Retaining wall cost in New Mexico
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,000 – $12,000
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $30 – $58
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −12%
- US $10,300
- Metros covered
- 3
New Mexico prices for retaining wall: $6,000 to $12,000 for 200 sq ft of wall face, or $30 to $58 per sq ft of wall face without the permit. The state midpoint is 12% below the national one. Local wages for brickmasons and blockmasons are $21.63 an hour.
Inside New Mexico, the metros we cover range from $8,950 (Las Cruces) to $9,100 (Santa Fe) 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 New Mexico (statewide), standard level
$7,800 to $10,200
About $38 to $49.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 41% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $6,050 |
| Labor | $3,500 | $3,800 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $300 |
| Total | $7,800 | $10,200 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in New Mexico
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,500 | 57% |
| Labor | $3,300 | $3,650 | $4,050 | 41% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $230 | $410 | 3% |
| Total | $6,000 | $9,000 | $12,000 | 100% |
Why two New Mexico 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.
New Mexico against its neighbors
New Mexico ranks 51 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. New Mexico sits at $9,000. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 340 miles away | $7,200 – $13,600 | $10,400 | +15% |
| Arizona | 340 miles away | $6,800 – $13,000 | $9,900 | +10% |
| Wyoming | 460 miles away | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,900 | +10% |
| Utah | 520 miles away | $6,900 – $13,100 | $10,000 | +11% |
| Oklahoma | 540 miles away | $6,100 – $12,000 | $9,050 | level |
Related projects, priced for New Mexico
Each project weights the trades differently, so New Mexico's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, sod installation is −6% and paver patio −13%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $540 – $1,900 | −9% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,600 – $4,750 | −13% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,300 – $8,200 | −11% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,400 – $3,100 | −6% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,700 – $9,200 | −8% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $32,200 – $100,500 | −11% |
What brickmasons and blockmasons and the other trades earn in New Mexico
New Mexico'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 0.78 times the national level.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 50%) the local median is $21.63 an hour, which is 28% below the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $19.11 and $23.90 an hour. BLS counts 270 of them working in the state, 3.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 3.4), so the local bench is about average.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $18.46 an hour, which is 19% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.07 and $22.26 an hour. BLS counts 12,470 of them working in the state, 143.2 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 $25.00 an hour, 13% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.82 and $28.89 an hour. About 5,520 work in the state. That is 63.4 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 ($23.90 an hour) would add about $180 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($19.11) would take off about $200. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 870,970 jobs across New Mexico (May 2025), which is 0.6% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $19.11 | $21.63 | $23.90 | $29.87 | 0.72 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $17.07 | $18.46 | $22.26 | $22.66 | 0.81 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $22.82 | $25.00 | $28.89 | $28.78 | 0.87 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.78 | |||||
Basic, standard or premium: New Mexico 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
$6,000 to $8,400
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$7,800 to $10,200
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$9,600 to $12,000
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,050 – $4,300 | $4,000 – $5,250 | $4,950 – $6,200 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,450 – $3,500 | $3,200 – $4,250 | $4,000 – $5,050 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $4,800 – $6,750 | $6,250 – $8,200 | $7,700 – $9,650 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,200 – $10,000 | $9,350 – $12,200 | $11,500 – $14,300 |
When New Mexico weather lets you build
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and New Mexico 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.
Albuquerque has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in New Mexico at 7 months (March through May and August through November); Santa Fe has the shortest at 6 (May through October). Rainfall runs from 9 inches a year in Albuquerque to 13 inches in Santa Fe.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | 26 | 91 | 9 | 7: March through May and August through November |
| Las Cruces | 30 | 96 | 9 | 7: February through May and September through November |
| Santa Fe | 18 | 86 | 13 | 6: May through October |
Which New Mexico city is cheapest for retaining wall?
1 of the 3 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $9,000, and the top-to-bottom gap is 2%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Fe, NM | $6,100 – $12,100 | $9,100 | +1% |
| Albuquerque, NM | $6,000 – $12,000 | $9,000 | level |
| Las Cruces, NM | $6,000 – $11,900 | $8,950 | level |
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Detailed retaining wall report for New Mexico, $9
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Retaining wall in New Mexico: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in New Mexico?
$6,000 to $12,000 for 200 sq ft of wall face, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside New Mexico can sit above or below that.
+Which city in New Mexico is cheapest for retaining wall?
Las Cruces at about $8,950 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face). The priciest is Santa Fe at $9,100.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in New Mexico than the US average?
It is 12% cheaper: $9,000 against $10,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in New Mexico?
About 41% ($3,650). Materials are 57%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.78x the national wage level.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in New Mexico?
The BLS statewide median is $21.63 an hour, against $29.87 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $19.11 to $23.90.
+Where does New Mexico rank for retaining wall costs?
51st most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $9,000 for 200 sq ft of wall face. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in New Mexico?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,000 to $8,400 and premium work $9,600 to $12,000. Basic means: short block wall, easy access. Premium means: tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access.
+Does the season matter for retaining wall in New Mexico?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the New Mexico metros we cover, Albuquerque 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 New Mexico
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.