Retaining wall cost in Washington, DC
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $7,150 – $13,800
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $35.50 – $67
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +3%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #112
- 1 = most expensive
A retaining wall in Washington, DC usually costs $7,150 to $13,800 for 200 sq ft of wall face. That works out to about $35.50 to $67 per sq ft of wall face before permits. That is within a few percent of the national midpoint, so there is little local premium or discount. Building materials run about 5% above the US average here (BEA goods price index 104.8).
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Washington, DC, standard level
$9,200 to $11,800
About $45 to $57.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 45% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,500 | $6,600 |
| Labor | $4,500 | $4,900 |
| Permits and fees | $190 | $360 |
| Total | $9,200 | $11,800 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Washington, DC
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,950 | $5,550 | $8,200 | 53% |
| Labor | $4,200 | $4,700 | $5,200 | 45% |
| Permits and fees | $55 | $270 | $490 | 3% |
| Total | $7,150 | $10,500 | $13,800 | 100% |
Why Washington prices look the way they do
Labor is 45% of the midpoint bill here, against 46% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is brickmasons and blockmasons (50%), construction laborers (30%), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (20%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Washington the blended ratio comes out at 1.00.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Washington is at 104.8 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $5,300 nationally becomes $5,550 here (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face). Permits follow the all-items index of 108.9: $55 to $490.
Related projects, priced for Washington
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Washington wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (+6%) and concrete driveway lowest (+3%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $630 – $2,200 | +4% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,100 – $5,600 | +3% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,750 – $9,450 | +3% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,600 – $3,500 | +6% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,200 – $10,500 | +5% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $37,300 – $116,500 | +3% |
What local crews earn in Washington
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 Washington the blend is 1.00.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 50%) the local median is $29.17 an hour, which is in line with the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $23.92 and $30.98 an hour. BLS counts 1,910 of them working in the area, 6.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 3.4), so the local bench is deeper than average.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $22.80 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $20.07 and $27.05 an hour. BLS counts 17,710 of them working in the area, 56.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 20% of the weighting: a median of $29.64 an hour, in line with the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $26.33 and $35.07 an hour. About 6,450 work in the metro. That is 20.6 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (brickmasons and blockmasons) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $140 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $410. That is a swing of roughly 3.9% to 1.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria has 3,136,190 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 6th 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% | $23.92 | $29.17 | $30.98 | $29.87 | 0.98 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $20.07 | $22.80 | $27.05 | $22.66 | 1.01 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $26.33 | $29.64 | $35.07 | $28.78 | 1.03 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.00 | |||||
Washington against nearby metros and the rest of the District of Columbia
Of the five closest metros, 4 are cheaper than Washington. Winchester is the lowest at about $9,500 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face), 60 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DCthis page | $7,150 – $13,800 | $10,500 | |
| Hagerstown, MD55 miles | $6,500 – $12,600 | $9,550 | −9% |
| Baltimore, MD60 miles | $6,950 – $13,500 | $10,200 | −3% |
| Winchester, VA60 miles | $6,450 – $12,500 | $9,500 | −10% |
| Lexington Park, MD65 miles | $6,900 – $13,300 | $10,100 | −4% |
| Chambersburg, PA75 miles | $7,300 – $13,800 | $10,500 | level |
| District of Columbia (statewide) | $7,600 – $14,500 | $11,000 | +5% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | −2% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Washington ranks #112 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Washington is 5% below the District of Columbia figure.
Washington is the only District of Columbia metro we cover, so the statewide page is the only in-state comparison. It uses statewide wages, which include rural areas.
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Washington against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $6,600 – $12,900 | $9,750 | −7% |
| Philadelphia, PA | 2,897,830 jobs | $7,750 – $14,200 | $11,000 | +4% |
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $6,850 – $13,300 | $10,100 | −4% |
| Atlanta, GA | 2,889,670 jobs | $6,600 – $12,900 | $9,750 | −7% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Washington 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.
Washington: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Washington. 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
$7,150 to $9,850
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$9,200 to $11,800
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$11,200 to $13,800
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,600 – $5,050 | $4,700 – $6,100 | $5,750 – $7,150 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,900 – $4,050 | $3,800 – $4,950 | $4,650 – $5,850 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,750 – $7,900 | $7,400 – $9,550 | $9,000 – $11,200 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $8,600 – $11,800 | $11,000 – $14,100 | $13,400 – $16,500 |
Washington weather and the retaining wall calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Washington Reagan Ap (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 Washington are March through June and August through December: 9 of 12. Outside them, January and February have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F), and July has an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
In January and February the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 60 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Washington gets about 42 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 14 inches of snow. The wettest months are May, June and July (4.3 inches in July). Inside the workable window, April and November are the driest, at 3.2 and 2.9 inches. The station averages about 40 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 | 45 | 30 | 2.9 | Cold |
| Feb | 48 | 32 | 2.6 | Cold |
| Mar | 57 | 39 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Apr | 68 | 48 | 3.2 | Workable |
| May | 77 | 58 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Jun | 85 | 68 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Jul | 90 | 72 | 4.3 | Hot |
| Aug | 88 | 71 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Sep | 81 | 64 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Oct | 69 | 52 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Nov | 58 | 42 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Dec | 49 | 35 | 3.4 | Workable |
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Retaining wall in Washington: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Washington?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $7,150 to $13,800 in the Washington area. A standard-spec job lands at $9,200 to $11,800. 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 Washington?
About $35.50 to $67 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $55 to $490 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Washington or Hagerstown?
Hagerstown is 55 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $9,550, which is 9% less than Washington ($10,500). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Washington?
About 45% at the midpoint, or $4,700 out of $10,500. Materials are 53% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Washington?
$5,750 to $11,200. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Washington?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $55 to $490 for fees in the Washington area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Washington expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of District of Columbia?
Washington is 5% below the District of Columbia statewide estimate ($11,000 at the midpoint).
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Washington?
The BLS median is $29.17 an hour in the Washington area, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.92 to $30.98.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Washington?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $7,150 to $9,850 and premium work $11,200 to $13,800. 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 Washington?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through June and August through December. April 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 Washington
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.