Retaining wall cost in Colorado
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $7,200 – $13,600
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $35.50 – $65.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +1%
- US $10,300
- Metros covered
- 7
Across Colorado, a retaining wall costs about $7,200 to $13,600 for 200 sq ft of wall face. Statewide, that midpoint is 1% above the US figure of $10,300. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median $31.37 an hour in Colorado (US: $29.87).
Inside Colorado, the metros we cover range from $10,000 (Grand Junction) to $10,900 (Denver) at the midpoint. Pick your closest city in the table for a tighter number.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Colorado (statewide), standard level
$9,100 to $11,700
About $44.50 to $56.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 47% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,250 | $6,200 |
| Labor | $4,700 | $5,100 |
| Permits and fees | $180 | $340 |
| Total | $9,100 | $11,700 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Colorado
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,750 | $5,250 | $7,700 | 50% |
| Labor | $4,350 | $4,900 | $5,400 | 47% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $260 | $460 | 2% |
| Total | $7,200 | $10,400 | $13,600 | 100% |
Retaining wall: what moves the price in Colorado
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.
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.
Colorado versus the states around it
Colorado ranks 21 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for retaining wall, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $13,300 and the cheapest New Mexico at $9,000, both for 200 sq ft of wall face at the midpoint. Colorado sits at $10,400. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 120 miles away | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,900 | −4% |
| New Mexico | 340 miles away | $6,000 – $12,000 | $9,000 | −13% |
| Utah | 410 miles away | $6,900 – $13,100 | $10,000 | −4% |
| South Dakota | 440 miles away | $6,800 – $12,900 | $9,850 | −5% |
| Kansas | 450 miles away | $6,600 – $12,600 | $9,600 | −7% |
Related projects, priced for Colorado
The table prices neighboring jobs at their usual sizes using statewide Colorado wages and prices. Against national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (+6%) and sprinkler system lowest (level), because each job leans on different trades.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $620 – $2,150 | +3% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,100 – $5,650 | +3% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,750 – $9,500 | +3% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,600 – $3,500 | +6% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,000 – $10,000 | level |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $36,400 – $114,000 | +1% |
Quality levels and sizes in Colorado
The cited range is cut into three overlapping bands (basic, standard and premium) and scaled to statewide Colorado wages and prices. The grid prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$7,200 to $9,750
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$9,100 to $11,700
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$11,000 to $13,600
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,600 – $5,000 | $4,650 – $6,000 | $5,650 – $7,000 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,900 – $4,000 | $3,750 – $4,850 | $4,600 – $5,700 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,750 – $7,850 | $7,300 – $9,400 | $8,850 – $10,900 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $8,600 – $11,600 | $10,900 – $13,900 | $13,200 – $16,200 |
Colorado seasons and retaining wall
Season matters for retaining wall. For each Colorado metro below we took NOAA's 1991-2020 monthly normals from the nearest suitable station and counted comfortable months for digging and ground work.
Colorado Springs has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Colorado at 7 months (April through October); Pueblo has the shortest at 5 (April through June and September through October). Rainfall runs from 9 inches a year in Grand Junction to 21 inches in Boulder.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 18 | 90 | 15 | 6: April through June and August through October |
| Colorado Springs | 19 | 87 | 16 | 7: April through October |
| Boulder | 22 | 88 | 21 | 7: April through October |
| Fort Collins | 18 | 87 | 16 | 7: April through October |
| Greeley | 18 | 92 | 15 | 6: April through June and August through October |
| Grand Junction | 17 | 95 | 9 | 5: April through June and September through October |
| Pueblo | 15 | 93 | 12 | 5: April through June and September through October |
Which Colorado city is cheapest for retaining wall?
1 of the 7 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $10,400, and the top-to-bottom gap is 9%. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (200 sq ft of wall face) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | $7,600 – $14,200 | $10,900 | +5% |
| Boulder, CO | $7,250 – $13,500 | $10,400 | level |
| Fort Collins, CO | $7,200 – $13,500 | $10,300 | −1% |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $7,050 – $13,300 | $10,200 | −2% |
| Pueblo, CO | $7,000 – $13,200 | $10,100 | −3% |
| Greeley, CO | $6,950 – $13,200 | $10,100 | −3% |
| Grand Junction, CO | $6,950 – $13,100 | $10,000 | −3% |
Wages behind the Colorado number
Statewide wages come from BLS's state-level estimates, which blend big cities with small towns and rural areas. 3 trades drive the labor line for this job, and the weighted ratio against the national wage level is 1.04 for Colorado.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021), 50% of the weighting: a median of $31.37 an hour, 5% above the US median of $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $24.63 and $36.12 an hour. About 870 work in the state. That is 3.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 3.4 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $23.03 an hour, in line with the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $20.53 and $27.25 an hour. About 18,680 work in the state. That is 65.0 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 $30.11 an hour, which is 5% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $27.74 and $35.42 an hour. BLS counts 11,700 of them working in the state, 40.7 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for brickmasons and blockmasons ($36.12 an hour) would add about $370 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($24.63) would take off about $530. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 2,873,900 jobs across Colorado (May 2025), which is 1.8% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $24.63 | $31.37 | $36.12 | $29.87 | 1.05 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $20.53 | $23.03 | $27.25 | $22.66 | 1.02 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $27.74 | $30.11 | $35.42 | $28.78 | 1.05 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.04 | |||||
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Retaining wall in Colorado: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Colorado?
$7,200 to $13,600 for 200 sq ft of wall face, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Colorado can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Colorado is cheapest for retaining wall?
Grand Junction at about $10,000 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face). The priciest is Denver at $10,900.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Colorado than the US average?
It is 1% more expensive: $10,400 against $10,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Colorado?
About 47% ($4,900). Materials are 50%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.04x the national wage level.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Colorado?
The BLS statewide median is $31.37 an hour, against $29.87 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $24.63 to $36.12.
+Where does Colorado rank for retaining wall costs?
21st most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $10,400 for 200 sq ft of wall face. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Colorado?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $7,200 to $9,750 and premium work $11,000 to $13,600. Basic means: short block wall, easy access. Premium means: tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access.
+Does the season matter for retaining wall in Colorado?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Colorado metros we cover, Colorado Springs has the most comfortable months (7 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
Retaining wall by city in Colorado
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.