Retaining wall cost in Augusta, GA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,150 – $12,200
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $30.50 – $58.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −11%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #263
- 1 = most expensive
Augusta homeowners pay roughly $6,150 to $12,200 to build a retaining wall at 200 sq ft of wall face, or $30.50 to $58.50 per sq ft of wall face (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Augusta is 11% lower. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $24.35 an hour in the Augusta area, 18% below the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Augusta, GA, standard level
$7,950 to $10,400
About $39 to $50.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 42% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $6,050 |
| Labor | $3,650 | $4,000 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $300 |
| Total | $7,950 | $10,400 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Augusta, GA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,500 | 56% |
| Labor | $3,400 | $3,850 | $4,250 | 42% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $230 | $410 | 3% |
| Total | $6,150 | $9,150 | $12,200 | 100% |
Why Augusta 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 Augusta is 0.82 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 42% of the total. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Georgia statewide median.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Augusta metro is 96.3 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 200 sq ft of wall face comes to $5,100, compared with $5,300 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (91.9) and land at $45 to $410.
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 Augusta. The wage table below marks each row.
When to schedule retaining wall in Augusta
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Augusta Daniel Fld Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
September through May is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Augusta (9 of 12 months). June, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
Augusta gets about 45 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are June, July and August (5.0 inches in August). Inside the workable window, October and November are the driest, at 2.7 and 2.8 inches. The station averages about 80 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 40 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Feb | 62 | 43 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Mar | 69 | 49 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Apr | 78 | 56 | 2.9 | Workable |
| May | 85 | 64 | 2.8 | Workable |
| Jun | 91 | 71 | 4.7 | Hot |
| Jul | 94 | 74 | 4.8 | Hot |
| Aug | 92 | 73 | 5.0 | Hot |
| Sep | 87 | 69 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Oct | 78 | 58 | 2.7 | Workable |
| Nov | 68 | 48 | 2.8 | Workable |
| Dec | 60 | 42 | 3.8 | Workable |
Related projects, priced for Augusta
Because every project leans on different trades, Augusta's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, sod installation runs −6% and concrete driveway −13%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $540 – $1,900 | −10% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,650 – $4,850 | −11% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,200 – $8,000 | −13% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,400 – $3,100 | −6% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,600 – $8,950 | −10% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $32,000 – $100,000 | −11% |
Local wages behind the labor line
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 3 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Augusta is 0.82 times the national level.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 50% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Augusta 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.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $18.62 an hour, 18% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.43 and $23.02 an hour. About 1,630 work in the metro. That is 70.3 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 $23.17 an hour, which is 19% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $20.95 and $27.82 an hour. BLS counts 670 of them working in the area, 28.9 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is about average.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the brickmasons and blockmasons on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($32.90 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $670. At the 25th percentile ($18.00) it shrinks by about $500. The total moves by 7.3% or 5.5%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 231,930 jobs in the Augusta-Richmond County area. That makes it the 106th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.15% 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% | $16.43 | $18.62 | $23.02 | $22.66 | 0.82 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $20.95 | $23.17 | $27.82 | $28.78 | 0.81 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.82 | |||||
Cost by quality level and size in Augusta
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Augusta wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$6,150 to $8,550
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$7,950 to $10,400
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$9,750 to $12,200
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,100 – $4,400 | $4,050 – $5,350 | $5,000 – $6,300 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,500 – $3,550 | $3,300 – $4,350 | $4,050 – $5,100 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $4,950 – $6,900 | $6,400 – $8,350 | $7,850 – $9,800 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,400 – $10,200 | $9,550 – $12,400 | $11,700 – $14,500 |
Augusta against nearby metros and the rest of Georgia
Of the five closest metros, 1 is cheaper than Augusta. Athens is the lowest at about $9,050 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face), 80 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta, GAthis page | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | |
| Columbia, SC70 miles | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | +1% |
| Athens, GA80 miles | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | −1% |
| Greenville, SC90 miles | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | +2% |
| Spartanburg, SC95 miles | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | level |
| Hilton Head, SC100 miles | $6,350 – $12,400 | $9,350 | +2% |
| Georgia (statewide) | $6,250 – $12,400 | $9,300 | +2% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +12% |
Across 300 US metros, Augusta comes in at #263 from the top. The priciest is Kahului, HI at $13,500; the cheapest is El Paso, TX at $8,850 (midpoints, 200 sq ft of wall face). Statewide, Augusta is 2% below the Georgia figure.
Other Georgia metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA | 2,889,670 jobs | $6,600 – $12,900 | $9,750 | +6% |
| Savannah, GA | 198,360 jobs | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | level |
| Columbus, GA | 116,380 jobs | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | −1% |
| Gainesville, GA | 103,870 jobs | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | level |
| Athens, GA | 95,800 jobs | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | −1% |
| Macon, GA | 95,030 jobs | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | level |
Cities with a workforce like Augusta's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Augusta against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton, NJ | 240,190 jobs | $8,350 – $15,100 | $11,700 | +28% |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 225,520 jobs | $7,200 – $13,400 | $10,300 | +12% |
| Palm Bay, FL | 245,170 jobs | $6,600 – $12,700 | $9,700 | +6% |
| Springfield, MO | 223,030 jobs | $6,750 – $12,800 | $9,750 | +7% |
Retaining wall: what moves the price in Augusta
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.
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Detailed retaining wall report for Augusta, GA, $9
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Retaining wall in Augusta: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Augusta?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,150 to $12,200 in the Augusta area. A standard-spec job lands at $7,950 to $10,400. 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 Augusta?
About $30.50 to $58.50 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $45 to $410 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Augusta or Columbia?
Columbia is 70 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $9,200, which is 1% more than Augusta ($9,150). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Augusta?
About 42% at the midpoint, or $3,850 out of $9,150. Materials are 56% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Augusta?
$4,950 to $9,800. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Augusta?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $410 for fees in the Augusta area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Augusta expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Georgia?
Augusta is 2% 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 Augusta?
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 Augusta?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,150 to $8,550 and premium work $9,750 to $12,200. 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 Augusta?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are September through May. October 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 Augusta
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.