Retaining wall cost in Little Rock, AR
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,300 – $12,200
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $31 – $59
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −10%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #248
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a retaining wall in the Little Rock area: $6,300 to $12,200 for 200 sq ft of wall face. The low end is a basic job on easy ground; the high end is a premium spec with harder access. The midpoint runs 10% lower than the US figure. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $28.13 an hour in the Little Rock area, 6% below the US median of $29.87.
Estimate your retaining wall cost
Pick a size, a quality level and where you live. Prices update as you type.
Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Little Rock, AR, standard level
$8,050 to $10,400
About $39.50 to $50.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 44% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,000 | $5,900 |
| Labor | $3,900 | $4,200 |
| Permits and fees | $150 | $290 |
| Total | $8,050 | $10,400 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Little Rock, AR
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,600 | $4,950 | $7,300 | 54% |
| Labor | $3,600 | $4,050 | $4,500 | 44% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $220 | $400 | 2% |
| Total | $6,300 | $9,250 | $12,200 | 100% |
Where the Little Rock price comes from
The wage side of the estimate leans on brickmasons and blockmasons, who do 50% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $28.13 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Little Rock is 0.86 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 44% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Little Rock is at 93.6 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $5,300 nationally becomes $4,950 here (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face). Permits follow the all-items index of 89.4: $45 to $400.
Related projects, priced for Little Rock
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Little Rock wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (−8%) and concrete driveway lowest (−16%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $510 – $1,800 | −14% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,700 – $4,850 | −11% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,100 – $7,700 | −16% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,400 – $3,050 | −8% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,400 – $8,550 | −15% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $31,500 – $98,400 | −13% |
Retaining wall: what moves the price in Little Rock
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.
Who does the work: Little Rock trade wages
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 Little Rock the blend is 0.86.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 50%) the local median is $28.13 an hour, which is 6% below the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $21.23 and $29.10 an hour. BLS counts 70 of them working in the area, 2.0 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 3.4), so the local bench is thinner than average.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $17.88 an hour, which is 21% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.75 and $20.34 an hour. BLS counts 2,790 of them working in the area, 77.9 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 20% of the weighting: a median of $22.25 an hour, 23% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $19.43 and $23.95 an hour. About 1,230 work in the metro. That is 34.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (brickmasons and blockmasons) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $75 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $540. That is a swing of roughly 5.9% to 0.8% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway has 358,210 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 72nd 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% | $21.23 | $28.13 | $29.10 | $29.87 | 0.94 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $16.75 | $17.88 | $20.34 | $22.66 | 0.79 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $19.43 | $22.25 | $23.95 | $28.78 | 0.77 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.86 | |||||
Cost by quality level and size in Little Rock
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Little Rock. 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
$6,300 to $8,650
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,050 to $10,400
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$9,850 to $12,200
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,150 – $4,400 | $4,100 – $5,350 | $5,050 – $6,300 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,550 – $3,550 | $3,300 – $4,350 | $4,100 – $5,100 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,050 – $6,950 | $6,450 – $8,400 | $7,900 – $9,850 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,550 – $10,300 | $9,650 – $12,400 | $11,700 – $14,500 |
How Little Rock compares
Of the five closest metros, 4 are cheaper than Little Rock. Jonesboro is the lowest at about $8,900 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face), 120 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Rock, ARthis page | $6,300 – $12,200 | $9,250 | |
| Jonesboro, AR120 miles | $5,950 – $11,800 | $8,900 | −4% |
| Fort Smith, AR125 miles | $6,100 – $11,900 | $9,000 | −2% |
| Fayetteville, AR135 miles | $6,450 – $12,400 | $9,400 | +2% |
| Texarkana, TX135 miles | $6,200 – $12,100 | $9,150 | −1% |
| Monroe, LA145 miles | $6,200 – $12,100 | $9,150 | −1% |
| Arkansas (statewide) | $6,150 – $12,000 | $9,100 | −2% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +11% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Little Rock ranks #248 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Little Rock is 2% above the Arkansas figure.
Elsewhere in Arkansas
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville, AR | 275,180 jobs | $6,450 – $12,400 | $9,400 | +2% |
| Fort Smith, AR | 95,560 jobs | $6,100 – $11,900 | $9,000 | −2% |
| Jonesboro, AR | 60,620 jobs | $5,950 – $11,800 | $8,900 | −4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Little Rock against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greensboro, NC | 365,410 jobs | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | level |
| Worcester, MA | 349,880 jobs | $8,100 – $14,600 | $11,400 | +23% |
| Dayton, OH | 372,660 jobs | $7,200 – $13,400 | $10,300 | +11% |
| Durham, NC | 344,020 jobs | $6,400 – $12,500 | $9,450 | +2% |
The best months for retaining wall in Little Rock
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Little Rock Ap Adams 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 Little Rock are February through June and September through December: 9 of 12. Outside them, January has an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F), and July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
In January the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 50 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Little Rock gets about 50 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 4 inches of snow. The wettest months are April, May and December (5.6 inches in April). Inside the workable window, June and September are the driest, at 3.5 and 3.0 inches. The station averages about 76 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 | 51 | 31 | 3.5 | Cold |
| Feb | 55 | 34 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 5.0 | Workable |
| Apr | 73 | 50 | 5.6 | Workable |
| May | 81 | 59 | 5.1 | Workable |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 3.3 | Hot |
| Aug | 92 | 70 | 3.2 | Hot |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 4.5 | Workable |
| Nov | 62 | 40 | 4.7 | Workable |
| Dec | 53 | 33 | 5.1 | Workable |
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $8,050 to $10,400 for Little Rock, AR is attached.
A detailed PDF report of this estimate, $9
Multi-page report for Little Rock, AR: 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 Little Rock: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Little Rock?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,300 to $12,200 in the Little Rock area. A standard-spec job lands at $8,050 to $10,400. 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 Little Rock?
About $31 to $59 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 Little Rock or Jonesboro?
Jonesboro is 120 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $8,900, which is 4% less than Little Rock ($9,250). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Little Rock?
About 44% at the midpoint, or $4,050 out of $9,250. Materials are 54% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Little Rock?
$5,050 to $9,850. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Little Rock?
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 Little Rock area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Little Rock expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Arkansas?
Little Rock is 2% above 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 Little Rock?
The BLS median is $28.13 an hour in the Little Rock area, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.23 to $29.10.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Little Rock?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,300 to $8,650 and premium work $9,850 to $12,200. 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 Little Rock?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are February through June and September through December. June and September 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 Little Rock
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.