Retaining wall cost in Cedar Rapids, IA
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $7,200 – $13,300
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $36 – $64.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- Level
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #132
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a retaining wall in the Cedar Rapids area: $7,200 to $13,300 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 lands close to the US figure. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $33.38 an hour in the Cedar Rapids area, 12% above the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Cedar Rapids, IA, standard level
$9,050 to $11,500
About $44.50 to $56 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 49% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,050 | $5,900 |
| Labor | $4,850 | $5,300 |
| Permits and fees | $150 | $290 |
| Total | $9,050 | $11,500 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Cedar Rapids, IA
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,600 | $4,950 | $7,300 | 48% |
| Labor | $4,550 | $5,100 | $5,600 | 49% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $220 | $400 | 2% |
| Total | $7,200 | $10,300 | $13,300 | 100% |
Where the Cedar Rapids 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 $33.38 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Cedar Rapids is 1.08 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 49% of the total. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Iowa statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Cedar Rapids is at 93.7 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $5,300 nationally becomes $4,950 here (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face). Permits follow the all-items index of 89.0: $45 to $400.
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 Cedar Rapids. The wage table below marks each row.
Is Cedar Rapids cheap or dear? The local comparison
Of the five closest metros, 2 are cheaper than Cedar Rapids. Iowa City is the lowest at about $10,200 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face), 40 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Rapids, IAthis page | $7,200 – $13,300 | $10,300 | |
| Iowa City, IA40 miles | $7,150 – $13,300 | $10,200 | −1% |
| Dubuque, IA45 miles | $7,200 – $13,300 | $10,200 | level |
| Waterloo, IA55 miles | $7,700 – $14,000 | $10,800 | +6% |
| Davenport, IA75 miles | $7,400 – $13,600 | $10,500 | +2% |
| La Crosse, WI115 miles | $7,950 – $14,300 | $11,100 | +8% |
| Iowa (statewide) | $7,150 – $13,300 | $10,200 | −1% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | level |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Cedar Rapids ranks #132 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Cedar Rapids is 1% above the Iowa figure.
Elsewhere in Iowa
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, IA | 404,130 jobs | $7,450 – $13,600 | $10,500 | +3% |
| Davenport, IA | 180,450 jobs | $7,400 – $13,600 | $10,500 | +2% |
| Iowa City, IA | 93,760 jobs | $7,150 – $13,300 | $10,200 | −1% |
| Waterloo, IA | 84,260 jobs | $7,700 – $14,000 | $10,800 | +6% |
| Sioux City, IA | 75,010 jobs | $7,150 – $13,300 | $10,200 | −1% |
| Dubuque, IA | 58,470 jobs | $7,200 – $13,300 | $10,200 | level |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Cedar Rapids against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington, WV | 140,740 jobs | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | −9% |
| Rockford, IL | 137,650 jobs | $8,250 – $14,600 | $11,400 | +11% |
| Vallejo, CA | 144,130 jobs | $8,350 – $15,300 | $11,800 | +15% |
| Evansville, IN | 135,250 jobs | $7,450 – $13,700 | $10,600 | +3% |
The best months for retaining wall in Cedar Rapids
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Cedar Rapids Muni 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 Cedar Rapids are April through October: 7 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March, November and December the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 144 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Cedar Rapids gets about 36 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are May, June and July (5.6 inches in June). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 3.4 and 2.9 inches. The station averages about 12 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 | 28 | 11 | 0.9 | Cold |
| Feb | 33 | 16 | 1.2 | Cold |
| Mar | 46 | 27 | 2.0 | Cold |
| Apr | 60 | 38 | 3.6 | Workable |
| May | 71 | 50 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Jun | 80 | 60 | 5.6 | Workable |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Sep | 75 | 52 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 62 | 40 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Nov | 46 | 28 | 2.0 | Cold |
| Dec | 33 | 17 | 1.6 | Cold |
Planning more than one job in Cedar Rapids?
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Cedar Rapids wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sprinkler system comes out highest (+5%) and sod installation lowest (−3%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $600 – $2,100 | level |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,000 – $5,500 | +1% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,600 – $9,200 | level |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,200 | −3% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,200 – $10,500 | +5% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $36,600 – $114,500 | +1% |
Retaining wall: what moves the price in Cedar Rapids
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.
Pick a size, pick a tier: retaining wall pricing in Cedar Rapids
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Cedar Rapids. 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
$7,200 to $9,650
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$9,050 to $11,500
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$10,900 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 | $4,600 – $5,900 | $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 – $7,750 | $7,250 – $9,250 | $8,750 – $10,700 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $8,650 – $11,500 | $10,800 – $13,700 | $13,000 – $15,900 |
Who does the work: Cedar Rapids 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 Cedar Rapids the blend is 1.08.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 50% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Cedar Rapids metro, so we used the Iowa statewide median: $33.38 an hour against $29.87 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $25.77 and $36.59 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $23.40 an hour, which is 3% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.73 and $28.57 an hour. BLS counts 990 of them working in the area, 71.1 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 $30.44 an hour, 6% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $28.00 and $35.30 an hour. About 490 work in the metro. That is 35.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (brickmasons and blockmasons) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $250 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $600. That is a swing of roughly 5.8% to 2.5% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Cedar Rapids has 139,260 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 160th 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% | $25.77 | $33.38 | $36.59 | $29.87 | 1.12 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $21.73 | $23.40 | $28.57 | $22.66 | 1.03 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $28.00 | $30.44 | $35.30 | $28.78 | 1.06 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.08 | |||||
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Retaining wall in Cedar Rapids: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Cedar Rapids?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $7,200 to $13,300 in the Cedar Rapids area. A standard-spec job lands at $9,050 to $11,500. 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 Cedar Rapids?
About $36 to $64.50 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $45 to $400 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Cedar Rapids or Iowa City?
Iowa City is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $10,200, which is 1% less than Cedar Rapids ($10,300). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Cedar Rapids?
About 49% at the midpoint, or $5,100 out of $10,300. Materials are 48% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Cedar Rapids?
$5,750 to $10,700. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Cedar Rapids?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $400 for fees in the Cedar Rapids area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Cedar Rapids expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Iowa?
Cedar Rapids is 1% above the Iowa statewide estimate ($10,200 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in Iowa; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Cedar Rapids?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $33.38 an hour, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $25.77 to $36.59.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Cedar Rapids?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $7,200 to $9,650 and premium work $10,900 to $13,300. 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 Cedar Rapids?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. September 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 Cedar Rapids
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.