Retaining wall cost in Fort Smith, AR
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,100 – $11,900
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $30.50 – $58
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −12%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #287
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to build a retaining wall in Fort Smith, plan on $6,100 to $11,900 for 200 sq ft of wall face, all in. Per sq ft of wall face, that is $30.50 to $58 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 12% lower than the national one. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $26.49 an hour in the Fort Smith area, 11% below the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Fort Smith, AR, standard level
$7,850 to $10,200
About $38.50 to $49.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 43% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,050 | $5,900 |
| Labor | $3,700 | $4,000 |
| Permits and fees | $150 | $280 |
| Total | $7,850 | $10,200 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Fort Smith, AR
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,600 | $4,950 | $7,300 | 55% |
| Labor | $3,450 | $3,850 | $4,250 | 43% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $210 | $390 | 2% |
| Total | $6,100 | $9,000 | $11,900 | 100% |
Why Fort Smith prices look the way they do
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, Fort Smith wages are 0.82 times the national level. Labor makes up about 43% of the midpoint estimate (46% at national prices). BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Arkansas statewide median.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Fort Smith metro is 93.6 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 200 sq ft of wall face comes to $4,950, compared with $5,300 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (85.9) and land at $45 to $390.
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 Fort Smith. The wage table below marks each row.
Cost by quality level and size in Fort Smith
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Fort Smith 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
$6,100 to $8,450
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$7,850 to $10,200
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$9,600 to $11,900
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 – $6,150 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,450 – $3,500 | $3,250 – $4,250 | $4,000 – $5,000 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $4,900 – $6,800 | $6,300 – $8,200 | $7,750 – $9,650 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,300 – $10,100 | $9,400 – $12,200 | $11,500 – $14,300 |
Is Fort Smith cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (200 sq ft of wall face), priced for the nearest metros. Joplin is the priciest of the group at $10,300.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Smith, ARthis page | $6,100 – $11,900 | $9,000 | |
| Fayetteville, AR50 miles | $6,450 – $12,400 | $9,400 | +4% |
| Tulsa, OK110 miles | $6,450 – $12,400 | $9,450 | +5% |
| Joplin, MO115 miles | $7,200 – $13,300 | $10,300 | +14% |
| Little Rock, AR125 miles | $6,300 – $12,200 | $9,250 | +2% |
| Texarkana, TX135 miles | $6,200 – $12,100 | $9,150 | +1% |
| Arkansas (statewide) | $6,150 – $12,000 | $9,100 | +1% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +14% |
Across 300 US metros, Fort Smith comes in at #287 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, Fort Smith is 1% below the Arkansas figure.
Other Arkansas metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock, AR | 358,210 jobs | $6,300 – $12,200 | $9,250 | +2% |
| Fayetteville, AR | 275,180 jobs | $6,450 – $12,400 | $9,400 | +4% |
| Jonesboro, AR | 60,620 jobs | $5,950 – $11,800 | $8,900 | −2% |
Cities with a workforce like Fort Smith's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Fort Smith against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens, GA | 95,800 jobs | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | level |
| Macon, GA | 95,030 jobs | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | +2% |
| Yakima, WA | 97,010 jobs | $8,100 – $15,000 | $11,500 | +28% |
| Barnstable, MA | 94,110 jobs | $8,600 – $15,200 | $11,900 | +32% |
What nearby projects cost in Fort Smith
Because every project leans on different trades, Fort Smith's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, sod installation runs −10% and concrete driveway −22%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $510 – $1,750 | −16% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,650 – $4,750 | −13% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $2,900 – $7,150 | −22% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,350 – $3,000 | −10% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,350 – $8,450 | −16% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $30,800 – $96,200 | −15% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Fort Smith bid
Drainage
Every wall needs drainage behind it. A French drain adds $10-$85+ per linear foot.
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.
Fort Smith labor market for retaining wall
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 Fort Smith is 0.82 times the national level.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 50% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Fort Smith metro, so we used the Arkansas statewide median: $26.49 an hour against $29.87 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $22.14 and $28.69 an hour.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $17.77 an hour, 22% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.31 and $21.83 an hour. About 670 work in the metro. That is 70.1 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 20%) the local median is $20.11 an hour, which is 30% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $18.15 and $21.12 an hour. BLS counts 440 of them working in the area, 46.0 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 ($28.69 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $170. At the 25th percentile ($22.14) it shrinks by about $340. The total moves by 1.9% or 3.8%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 95,560 jobs in the Fort Smith area. That makes it the 210th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.06% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $22.14 | $26.49 | $28.69 | $29.87 | 0.89 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $16.31 | $17.77 | $21.83 | $22.66 | 0.78 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $18.15 | $20.11 | $21.12 | $28.78 | 0.70 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.82 | |||||
Climate in Fort Smith: timing your retaining wall job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Ft Smith Rgnl Ap (in the city). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
February through June and September through November are the stretches where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Fort Smith (8 of 12 months). January and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F); July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
In January 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 63 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Fort Smith gets about 47 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 3 inches of snow. The wettest months are April, May and June (5.6 inches in May). Inside the workable window, February and November are the driest, at 2.7 and 3.9 inches. The station averages about 78 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 | 51 | 30 | 2.9 | Cold |
| Feb | 57 | 33 | 2.7 | Workable |
| Mar | 66 | 42 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Apr | 75 | 50 | 4.9 | Workable |
| May | 81 | 60 | 5.6 | Workable |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 4.6 | Workable |
| Jul | 94 | 72 | 3.4 | Hot |
| Aug | 94 | 71 | 3.6 | Hot |
| Sep | 87 | 63 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 63 | 40 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Dec | 53 | 32 | 3.5 | Cold |
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Retaining wall in Fort Smith: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Fort Smith?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,100 to $11,900 in the Fort Smith 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 Fort Smith?
About $30.50 to $58 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $45 to $390 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Fort Smith or Fayetteville?
Fayetteville is 50 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $9,400, which is 4% more than Fort Smith ($9,000). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Fort Smith?
About 43% at the midpoint, or $3,850 out of $9,000. Materials are 55% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Fort Smith?
$4,900 to $9,650. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Fort Smith?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $390 for fees in the Fort Smith area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Fort Smith expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Arkansas?
Fort Smith is 1% below the Arkansas statewide estimate ($9,100 at the midpoint). We cover 4 metros in Arkansas; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Fort Smith?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $26.49 an hour, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.14 to $28.69.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Fort Smith?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,100 to $8,450 and premium work $9,600 to $11,900. 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 Fort Smith?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are February through June and September through November. February 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 Fort Smith
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.