Retaining wall cost in Colorado Springs, CO
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $7,050 – $13,300
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $35 – $64
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −1%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #139
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to build a retaining wall in Colorado Springs, plan on $7,050 to $13,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face, all in. Per sq ft of wall face, that is $35 to $64 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint lands close to the national one. Building materials run about 4% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 96.1).
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Colorado Springs, CO, standard level
$8,950 to $11,400
About $44 to $55.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 47% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $6,050 |
| Labor | $4,650 | $5,050 |
| Permits and fees | $170 | $330 |
| Total | $8,950 | $11,400 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Colorado Springs, CO
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,500 | 50% |
| Labor | $4,300 | $4,850 | $5,350 | 47% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $250 | $450 | 2% |
| Total | $7,050 | $10,200 | $13,300 | 100% |
Why Colorado Springs prices look the way they do
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 $31.50 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Colorado Springs is 1.03 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 47% of the total.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Colorado Springs metro is 96.1 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 200 sq ft of wall face comes to $5,100, compared with $5,300 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (100.7) and land at $50 to $450.
Pick a size, pick a tier: retaining wall pricing in Colorado Springs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Colorado Springs 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
$7,050 to $9,550
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,950 to $11,400
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$10,800 to $13,300
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,550 – $4,900 | $4,550 – $5,900 | $5,550 – $6,850 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,850 – $3,950 | $3,650 – $4,750 | $4,500 – $5,600 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,650 – $7,700 | $7,200 – $9,200 | $8,700 – $10,700 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $8,450 – $11,400 | $10,700 – $13,600 | $12,900 – $15,900 |
Is Colorado Springs cheap or dear? The local comparison
Of the five closest metros, 2 are cheaper than Colorado Springs. Greeley is the lowest at about $10,100 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face), 120 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs, COthis page | $7,050 – $13,300 | $10,200 | |
| Denver, CO45 miles | $7,600 – $14,200 | $10,900 | +7% |
| Pueblo, CO50 miles | $7,000 – $13,200 | $10,100 | −1% |
| Boulder, CO95 miles | $7,250 – $13,500 | $10,400 | +2% |
| Greeley, CO120 miles | $6,950 – $13,200 | $10,100 | −1% |
| Fort Collins, CO135 miles | $7,200 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +1% |
| Colorado (statewide) | $7,200 – $13,600 | $10,400 | +2% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +1% |
Across 300 US metros, Colorado Springs comes in at #139 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, Colorado Springs is 2% below the Colorado figure.
Other Colorado metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver, CO | 1,609,350 jobs | $7,600 – $14,200 | $10,900 | +7% |
| Boulder, CO | 192,390 jobs | $7,250 – $13,500 | $10,400 | +2% |
| Fort Collins, CO | 169,430 jobs | $7,200 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +1% |
| Greeley, CO | 119,540 jobs | $6,950 – $13,200 | $10,100 | −1% |
| Grand Junction, CO | 67,170 jobs | $6,950 – $13,100 | $10,000 | −1% |
| Pueblo, CO | 61,780 jobs | $7,000 – $13,200 | $10,100 | −1% |
Cities with a workforce like Colorado Springs's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Colorado Springs against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron, OH | 319,560 jobs | $7,550 – $13,700 | $10,600 | +5% |
| Wichita, KS | 308,570 jobs | $6,500 – $12,400 | $9,450 | −7% |
| Oxnard, CA | 323,890 jobs | $7,900 – $14,800 | $11,300 | +11% |
| Cape Coral, FL | 304,790 jobs | $6,250 – $12,300 | $9,250 | −9% |
Planning more than one job in Colorado Springs?
Because every project leans on different trades, Colorado Springs's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, sod installation runs +2% and sprinkler system −3%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $590 – $2,050 | −2% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,000 – $5,500 | level |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,650 – $9,200 | level |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,550 – $3,350 | +2% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,900 – $9,700 | −3% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $35,600 – $111,000 | −1% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Colorado Springs bid
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.
Colorado Springs 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 Colorado Springs is 1.03 times the national level.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021), 50% of the weighting: a median of $31.50 an hour, 5% above the US median of $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $30.09 and $34.68 an hour. About 60 work in the metro. That is 1.9 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 3.4 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $22.28 an hour, in line with the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $19.17 and $24.62 an hour. About 1,790 work in the metro. That is 56.6 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 20%) the local median is $29.64 an hour, which is in line with the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $25.39 and $34.71 an hour. BLS counts 1,030 of them working in the area, 32.6 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is about average.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the brickmasons and blockmasons on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($34.68 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $250. At the 25th percentile ($30.09) it shrinks by about $110. The total moves by 2.5% or 1.1%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 316,060 jobs in the Colorado Springs area. That makes it the 81st largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.20% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $30.09 | $31.50 | $34.68 | $29.87 | 1.05 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $19.17 | $22.28 | $24.62 | $22.66 | 0.98 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $25.39 | $29.64 | $34.71 | $28.78 | 1.03 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.03 | |||||
Climate in Colorado Springs: timing your retaining wall job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Colorado Springs Muni Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
April through October is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Colorado Springs (7 of 12 months). January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March, 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 160 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Colorado Springs gets about 16 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 33 inches of snow. The wettest months are June, July and August (3.1 inches in July). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 1.4 and 0.8 inches. The station averages about 23 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 | 45 | 19 | 0.3 | Cold |
| Feb | 47 | 20 | 0.3 | Cold |
| Mar | 55 | 27 | 0.8 | Cold |
| Apr | 61 | 34 | 1.4 | Workable |
| May | 71 | 44 | 2.0 | Workable |
| Jun | 82 | 53 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Jul | 87 | 58 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Aug | 84 | 57 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Sep | 77 | 49 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 65 | 37 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 53 | 26 | 0.4 | Cold |
| Dec | 45 | 19 | 0.2 | Cold |
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Retaining wall in Colorado Springs: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Colorado Springs?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $7,050 to $13,300 in the Colorado Springs area. A standard-spec job lands at $8,950 to $11,400. 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 Colorado Springs?
About $35 to $64 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $50 to $450 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Colorado Springs or Denver?
Denver is 45 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $10,900, which is 7% more than Colorado Springs ($10,200). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Colorado Springs?
About 47% at the midpoint, or $4,850 out of $10,200. Materials are 50% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Colorado Springs?
$5,650 to $10,700. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Colorado Springs?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $50 to $450 for fees in the Colorado Springs area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Colorado Springs expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Colorado?
Colorado Springs is 2% below the Colorado statewide estimate ($10,400 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Colorado; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Colorado Springs?
The BLS median is $31.50 an hour in the Colorado Springs area, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $30.09 to $34.68.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Colorado Springs?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $7,050 to $9,550 and premium work $10,800 to $13,300. 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 Colorado Springs?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. September and October 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 Colorado Springs
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.