Retaining wall cost in Iowa
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $7,150 – $13,300
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $35.50 – $64.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- Level
- US $10,300
- Metros covered
- 7
Iowa prices for retaining wall: $7,150 to $13,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face, or $35.50 to $64.50 per sq ft of wall face without the permit. The state midpoint is 0% below the national one. Local wages for brickmasons and blockmasons are $33.38 an hour.
Inside Iowa, the metros we cover range from $10,200 (Iowa City) to $10,800 (Waterloo) 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 Iowa (statewide), standard level
$9,000 to $11,400
About $44 to $55.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 49% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,050 | $5,900 |
| Labor | $4,800 | $5,250 |
| Permits and fees | $150 | $290 |
| Total | $9,000 | $11,400 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Iowa
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,600 | $4,950 | $7,300 | 49% |
| Labor | $4,500 | $5,000 | $5,550 | 49% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $220 | $390 | 2% |
| Total | $7,150 | $10,200 | $13,300 | 100% |
Which Iowa city is cheapest for retaining wall?
4 of the 7 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $10,200, and the top-to-bottom gap is 6%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo, IA | $7,700 – $14,000 | $10,800 | +6% |
| Des Moines, IA | $7,450 – $13,600 | $10,500 | +3% |
| Davenport, IA | $7,400 – $13,600 | $10,500 | +3% |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $7,200 – $13,300 | $10,300 | +1% |
| Dubuque, IA | $7,200 – $13,300 | $10,200 | level |
| Sioux City, IA | $7,150 – $13,300 | $10,200 | level |
| Iowa City, IA | $7,150 – $13,300 | $10,200 | level |
Basic, standard or premium: Iowa 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
$7,150 to $9,600
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$9,000 to $11,400
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$10,800 to $13,300
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,600 – $4,900 | $4,550 – $5,850 | $5,550 – $6,850 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,900 – $3,950 | $3,700 – $4,750 | $4,500 – $5,550 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,750 – $7,700 | $7,200 – $9,200 | $8,700 – $10,700 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $8,600 – $11,500 | $10,800 – $13,700 | $12,900 – $15,800 |
Related projects, priced for Iowa
Each project weights the trades differently, so Iowa's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, paver patio is level and sod installation −4%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $590 – $2,100 | −1% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,000 – $5,450 | level |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,600 – $9,150 | −1% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,150 | −4% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,900 – $9,750 | −2% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $35,700 – $111,500 | −1% |
Why two Iowa 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.
How Iowa compares with nearby states
Iowa ranks 24 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. Iowa sits at $10,200. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | 190 miles away | $6,850 – $12,900 | $9,850 | −3% |
| Missouri | 220 miles away | $7,550 – $13,900 | $10,700 | +5% |
| Wisconsin | 230 miles away | $7,950 – $14,300 | $11,100 | +9% |
| Minnesota | 240 miles away | $8,800 – $15,600 | $12,200 | +20% |
| Illinois | 240 miles away | $9,000 – $16,000 | $12,500 | +22% |
Iowa seasons and retaining wall
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Iowa 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.
Every Iowa metro on the list has 7 comfortable months, though rainfall ranges from 29 inches a year in Sioux City to 38 in Dubuque.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 14 | 86 | 37 | 7: April through October |
| Davenport | 14 | 84 | 36 | 7: April through October |
| Cedar Rapids | 11 | 83 | 36 | 7: April through October |
| Iowa City | 15 | 86 | 36 | 7: April through October |
| Waterloo | 11 | 85 | 36 | 7: April through October |
| Sioux City | 10 | 85 | 29 | 7: April through October |
| Dubuque | 11 | 82 | 38 | 7: April through October |
What brickmasons and blockmasons and the other trades earn in Iowa
Iowa'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 1.07 times the national level.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 50%) the local median is $33.38 an hour, which is 12% above the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $25.77 and $36.59 an hour. BLS counts 290 of them working in the state, 1.9 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 $23.31 an hour, which is in line with the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.90 and $28.11 an hour. BLS counts 13,780 of them working in the state, 88.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 20% of the weighting: a median of $29.01 an hour, in line with the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $25.77 and $34.93 an hour. About 5,530 work in the state. That is 35.5 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for brickmasons and blockmasons ($36.59 an hour) would add about $250 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($25.77) would take off about $600. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 1,559,240 jobs across Iowa (May 2025), which is 1.0% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $25.77 | $33.38 | $36.59 | $29.87 | 1.12 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $21.90 | $23.31 | $28.11 | $22.66 | 1.03 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $25.77 | $29.01 | $34.93 | $28.78 | 1.01 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.07 | |||||
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Detailed retaining wall report for Iowa, $9
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Retaining wall in Iowa: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Iowa?
$7,150 to $13,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Iowa can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Iowa is cheapest for retaining wall?
Iowa City at about $10,200 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face). The priciest is Waterloo at $10,800.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Iowa than the US average?
It is 0% cheaper: $10,200 against $10,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Iowa?
About 49% ($5,000). Materials are 49%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.07x the national wage level.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Iowa?
The BLS statewide median is $33.38 an hour, against $29.87 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $25.77 to $36.59.
+Where does Iowa rank for retaining wall costs?
24th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $10,200 for 200 sq ft of wall face. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Iowa?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $7,150 to $9,600 and premium work $10,800 to $13,300. Basic means: short block wall, easy access. Premium means: tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access.
+Does the season matter for retaining wall in Iowa?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Iowa metros we cover, Des Moines has the most comfortable months (7 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 Iowa
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.