Retaining wall cost in Yuma, AZ
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,650 – $12,800
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $33 – $62
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −5%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #186
- 1 = most expensive
A retaining wall in Yuma, AZ usually costs $6,650 to $12,800 for 200 sq ft of wall face. That works out to about $33 to $62 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $530 less. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $28.49 an hour in the Yuma area, 5% below the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Yuma, AZ, standard level
$8,500 to $10,900
About $41.50 to $53 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 45% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $6,050 |
| Labor | $4,200 | $4,550 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $310 |
| Total | $8,500 | $10,900 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Yuma, AZ
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,500 | 52% |
| Labor | $3,900 | $4,400 | $4,850 | 45% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $230 | $420 | 2% |
| Total | $6,650 | $9,700 | $12,800 | 100% |
Why Yuma prices look the way they do
Labor is 45% 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 Yuma the blended ratio comes out at 0.93. 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. Yuma 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 92.7: $45 to $420.
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 Yuma. The wage table below marks each row.
Is Yuma cheap or dear? The local comparison
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 200 sq ft of wall face range from $9,700 to $11,400 across Yuma and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yuma, AZthis page | $6,650 – $12,800 | $9,700 | |
| El Centro, CA85 miles | $7,750 – $14,500 | $11,100 | +15% |
| Phoenix, AZ110 miles | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,950 | +2% |
| Tucson, AZ130 miles | $6,650 – $12,800 | $9,700 | level |
| Prescott Valley, AZ150 miles | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,900 | +2% |
| San Diego, CA165 miles | $7,900 – $14,900 | $11,400 | +17% |
| Arizona (statewide) | $6,800 – $13,000 | $9,900 | +2% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +5% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Yuma ranks #186 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Yuma is 2% below the Arizona figure.
Elsewhere in Arizona
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix, AZ | 2,375,760 jobs | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,950 | +2% |
| Tucson, AZ | 389,630 jobs | $6,650 – $12,800 | $9,700 | level |
| Prescott Valley, AZ | 72,300 jobs | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,900 | +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 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Yuma against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wausau, WI | 69,530 jobs | $8,050 – $14,400 | $11,200 | +16% |
| State College, PA | 68,840 jobs | $7,500 – $14,000 | $10,800 | +11% |
| Janesville, WI | 69,870 jobs | $7,800 – $14,100 | $10,900 | +13% |
| Traverse City, MI | 68,440 jobs | $7,550 – $13,800 | $10,600 | +10% |
What local crews earn in Yuma
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 Yuma the blend is 0.93.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 50% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Yuma 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 $20.80 an hour, which is 8% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.60 and $22.84 an hour. BLS counts 570 of them working in the area, 82.8 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 $26.09 an hour, 9% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.99 and $28.47 an hour. About 180 work in the metro. That is 26.1 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer 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 2.8% to 1.9% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Yuma has 68,880 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 262nd 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% | $17.60 | $20.80 | $22.84 | $22.66 | 0.92 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $22.99 | $26.09 | $28.47 | $28.78 | 0.91 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.93 | |||||
Cost by quality level and size in Yuma
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Yuma. 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
$6,650 to $9,100
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,500 to $10,900
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$10,300 to $12,800
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,350 – $4,650 | $4,350 – $5,600 | $5,300 – $6,600 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,700 – $3,750 | $3,500 – $4,550 | $4,300 – $5,350 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,350 – $7,350 | $6,850 – $8,800 | $8,300 – $10,300 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $8,000 – $10,900 | $10,200 – $13,100 | $12,300 – $15,300 |
Related projects, priced for Yuma
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Yuma wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, French drain comes out highest (−2%) and concrete driveway lowest (−10%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $590 – $2,050 | −2% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,850 – $5,100 | −6% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,300 – $8,250 | −10% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,400 – $3,100 | −6% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,750 – $9,400 | −6% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $34,000 – $106,000 | −6% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Yuma bid
Rebuilding
Replacing an old wall adds $15-$30 per linear foot for demolition plus disposal.
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).
Yuma 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, Yuma Mcas (10 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 Yuma are November through April: 6 of 12. Outside them, May, June, July, August, September and October have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Yuma gets about 3 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are January, September and December (0.7 inches in September). Inside the workable window, April and November are the driest, at 0.1 and 0.2 inches. The station averages about 181 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 | 70 | 48 | 0.4 | Workable |
| Feb | 73 | 50 | 0.4 | Workable |
| Mar | 80 | 55 | 0.4 | Workable |
| Apr | 86 | 60 | 0.1 | Workable |
| May | 94 | 67 | 0.1 | Hot |
| Jun | 103 | 75 | 0.0 | Hot |
| Jul | 107 | 83 | 0.2 | Hot |
| Aug | 106 | 83 | 0.2 | Hot |
| Sep | 101 | 78 | 0.7 | Hot |
| Oct | 90 | 66 | 0.1 | Hot |
| Nov | 78 | 54 | 0.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 68 | 47 | 0.4 | Workable |
Get 3 local quotes
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Retaining wall in Yuma: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Yuma?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,650 to $12,800 in the Yuma area. A standard-spec job lands at $8,500 to $10,900. 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 Yuma?
About $33 to $62 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $45 to $420 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Yuma or El Centro?
El Centro is 85 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $11,100, which is 15% more than Yuma ($9,700). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Yuma?
About 45% at the midpoint, or $4,400 out of $9,700. Materials are 52% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Yuma?
$5,350 to $10,300. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Yuma?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $420 for fees in the Yuma area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Yuma expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Arizona?
Yuma is 2% below 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 Yuma?
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 Yuma?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,650 to $9,100 and premium work $10,300 to $12,800. 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 Yuma?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are November through April. April and November 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 Yuma
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.