Retaining wall cost in Albany, GA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,050 – $12,000
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $30 – $58
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −12%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #286
- 1 = most expensive
A retaining wall in Albany, GA usually costs $6,050 to $12,000 for 200 sq ft of wall face. That works out to about $30 to $58 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $1,250 less. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $24.35 an hour in the Albany area, 18% below the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Albany, GA, standard level
$7,850 to $10,200
About $38.50 to $49.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 41% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $6,050 |
| Labor | $3,550 | $3,850 |
| Permits and fees | $150 | $290 |
| Total | $7,850 | $10,200 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Albany, GA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,500 | 57% |
| Labor | $3,300 | $3,700 | $4,100 | 41% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $220 | $390 | 2% |
| Total | $6,050 | $9,000 | $12,000 | 100% |
Why Albany 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 $24.35 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Albany is 0.79 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 41% of the total. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Georgia statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Albany is at 96.3 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 87.7: $45 to $390.
Data note: 50% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Albany. The wage table below marks each row.
What local crews earn in Albany
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 Albany the blend is 0.79.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 50% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Albany metro, so we used the Georgia statewide median: $24.35 an hour against $29.87 for the US. 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 $17.25 an hour, which is 24% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $14.62 and $18.96 an hour. BLS counts 400 of them working in the area, 68.5 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 $21.86 an hour, 24% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $18.48 and $22.50 an hour. About 260 work in the metro. That is 44.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of 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 $670 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $500. That is a swing of roughly 5.5% to 7.5% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Albany has 58,390 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 293rd 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% | $18.00 | $24.35 | $32.90 | $29.87 | 0.82 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $14.62 | $17.25 | $18.96 | $22.66 | 0.76 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $18.48 | $21.86 | $22.50 | $28.78 | 0.76 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.79 | |||||
Albany 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, Albany Sw Ga Rgnl 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 Albany are September through May: 9 of 12. Outside them, June, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Albany gets about 47 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, July and August (5.1 inches in July). Inside the workable window, May and October are the driest, at 2.4 and 2.3 inches. The station averages about 106 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 | 62 | 39 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Feb | 66 | 42 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Mar | 73 | 48 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Apr | 80 | 54 | 3.7 | Workable |
| May | 88 | 63 | 2.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 91 | 71 | 5.1 | Hot |
| Jul | 93 | 73 | 5.1 | Hot |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 4.8 | Hot |
| Sep | 88 | 68 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 81 | 57 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Nov | 71 | 46 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Dec | 64 | 41 | 4.3 | Workable |
Cost by quality level and size in Albany
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Albany. 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
$6,050 to $8,450
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$7,850 to $10,200
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$9,600 to $12,000
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,050 – $4,300 | $4,000 – $5,250 | $4,950 – $6,200 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,450 – $3,500 | $3,200 – $4,250 | $4,000 – $5,050 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $4,850 – $6,800 | $6,300 – $8,250 | $7,750 – $9,700 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,250 – $10,100 | $9,350 – $12,200 | $11,500 – $14,300 |
Planning more than one job in Albany?
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Albany wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (−13%) and concrete driveway lowest (−22%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $510 – $1,800 | −14% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,550 – $4,600 | −15% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $2,900 – $7,100 | −22% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,300 – $2,850 | −13% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,400 – $8,550 | −15% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $31,100 – $97,300 | −14% |
How Albany compares
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 200 sq ft of wall face range from $8,900 to $9,200 across Albany and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, GAthis page | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,000 | |
| Warner Robins, GA65 miles | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | +2% |
| Columbus, GA70 miles | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | level |
| Dothan, AL85 miles | $5,950 – $11,900 | $8,900 | −1% |
| Macon, GA85 miles | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | +2% |
| Tallahassee, FL90 miles | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | +2% |
| Georgia (statewide) | $6,250 – $12,400 | $9,300 | +3% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +14% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Albany ranks #286 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Albany is 3% below the Georgia figure.
Elsewhere in Georgia
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA | 2,889,670 jobs | $6,600 – $12,900 | $9,750 | +8% |
| Augusta, GA | 231,930 jobs | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | +2% |
| Savannah, GA | 198,360 jobs | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | +1% |
| Columbus, GA | 116,380 jobs | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | level |
| Gainesville, GA | 103,870 jobs | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | +2% |
| Athens, GA | 95,800 jobs | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Albany against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubuque, IA | 58,470 jobs | $7,200 – $13,300 | $10,200 | +14% |
| Wheeling, WV | 58,130 jobs | $6,350 – $12,400 | $9,400 | +4% |
| Altoona, PA | 58,650 jobs | $7,900 – $14,500 | $11,200 | +24% |
| Sebastian, FL | 57,620 jobs | $6,450 – $12,500 | $9,450 | +5% |
Why two Albany quotes can differ
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.
Get 3 local quotes
Tell us about the job and we will try to connect you with up to three local contractors for written quotes. It is free and you are under no obligation to hire. Your estimate of $7,850 to $10,200 for Albany, GA is attached.
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Retaining wall in Albany: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Albany?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,050 to $12,000 in the Albany area. A standard-spec job lands at $7,850 to $10,200. 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 Albany?
About $30 to $58 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $45 to $390 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Albany or Warner Robins?
Warner Robins is 65 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $9,200, which is 2% more than Albany ($9,000). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Albany?
About 41% at the midpoint, or $3,700 out of $9,000. Materials are 57% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Albany?
$4,850 to $9,700. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Albany?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $390 for fees in the Albany area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Albany expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Georgia?
Albany is 3% below the Georgia statewide estimate ($9,300 at the midpoint). We cover 10 metros in Georgia; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Albany?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $24.35 an hour, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $18.00 to $32.90.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Albany?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,050 to $8,450 and premium work $9,600 to $12,000. 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 Albany?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through May. May 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 Albany
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.