Retaining wall cost in Delaware
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $7,000 – $13,300
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $35 – $64
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −1%
- US $10,300
- Metros covered
- 1
Delaware prices for retaining wall: $7,000 to $13,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face, or $35 to $64 per sq ft of wall face without the permit. The state midpoint is 1% below the national one. Local wages for brickmasons and blockmasons are $32.00 an hour.
Delaware has one metro in our dataset, Dover, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Delaware (statewide), standard level
$8,900 to $11,400
About $43.50 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 | $4,600 | $5,000 |
| Permits and fees | $170 | $330 |
| Total | $8,900 | $11,400 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Delaware
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,500 | 50% |
| Labor | $4,300 | $4,800 | $5,300 | 47% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $250 | $450 | 2% |
| Total | $7,000 | $10,100 | $13,300 | 100% |
Related projects, priced for Delaware
The table prices neighboring jobs at their usual sizes using statewide Delaware wages and prices. Against national midpoints, French drain comes out highest (−1%) and sod installation lowest (−4%), because each job leans on different trades.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $590 – $2,050 | −1% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,950 – $5,350 | −2% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,550 – $9,000 | −2% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,200 | −4% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,900 – $9,750 | −3% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $35,300 – $110,500 | −2% |
How Delaware compares with nearby states
Delaware ranks 26 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. Delaware sits at $10,100. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 60 miles away | $8,650 – $15,700 | $12,200 | +20% |
| Maryland | 60 miles away | $7,050 – $13,600 | $10,300 | +2% |
| Pennsylvania | 100 miles away | $7,350 – $13,800 | $10,600 | +4% |
| District of Columbia | 110 miles away | $7,600 – $14,500 | $11,000 | +9% |
| New York | 150 miles away | $8,550 – $15,600 | $12,100 | +19% |
Quality levels and sizes in Delaware
The cited range is cut into three overlapping bands (basic, standard and premium) and scaled to statewide Delaware wages and prices. The grid prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$7,000 to $9,500
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,900 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 – $4,850 | $4,550 – $5,850 | $5,500 – $6,850 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,850 – $3,950 | $3,650 – $4,750 | $4,500 – $5,550 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,650 – $7,650 | $7,150 – $9,150 | $8,650 – $10,700 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $8,400 – $11,400 | $10,600 – $13,600 | $12,900 – $15,800 |
What brickmasons and blockmasons and the other trades earn in Delaware
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 1.02 for Delaware.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021), 50% of the weighting: a median of $32.00 an hour, 7% above the US median of $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $26.93 and $40.12 an hour. About 200 work in the state. That is 4.1 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 3.4 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $21.90 an hour, 3% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.93 and $27.07 an hour. About 3,240 work in the state. That is 66.8 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 $27.89 an hour, which is 3% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.36 and $31.80 an hour. BLS counts 1,230 of them working in the state, 25.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for brickmasons and blockmasons ($40.12 an hour) would add about $640 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($26.93) would take off about $400. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 484,790 jobs across Delaware (May 2025), which is 0.3% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $26.93 | $32.00 | $40.12 | $29.87 | 1.07 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $17.93 | $21.90 | $27.07 | $22.66 | 0.97 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $22.36 | $27.89 | $31.80 | $28.78 | 0.97 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.02 | |||||
Retaining wall: what moves the price in Delaware
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.
Delaware seasons and retaining wall
Season matters for retaining wall. For each Delaware metro below we took NOAA's 1991-2020 monthly normals from the nearest suitable station and counted comfortable months for digging and ground work.
Dover has 9 comfortable months (March through November), with about 48 inches of precipitation a year.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 28 | 87 | 48 | 9: March through November |
Retaining wall cost by metro in Delaware
Delaware has one metro in our dataset, Dover, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover, DE | $6,900 – $13,100 | $10,000 | −1% |
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Retaining wall in Delaware: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Delaware?
$7,000 to $13,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Delaware can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Delaware is cheapest for retaining wall?
Dover at about $10,000 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face).
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Delaware than the US average?
It is 1% cheaper: $10,100 against $10,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Delaware?
About 47% ($4,800). Materials are 50%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.02x the national wage level.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Delaware?
The BLS statewide median is $32.00 an hour, against $29.87 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $26.93 to $40.12.
+Where does Delaware rank for retaining wall costs?
26th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $10,100 for 200 sq ft of wall face. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Delaware?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $7,000 to $9,500 and premium work $10,800 to $13,300. Basic means: short block wall, easy access. Premium means: tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access.
+Does the season matter for retaining wall in Delaware?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Delaware metros we cover, Dover has the most comfortable months (9 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 Delaware
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.