Retaining wall cost in Georgia
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,250 – $12,400
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $31 – $60
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −9%
- US $10,300
- Metros covered
- 10
Across Georgia, a retaining wall costs about $6,250 to $12,400 for 200 sq ft of wall face. Statewide, that midpoint is 9% below the US figure of $10,300. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median $24.35 an hour in Georgia (US: $29.87).
Inside Georgia, the metros we cover range from $8,950 (Dalton) to $9,750 (Atlanta) 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 Georgia (statewide), standard level
$8,100 to $10,500
About $39.50 to $51 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 41% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,250 | $6,250 |
| Labor | $3,650 | $4,000 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $320 |
| Total | $8,100 | $10,500 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Georgia
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,750 | $5,250 | $7,700 | 56% |
| Labor | $3,450 | $3,850 | $4,250 | 41% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $240 | $430 | 3% |
| Total | $6,250 | $9,300 | $12,400 | 100% |
Why two Georgia quotes can differ
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.
Retaining wall cost by metro in Georgia
1 of the 10 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $9,300, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA | $6,600 – $12,900 | $9,750 | +5% |
| Warner Robins, GA | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | −1% |
| Augusta, GA | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | −2% |
| Gainesville, GA | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | −2% |
| Macon, GA | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | −2% |
| Savannah, GA | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | −2% |
| Athens, GA | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | −3% |
| Columbus, GA | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | −3% |
| Albany, GA | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,000 | −3% |
| Dalton, GA | $5,950 – $11,900 | $8,950 | −4% |
Basic, standard or premium: Georgia prices
Bands overlap on purpose, since a good standard job can cost as much as a light premium one. Below are the three bands for the default size, then a grid 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
$6,250 to $8,700
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,100 to $10,500
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$9,950 to $12,400
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,150 – $4,450 | $4,150 – $5,450 | $5,100 – $6,400 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,550 – $3,600 | $3,350 – $4,400 | $4,150 – $5,200 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,000 – $7,000 | $6,500 – $8,500 | $8,000 – $10,000 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,500 – $10,400 | $9,650 – $12,600 | $11,900 – $14,800 |
Georgia against its neighbors
Georgia ranks 42 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. Georgia sits at $9,300. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 170 miles away | $6,100 – $12,000 | $9,050 | −3% |
| South Carolina | 180 miles away | $6,250 – $12,300 | $9,250 | −1% |
| Tennessee | 210 miles away | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,900 | +6% |
| North Carolina | 270 miles away | $6,350 – $12,400 | $9,350 | level |
| Kentucky | 320 miles away | $6,800 – $12,900 | $9,850 | +6% |
Weather windows across Georgia
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Georgia is not uniform. The table uses NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals from the weather station nearest each metro we cover, and counts the months that are neither cold nor hot enough to complicate the job.
Gainesville has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in Georgia at 12 months; Albany has the shortest at 9 (September through May). Rainfall runs from 45 inches a year in Augusta to 55 inches in Dalton.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | 34 | 90 | 48 | 11: August through June |
| Augusta | 40 | 94 | 45 | 9: September through May |
| Savannah | 40 | 92 | 48 | 9: September through May |
| Columbus | 38 | 93 | 49 | 9: September through May |
| Gainesville | 34 | 88 | 52 | 12: all year |
| Athens | 34 | 92 | 49 | 10: September through June |
| Macon | 36 | 94 | 47 | 9: September through May |
| Warner Robins | 36 | 91 | 52 | 10: September through June |
| Dalton | 32 | 91 | 55 | 9: February through June and September through December |
| Albany | 39 | 93 | 47 | 9: September through May |
Georgia labor market for retaining wall
Georgia's labor line is priced from 3 trades, each compared with its US median wage. After weighting by each trade's share of the work, the state comes out at 0.82 times the national level.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 50%) the local median is $24.35 an hour, which is 18% below the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $18.00 and $32.90 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $18.74 an hour, which is 17% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.93 and $22.57 an hour. BLS counts 27,800 of them working in the state, 56.9 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 $23.02 an hour, 20% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $20.03 and $27.38 an hour. About 15,700 work in the state. That is 32.1 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for brickmasons and blockmasons ($32.90 an hour) would add about $670 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($18.00) would take off about $500. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 4,889,170 jobs across Georgia (May 2025), which is 3.1% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $18.00 | $24.35 | $32.90 | $29.87 | 0.82 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $16.93 | $18.74 | $22.57 | $22.66 | 0.83 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $20.03 | $23.02 | $27.38 | $28.78 | 0.80 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.82 | |||||
Related projects, priced for Georgia
Each project weights the trades differently, so Georgia's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, sod installation is −3% and concrete driveway −13%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $550 – $1,900 | −9% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,700 – $4,950 | −9% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,200 – $7,950 | −13% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,200 | −3% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,650 – $9,150 | −8% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $32,600 – $102,000 | −10% |
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Retaining wall in Georgia: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Georgia?
$6,250 to $12,400 for 200 sq ft of wall face, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Georgia can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Georgia is cheapest for retaining wall?
Dalton at about $8,950 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face). The priciest is Atlanta at $9,750.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Georgia than the US average?
It is 9% cheaper: $9,300 against $10,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Georgia?
About 41% ($3,850). Materials are 56%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.82x the national wage level.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Georgia?
The BLS statewide median is $24.35 an hour, against $29.87 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.00 to $32.90.
+Where does Georgia rank for retaining wall costs?
42nd most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $9,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Georgia?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,250 to $8,700 and premium work $9,950 to $12,400. Basic means: short block wall, easy access. Premium means: tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access.
+Does the season matter for retaining wall in Georgia?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Georgia metros we cover, Gainesville has the most comfortable months (12 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 Georgia
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.