Retaining wall cost in Billings, MT
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,800 – $13,000
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $34 – $62.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −4%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #172
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a retaining wall in the Billings area: $6,800 to $13,000 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 4% lower than the US figure. Building materials run about 4% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 96.0).
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Billings, MT, standard level
$8,650 to $11,100
About $42.50 to $54 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 46% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $6,050 |
| Labor | $4,350 | $4,750 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $310 |
| Total | $8,650 | $11,100 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Billings, MT
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,500 | 51% |
| Labor | $4,100 | $4,550 | $5,050 | 46% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $230 | $420 | 2% |
| Total | $6,800 | $9,900 | $13,000 | 100% |
Why Billings 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 $26.94 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Billings is 0.97 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 46% of the total. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Montana statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Billings is at 96.0 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 93.5: $45 to $420.
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 Billings. The wage table below marks each row.
The best months for retaining wall in Billings
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Billings Logan Intl Ap (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 Billings 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 142 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Billings gets about 14 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 57 inches of snow. The wettest months are April, May and June (2.4 inches in May). Inside the workable window, July and August are the driest, at 1.2 and 0.9 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 | 36 | 18 | 0.6 | Cold |
| Feb | 39 | 20 | 0.6 | Cold |
| Mar | 49 | 27 | 0.9 | Cold |
| Apr | 57 | 35 | 1.7 | Workable |
| May | 67 | 44 | 2.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 77 | 52 | 2.2 | Workable |
| Jul | 87 | 59 | 1.2 | Workable |
| Aug | 86 | 58 | 0.9 | Workable |
| Sep | 74 | 49 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 59 | 37 | 1.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 46 | 27 | 0.6 | Cold |
| Dec | 36 | 19 | 0.6 | Cold |
Who does the work: Billings 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 Billings the blend is 0.97.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 50% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Billings metro, so we used the Montana statewide median: $26.94 an hour against $29.87 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $23.24 and $29.69 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $23.68 an hour, which is 5% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.42 and $28.31 an hour. BLS counts 830 of them working in the area, 88.5 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 $29.81 an hour, 4% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $28.39 and $34.85 an hour. About 540 work in the metro. That is 57.6 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 $220 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $290. That is a swing of roughly 2.9% to 2.2% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Billings has 93,800 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 213th 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% | $23.24 | $26.94 | $29.69 | $29.87 | 0.90 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $21.42 | $23.68 | $28.31 | $22.66 | 1.05 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $28.39 | $29.81 | $34.85 | $28.78 | 1.04 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.97 | |||||
Is Billings cheap or dear? The local comparison
Same job, same size (200 sq ft of wall face), priced for the nearest metros. Idaho Falls is the priciest of the group at $10,300. Rapid City is the cheapest at $9,900.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billings, MTthis page | $6,800 – $13,000 | $9,900 | |
| Bozeman, MT115 miles | $7,050 – $13,300 | $10,200 | +3% |
| Idaho Falls, ID225 miles | $7,200 – $13,400 | $10,300 | +4% |
| Missoula, MT275 miles | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,950 | +1% |
| Logan, UT300 miles | $6,800 – $13,000 | $9,900 | level |
| Rapid City, SD305 miles | $6,850 – $12,900 | $9,900 | level |
| Montana (statewide) | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,900 | level |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +4% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Billings ranks #172 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Billings is 0% below the Montana figure.
Elsewhere in Montana
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman, MT | 72,210 jobs | $7,050 – $13,300 | $10,200 | +3% |
| Missoula, MT | 67,070 jobs | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,950 | +1% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Billings against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable, MA | 94,110 jobs | $8,600 – $15,200 | $11,900 | +21% |
| Iowa City, IA | 93,760 jobs | $7,150 – $13,300 | $10,200 | +3% |
| Macon, GA | 95,030 jobs | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | −7% |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $7,850 – $14,100 | $11,000 | +11% |
Billings: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Billings. 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
$6,800 to $9,250
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,650 to $11,100
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$10,500 to $13,000
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,450 – $4,750 | $4,400 – $5,700 | $5,400 – $6,700 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,750 – $3,850 | $3,550 – $4,650 | $4,350 – $5,450 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,450 – $7,450 | $6,950 – $8,950 | $8,450 – $10,500 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $8,150 – $11,100 | $10,400 – $13,300 | $12,500 – $15,500 |
Why two Billings 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.
Planning more than one job in Billings?
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Billings wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sprinkler system comes out highest (+5%) and paver patio lowest (−1%); 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 – $5,400 | −1% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,750 – $9,500 | +3% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,550 – $3,400 | +3% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,200 – $10,500 | +5% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $36,100 – $113,000 | level |
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 $8,650 to $11,100 for Billings, MT is attached.
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Retaining wall in Billings: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Billings?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,800 to $13,000 in the Billings area. A standard-spec job lands at $8,650 to $11,100. 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 Billings?
About $34 to $62.50 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 Billings or Bozeman?
Bozeman is 115 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $10,200, which is 3% more than Billings ($9,900). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Billings?
About 46% at the midpoint, or $4,550 out of $9,900. Materials are 51% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Billings?
$5,450 to $10,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Billings?
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 Billings area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Billings expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Montana?
Billings is 0% below the Montana statewide estimate ($9,900 at the midpoint). We cover 3 metros in Montana; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Billings?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $26.94 an hour, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.24 to $29.69.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Billings?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,800 to $9,250 and premium work $10,500 to $13,000. 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 Billings?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. July and August 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 Billings
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.