Retaining wall cost in Hagerstown, MD
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,500 – $12,600
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $32 – $61
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −7%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #200
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a retaining wall in the Hagerstown area: $6,500 to $12,600 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 runs 7% lower than the US figure. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $26.82 an hour in the Hagerstown area, 10% below the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Hagerstown, MD, standard level
$8,300 to $10,800
About $41 to $52 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 44% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $6,050 |
| Labor | $4,000 | $4,350 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $310 |
| Total | $8,300 | $10,800 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Hagerstown, MD
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,500 | 54% |
| Labor | $3,750 | $4,200 | $4,650 | 44% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $240 | $420 | 2% |
| Total | $6,500 | $9,550 | $12,600 | 100% |
What is behind the Hagerstown number
Labor is 44% of the midpoint bill here, against 46% nationally. The mix of trades behind this job is brickmasons and blockmasons (50%), construction laborers (30%), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (20%). We weight each trade's local median wage by that share and compare it with the national median. In Hagerstown the blended ratio comes out at 0.89.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Hagerstown is at 96.4 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 94.2: $45 to $420.
Hagerstown against nearby metros and the rest of Maryland
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 $9,500 to $11,200 across Hagerstown and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hagerstown, MDthis page | $6,500 – $12,600 | $9,550 | |
| Chambersburg, PA30 miles | $7,300 – $13,800 | $10,500 | +10% |
| Winchester, VA30 miles | $6,450 – $12,500 | $9,500 | level |
| Washington, DC55 miles | $7,150 – $13,800 | $10,500 | +10% |
| Altoona, PA65 miles | $7,900 – $14,500 | $11,200 | +18% |
| York, PA70 miles | $7,100 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +8% |
| Maryland (statewide) | $7,050 – $13,600 | $10,300 | +8% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +8% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Hagerstown ranks #200 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Hagerstown is 7% below the Maryland figure.
Elsewhere in Maryland
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore, MD | 1,356,680 jobs | $6,950 – $13,500 | $10,200 | +7% |
| Lexington Park, MD | 70,650 jobs | $6,900 – $13,300 | $10,100 | +6% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Hagerstown against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, MO | 107,680 jobs | $7,450 – $13,600 | $10,500 | +11% |
| Champaign, IL | 105,500 jobs | $8,400 – $14,800 | $11,600 | +21% |
| Bend, OR | 108,240 jobs | $7,800 – $14,600 | $11,200 | +18% |
| St. Cloud, MN | 103,920 jobs | $8,250 – $14,700 | $11,500 | +21% |
Related projects, priced for Hagerstown
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Hagerstown wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (−5%) and concrete driveway lowest (−10%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $570 – $2,000 | −5% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,800 – $5,100 | −7% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,300 – $8,250 | −10% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,150 | −5% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,700 – $9,200 | −8% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $33,300 – $104,000 | −8% |
Hagerstown: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Hagerstown. 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
$6,500 to $8,900
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,300 to $10,800
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$10,100 to $12,600
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,250 – $4,550 | $4,250 – $5,550 | $5,200 – $6,500 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,600 – $3,700 | $3,400 – $4,500 | $4,200 – $5,300 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,200 – $7,200 | $6,700 – $8,650 | $8,150 – $10,100 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,800 – $10,700 | $9,950 – $12,800 | $12,100 – $15,000 |
The best months for retaining wall in Hagerstown
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Hagerstown 1 E (in the city). 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 Hagerstown are April through November: 8 of 12. Outside them, January, February, March and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March 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 103 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Hagerstown gets about 44 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are March, May and September (4.8 inches in September). Inside the workable window, October and November are the driest, at 3.4 and 2.9 inches. The station averages about 32 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 | 40 | 22 | 3.2 | Cold |
| Feb | 44 | 25 | 2.7 | Cold |
| Mar | 53 | 32 | 3.9 | Cold |
| Apr | 65 | 41 | 3.9 | Workable |
| May | 74 | 53 | 4.3 | Workable |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Aug | 85 | 65 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Sep | 78 | 56 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Oct | 66 | 45 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 54 | 34 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Dec | 44 | 27 | 3.7 | Cold |
Why two Hagerstown 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.
Who does the work: Hagerstown 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 Hagerstown the blend is 0.89.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 50%) the local median is $26.82 an hour, which is 10% below the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $22.89 and $29.68 an hour. BLS counts 90 of them working in the area, 8.4 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 3.4), so the local bench is deeper than average.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $20.59 an hour, which is 9% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.55 and $23.61 an hour. BLS counts 560 of them working in the area, 52.3 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 $24.43 an hour, 15% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $21.90 and $29.53 an hour. About 380 work in the metro. That is 35.5 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 $230 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $310. That is a swing of roughly 3.2% to 2.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Hagerstown-Martinsburg has 107,170 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 195th 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% | $22.89 | $26.82 | $29.68 | $29.87 | 0.90 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $17.55 | $20.59 | $23.61 | $22.66 | 0.91 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $21.90 | $24.43 | $29.53 | $28.78 | 0.85 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.89 | |||||
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Detailed retaining wall report for Hagerstown, MD, $9
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Retaining wall in Hagerstown: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Hagerstown?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,500 to $12,600 in the Hagerstown area. A standard-spec job lands at $8,300 to $10,800. 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 Hagerstown?
About $32 to $61 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $45 to $420 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Hagerstown or Chambersburg?
Chambersburg is 30 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $10,500, which is 10% more than Hagerstown ($9,550). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Hagerstown?
About 44% at the midpoint, or $4,200 out of $9,550. Materials are 54% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Hagerstown?
$5,200 to $10,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Hagerstown?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $420 for fees in the Hagerstown area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Hagerstown expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Maryland?
Hagerstown is 7% below the Maryland statewide estimate ($10,300 at the midpoint). We cover 3 metros in Maryland; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Hagerstown?
The BLS median is $26.82 an hour in the Hagerstown area, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.89 to $29.68.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Hagerstown?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,500 to $8,900 and premium work $10,100 to $12,600. 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 Hagerstown?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through November. 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 Hagerstown
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.