,750 – $17,300 | $13,500 | +50% |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 72,280 jobs | $7,100 – $13,400 | $10,200 | +13% |
Cost by quality level and size in Auburn
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Auburn 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 4 common sizes.
Basic
$6,050 to $8,450
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$7,850 to $10,200
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$9,600 to $12,000
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,050 – $4,300 | $4,000 – $5,250 | $4,950 – $6,200 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,450 – $3,500 | $3,200 – $4,250 | $4,000 – $5,050 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $4,850 – $6,800 | $6,300 – $8,250 | $7,750 – $9,700 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,250 – $10,100 | $9,350 – $12,200 | $11,500 – $14,300 |
When to schedule retaining wall in Auburn
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Auburn No.2 (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
Weather is not a serious constraint for digging, grading and setting material in the ground in Auburn: no month in the averages is cold enough (an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F)) or hot enough (an average daytime high of 90°F or more) to rule it out, so the workable window is all year.
Auburn gets about 56 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are March, June and December (5.7 inches in March). The station averages about 49 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 | 56 | 35 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Feb | 61 | 39 | 5.1 | Workable |
| Mar | 68 | 45 | 5.7 | Workable |
| Apr | 75 | 51 | 4.8 | Workable |
| May | 81 | 60 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Jun | 87 | 68 | 5.7 | Workable |
| Jul | 89 | 71 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Aug | 88 | 71 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Sep | 84 | 66 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Oct | 75 | 54 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 65 | 43 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 58 | 38 | 5.6 | Workable |
Planning more than one job in Auburn?
Because every project leans on different trades, Auburn's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, sod installation runs −9% and concrete driveway −16%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $530 – $1,850 | −12% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,600 – $4,700 | −14% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,100 – $7,650 | −16% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,350 – $3,000 | −9% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,500 – $8,700 | −13% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $31,400 – $98,100 | −13% |
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 Auburn is 0.79 times the national level.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 50% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Auburn metro, so we used the Alabama statewide median: $23.90 an hour against $29.87 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $18.98 and $27.55 an hour.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $17.36 an hour, 23% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $13.70 and $21.30 an hour. About 670 work in the metro. That is 92.1 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 20%) the local median is $22.60 an hour, which is 21% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $18.46 and $24.74 an hour. BLS counts 360 of them working in the area, 49.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the brickmasons and blockmasons on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($27.55 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $290. At the 25th percentile ($18.98) it shrinks by about $390. The total moves by 3.2% or 4.3%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 72,710 jobs in the Auburn-Opelika area. That makes it the 252nd largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.05% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $18.98 | $23.90 | $27.55 | $29.87 | 0.80 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $13.70 | $17.36 | $21.30 | $22.66 | 0.77 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $18.46 | $22.60 | $24.74 | $28.78 | 0.79 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.79 | |||||
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Retaining wall in Auburn: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Auburn?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,050 to $12,000 in the Auburn area. A standard-spec job lands at $7,850 to $10,200. Small jobs usually cost more per sq ft of wall face and large ones less.
+What is the price per sq ft of wall face for retaining wall in Auburn?
About $30 to $58 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $45 to $400 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Auburn or Columbus?
Columbus is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $9,050, which is 0% more than Auburn ($9,050). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Auburn?
About 41% at the midpoint, or $3,700 out of $9,050. Materials are 57% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Auburn?
$4,850 to $9,700. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Auburn?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $400 for fees in the Auburn area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Auburn expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Alabama?
Auburn is 0% below the Alabama statewide estimate ($9,050 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in Alabama; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Auburn?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $23.90 an hour, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.98 to $27.55.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Auburn?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,050 to $8,450 and premium work $9,600 to $12,000. Basic means: short block wall, easy access. Premium means: tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access.
+Is there a bad season to build a retaining wall in Auburn?
Not from a temperature point of view. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals show no month with a freezing-level overnight low or a 90°F-plus average high, so timing is mostly about contractor availability and rain.
Retaining wall near Auburn
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 Retaining Wall Cost? (2026) (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 = 40% of the low installed price and 60% of the high one, since HomeGuide says labor is 40-60% of the total project cost.