Retaining wall cost in Prescott Valley, AZ
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,850 – $13,000
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $34 – $63
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −3%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #167
- 1 = most expensive
A retaining wall in Prescott Valley, AZ usually costs $6,850 to $13,000 for 200 sq ft of wall face. That works out to about $34 to $63 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $330 less. Building materials run about 4% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 96.2).
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Prescott Valley, AZ, standard level
$8,700 to $11,200
About $42.50 to $54 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 46% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $6,050 |
| Labor | $4,400 | $4,750 |
| Permits and fees | $170 | $320 |
| Total | $8,700 | $11,200 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Prescott Valley, AZ
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,500 | 51% |
| Labor | $4,100 | $4,600 | $5,050 | 46% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $250 | $440 | 2% |
| Total | $6,850 | $9,900 | $13,000 | 100% |
What is behind the Prescott Valley number
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 3 trades: brickmasons and blockmasons at 50%, construction laborers at 30%, operating engineers and other construction equipment operators at 20%. Weighted together, Prescott Valley wages are 0.97 times the national level. Labor makes up about 46% of the midpoint estimate (46% at national prices). BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Arizona statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Prescott Valley is at 96.2 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $5,300 nationally becomes $5,100 here (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face). Permits follow the all-items index of 98.3: $50 to $440.
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 Prescott Valley. The wage table below marks each row.
Prescott Valley weather and the retaining wall calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Prescott Love Fld (5 miles from the city center). 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 Prescott Valley are March through June and August through October: 7 of 12. Outside them, January, February, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F), and July has an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
In January, February, 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 113 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Prescott Valley gets about 13 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are February, July and August (2.5 inches in August). Inside the workable window, April and June are the driest, at 0.5 and 0.3 inches. The station averages about 51 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 | 53 | 26 | 1.2 | Cold |
| Feb | 56 | 29 | 1.3 | Cold |
| Mar | 62 | 34 | 1.0 | Workable |
| Apr | 69 | 39 | 0.5 | Workable |
| May | 77 | 47 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Jun | 88 | 56 | 0.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 90 | 63 | 1.9 | Hot |
| Aug | 88 | 61 | 2.5 | Workable |
| Sep | 83 | 54 | 1.3 | Workable |
| Oct | 73 | 42 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 62 | 32 | 0.7 | Cold |
| Dec | 52 | 26 | 1.0 | Cold |
Pick a size, pick a tier: retaining wall pricing in Prescott Valley
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Prescott Valley. Bands overlap, because plenty of standard jobs cost as much as a light premium one. Sizes run from short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face to 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face).
Basic
$6,850 to $9,300
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,700 to $11,200
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$10,500 to $13,000
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,450 – $4,750 | $4,450 – $5,750 | $5,400 – $6,750 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,750 – $3,850 | $3,550 – $4,650 | $4,400 – $5,450 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,500 – $7,500 | $7,000 – $9,000 | $8,500 – $10,500 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $8,200 – $11,100 | $10,400 – $13,300 | $12,600 – $15,500 |
Prescott Valley against nearby metros and the rest of Arizona
Same job, same size (200 sq ft of wall face), priced for the nearest metros. Phoenix is the priciest of the group at $9,950. Lake Havasu City is the cheapest at $9,700.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prescott Valley, AZthis page | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,900 | |
| Flagstaff, AZ95 miles | $6,750 – $12,900 | $9,850 | −1% |
| Lake Havasu City, AZ100 miles | $6,600 – $12,700 | $9,700 | −2% |
| Phoenix, AZ105 miles | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,950 | level |
| Yuma, AZ150 miles | $6,650 – $12,800 | $9,700 | −2% |
| Las Vegas, NV175 miles | $6,800 – $13,000 | $9,900 | level |
| Arizona (statewide) | $6,800 – $13,000 | $9,900 | level |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +3% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Prescott Valley ranks #167 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Prescott Valley is 0% above the Arizona figure.
Elsewhere in Arizona
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | 2,375,760 jobs | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,950 | level |
| Tucson, AZ | 389,630 jobs | $6,650 – $12,800 | $9,700 | −2% |
| Yuma, AZ | 68,880 jobs | $6,650 – $12,800 | $9,700 | −2% |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 66,610 jobs | $6,750 – $12,900 | $9,850 | −1% |
| Lake Havasu City, AZ | 56,490 jobs | $6,600 – $12,700 | $9,700 | −2% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Prescott Valley against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn, AL | 72,710 jobs | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | −9% |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 72,280 jobs | $7,100 – $13,400 | $10,200 | +3% |
| Bloomington, IN | 73,240 jobs | $7,350 – $13,500 | $10,400 | +5% |
| Bangor, ME | 72,270 jobs | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | −8% |
Retaining wall: what moves the price in Prescott Valley
Permit
Permits cost $50-$450 depending on location and wall size.
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.
What local crews earn in Prescott Valley
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 Prescott Valley the blend is 0.97.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 50% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Prescott Valley metro, so we used the Arizona statewide median: $28.49 an hour against $29.87 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $25.04 and $30.87 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $22.17 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.09 and $23.38 an hour. BLS counts 1,100 of them working in the area, 152.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 20% of the weighting: a median of $29.24 an hour, in line with the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $25.00 and $30.16 an hour. About 770 work in the metro. That is 106.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (brickmasons and blockmasons) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $190 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $270. That is a swing of roughly 2.7% to 1.9% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Prescott Valley-Prescott has 72,300 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 253rd by size among the 300 metros on this site.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $25.04 | $28.49 | $30.87 | $29.87 | 0.95 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $18.09 | $22.17 | $23.38 | $22.66 | 0.98 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $25.00 | $29.24 | $30.16 | $28.78 | 1.02 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.97 | |||||
Planning more than one job in Prescott Valley?
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Prescott Valley wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, French drain comes out highest (+1%) and concrete driveway lowest (−6%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $600 – $2,100 | +1% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,900 – $5,300 | −3% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,400 – $8,600 | −6% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,200 | −3% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,850 – $9,600 | −4% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $35,100 – $109,500 | −3% |
Get 3 local quotes
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Multi-page report for Prescott Valley, AZ: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Retaining wall in Prescott Valley: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Prescott Valley?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,850 to $13,000 in the Prescott Valley area. A standard-spec job lands at $8,700 to $11,200. 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 Prescott Valley?
About $34 to $63 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $50 to $440 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Prescott Valley or Flagstaff?
Flagstaff is 95 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $9,850, which is 1% less than Prescott Valley ($9,900). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Prescott Valley?
About 46% at the midpoint, or $4,600 out of $9,900. Materials are 51% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Prescott Valley?
$5,500 to $10,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Prescott Valley?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $50 to $440 for fees in the Prescott Valley area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Prescott Valley expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Arizona?
Prescott Valley is 0% above the Arizona statewide estimate ($9,900 at the midpoint). We cover 6 metros in Arizona; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Prescott Valley?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $28.49 an hour, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $25.04 to $30.87.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Prescott Valley?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,850 to $9,300 and premium work $10,500 to $13,000. Basic means: short block wall, easy access. Premium means: tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access.
+When is the best time to build a retaining wall in Prescott Valley?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through June and August through October. April and June are typically the driest of those months. Local contractors' schedules matter as much as the weather, so book early for the busy months.
Retaining wall near Prescott Valley
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.