Retaining wall cost in Palm Bay, FL
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,600 – $12,700
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $33 – $61.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −6%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #191
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a retaining wall in the Palm Bay area: $6,600 to $12,700 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 6% lower than the US figure. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $28.18 an hour in the Palm Bay area, 6% below the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Palm Bay, FL, standard level
$8,450 to $10,900
About $41.50 to $53 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 45% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $6,050 |
| Labor | $4,150 | $4,500 |
| Permits and fees | $170 | $330 |
| Total | $8,450 | $10,900 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Palm Bay, FL
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,500 | 53% |
| Labor | $3,850 | $4,350 | $4,800 | 45% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $250 | $450 | 3% |
| Total | $6,600 | $9,700 | $12,700 | 100% |
Where the Palm Bay 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 $28.18 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Palm Bay is 0.92 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 45% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Palm Bay is at 96.2 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $5,300 nationally becomes $5,100 here (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face). Permits follow the all-items index of 100.0: $50 to $450.
The best months for retaining wall in Palm Bay
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Palm Bay (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 Palm Bay are September through May: 9 of 12. Outside them, June, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Palm Bay gets about 56 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, August and September (8.0 inches in September). Inside the workable window, February and December are the driest, at 2.4 and 2.5 inches. The station averages about 102 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 | 73 | 49 | 2.6 | Workable |
| Feb | 75 | 52 | 2.4 | Workable |
| Mar | 79 | 55 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Apr | 83 | 60 | 2.8 | Workable |
| May | 87 | 65 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 90 | 71 | 7.6 | Hot |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 6.6 | Hot |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 7.1 | Hot |
| Sep | 89 | 72 | 8.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 85 | 67 | 5.6 | Workable |
| Nov | 79 | 59 | 3.0 | Workable |
| Dec | 75 | 52 | 2.5 | Workable |
Planning more than one job in Palm Bay?
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Palm Bay wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, paver patio comes out highest (−5%) and concrete driveway lowest (−11%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $570 – $2,000 | −6% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,850 – $5,200 | −5% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,300 – $8,200 | −11% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,400 – $3,150 | −5% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,750 – $9,400 | −6% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $33,700 – $105,500 | −7% |
Who does the work: Palm Bay 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 Palm Bay the blend is 0.92.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 50%) the local median is $28.18 an hour, which is 6% below the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $21.66 and $31.73 an hour. BLS counts 30 of them working in the area, 1.2 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 $21.50 an hour, which is 5% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.96 and $23.16 an hour. BLS counts 1,870 of them working in the area, 76.3 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 $23.62 an hour, 18% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $21.72 and $27.95 an hour. About 620 work in the metro. That is 25.3 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 $280 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $510. That is a swing of roughly 5.3% to 2.9% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville has 245,170 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 104th 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% | $21.66 | $28.18 | $31.73 | $29.87 | 0.94 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $17.96 | $21.50 | $23.16 | $22.66 | 0.95 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $21.72 | $23.62 | $27.95 | $28.78 | 0.82 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.92 | |||||
Why two Palm Bay quotes can differ
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.
Palm Bay: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Palm Bay. 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
$6,600 to $9,050
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,450 to $10,900
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$10,300 to $12,700
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,350 – $4,650 | $4,300 – $5,600 | $5,300 – $6,600 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,650 – $3,750 | $3,500 – $4,550 | $4,300 – $5,350 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,300 – $7,300 | $6,800 – $8,800 | $8,300 – $10,300 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,900 – $10,800 | $10,100 – $13,000 | $12,300 – $15,200 |
Palm Bay against nearby metros and the rest of Florida
Of the five closest metros, all are cheaper than Palm Bay. Lakeland is the lowest at about $9,200 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face), 65 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Bay, FLthis page | $6,600 – $12,700 | $9,700 | |
| Orlando, FL40 miles | $6,250 – $12,300 | $9,300 | −4% |
| Sebastian, FL40 miles | $6,450 – $12,500 | $9,450 | −2% |
| Lakeland, FL65 miles | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,200 | −5% |
| Deltona, FL70 miles | $6,350 – $12,400 | $9,400 | −3% |
| Port St. Lucie, FL75 miles | $6,350 – $12,400 | $9,400 | −3% |
| Florida (statewide) | $6,450 – $12,600 | $9,550 | −1% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +6% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Palm Bay ranks #191 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Palm Bay is 1% above the Florida figure.
Elsewhere in Florida
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami, FL | 2,819,940 jobs | $6,800 – $13,400 | $10,100 | +4% |
| Tampa, FL | 1,447,120 jobs | $6,550 – $12,600 | $9,600 | −1% |
| Orlando, FL | 1,411,730 jobs | $6,250 – $12,300 | $9,300 | −4% |
| Jacksonville, FL | 765,930 jobs | $6,550 – $12,700 | $9,650 | level |
| North Port, FL | 339,940 jobs | $6,450 – $12,500 | $9,500 | −2% |
| Cape Coral, FL | 304,790 jobs | $6,250 – $12,300 | $9,250 | −4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Palm Bay against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster, PA | 252,230 jobs | $7,150 – $13,600 | $10,400 | +7% |
| Trenton, NJ | 240,190 jobs | $8,350 – $15,100 | $11,700 | +21% |
| Scranton, PA | 255,620 jobs | $7,350 – $13,800 | $10,600 | +9% |
| Augusta, GA | 231,930 jobs | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | −5% |
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Detailed retaining wall report for Palm Bay, FL, $9
Multi-page report for Palm Bay, FL: 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 Palm Bay: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Palm Bay?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,600 to $12,700 in the Palm Bay area. A standard-spec job lands at $8,450 to $10,900. 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 Palm Bay?
About $33 to $61.50 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 Palm Bay or Orlando?
Orlando is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $9,300, which is 4% less than Palm Bay ($9,700). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Palm Bay?
About 45% at the midpoint, or $4,350 out of $9,700. 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 Palm Bay?
$5,300 to $10,300. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Palm Bay?
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 Palm Bay area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Palm Bay expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Florida?
Palm Bay is 1% above the Florida statewide estimate ($9,550 at the midpoint). We cover 19 metros in Florida; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Palm Bay?
The BLS median is $28.18 an hour in the Palm Bay area, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.66 to $31.73.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Palm Bay?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,600 to $9,050 and premium work $10,300 to $12,700. 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 Palm Bay?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through May. February and December 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 Palm Bay
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.