Retaining wall cost in Syracuse, NY
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $7,550 – $14,000
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $37.50 – $68
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +5%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #92
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to build a retaining wall in Syracuse, plan on $7,550 to $14,000 for 200 sq ft of wall face, all in. Per sq ft of wall face, that is $37.50 to $68 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 5% higher than the national one. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $35.52 an hour in the Syracuse area, 19% above the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Syracuse, NY, standard level
$9,500 to $12,100
About $46.50 to $59 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 49% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,300 | $6,300 |
| Labor | $5,050 | $5,500 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $320 |
| Total | $9,500 | $12,100 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Syracuse, NY
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,800 | $5,300 | $7,800 | 49% |
| Labor | $4,700 | $5,250 | $5,850 | 49% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $240 | $430 | 2% |
| Total | $7,550 | $10,800 | $14,000 | 100% |
Where the Syracuse 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 $35.52 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Syracuse is 1.12 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 49% of the total.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Syracuse metro is 99.7 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 200 sq ft of wall face comes to $5,300, compared with $5,300 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (95.7) and land at $50 to $430.
Pick a size, pick a tier: retaining wall pricing in Syracuse
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Syracuse wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$7,550 to $10,100
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$9,500 to $12,100
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$11,400 to $14,000
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,800 – $5,150 | $4,850 – $6,200 | $5,850 – $7,250 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $3,050 – $4,200 | $3,900 – $5,000 | $4,750 – $5,850 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $6,050 – $8,150 | $7,650 – $9,750 | $9,200 – $11,300 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $9,050 – $12,100 | $11,400 – $14,400 | $13,700 – $16,800 |
Climate in Syracuse: timing your retaining wall job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Syracuse Hancock Intl Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
April through November is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Syracuse (8 of 12 months). 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 132 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Syracuse gets about 40 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 128 inches of snow. The wettest months are July, August and October (3.9 inches in October). Inside the workable window, September and November are the driest, at 3.4 and 3.2 inches. The station averages about 10 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 17 | 2.6 | Cold |
| Feb | 34 | 18 | 2.5 | Cold |
| Mar | 42 | 25 | 3.0 | Cold |
| Apr | 56 | 36 | 3.5 | Workable |
| May | 69 | 47 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 77 | 57 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Aug | 80 | 60 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Sep | 73 | 53 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Oct | 60 | 42 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Nov | 48 | 33 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 37 | 24 | 3.3 | Cold |
Retaining wall: what moves the price in Syracuse
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.
Syracuse labor market for retaining wall
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 3 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Syracuse is 1.12 times the national level.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021), 50% of the weighting: a median of $35.52 an hour, 19% above the US median of $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $28.93 and $39.78 an hour. About 180 work in the metro. That is 6.0 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 3.4 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $23.64 an hour, 4% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.52 and $34.90 an hour. About 1,660 work in the metro. That is 55.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 20%) the local median is $30.68 an hour, which is 7% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $26.67 and $50.65 an hour. BLS counts 700 of them working in the area, 23.3 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the brickmasons and blockmasons on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($39.78 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $340. At the 25th percentile ($28.93) it shrinks by about $520. The total moves by 3.1% or 4.8%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 300,130 jobs in the Syracuse area. That makes it the 85th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.19% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $28.93 | $35.52 | $39.78 | $29.87 | 1.19 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $21.52 | $23.64 | $34.90 | $22.66 | 1.04 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $26.67 | $30.68 | $50.65 | $28.78 | 1.07 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.12 | |||||
How Syracuse compares
Same job, same size (200 sq ft of wall face), priced for the nearest metros. Albany is the priciest of the group at $11,300. Scranton is the cheapest at $10,600.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse, NYthis page | $7,550 – $14,000 | $10,800 | |
| Utica, NY55 miles | $7,900 – $14,500 | $11,200 | +4% |
| Binghamton, NY60 miles | $7,900 – $14,500 | $11,200 | +4% |
| Rochester, NY70 miles | $7,600 – $14,100 | $10,800 | level |
| Albany, NY115 miles | $8,000 – $14,600 | $11,300 | +5% |
| Scranton, PA115 miles | $7,350 – $13,800 | $10,600 | −2% |
| New York (statewide) | $8,550 – $15,600 | $12,100 | +12% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | −5% |
Across 300 US metros, Syracuse comes in at #92 from the top. The priciest is Kahului, HI at $13,500; the cheapest is El Paso, TX at $8,850 (midpoints, 200 sq ft of wall face). Statewide, Syracuse is 11% below the New York figure.
Other New York metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | 9,492,000 jobs | $9,250 – $16,600 | $12,900 | +20% |
| Buffalo, NY | 534,550 jobs | $7,800 – $14,400 | $11,100 | +3% |
| Rochester, NY | 494,280 jobs | $7,600 – $14,100 | $10,800 | level |
| Albany, NY | 449,410 jobs | $8,000 – $14,600 | $11,300 | +5% |
| Poughkeepsie, NY | 268,970 jobs | $8,450 – $15,700 | $12,100 | +12% |
| Utica, NY | 118,390 jobs | $7,900 – $14,500 | $11,200 | +4% |
Cities with a workforce like Syracuse's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Syracuse against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provo, UT | 304,660 jobs | $6,950 – $13,200 | $10,100 | −7% |
| McAllen, TX | 296,700 jobs | $6,050 – $11,900 | $8,950 | −17% |
| Cape Coral, FL | 304,790 jobs | $6,250 – $12,300 | $9,250 | −14% |
| Toledo, OH | 291,530 jobs | $7,500 – $13,700 | $10,600 | −2% |
Planning more than one job in Syracuse?
Because every project leans on different trades, Syracuse's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, French drain runs +7% and sod installation +1%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $640 – $2,250 | +7% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,150 – $5,700 | +5% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,800 – $9,600 | +4% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,500 – $3,300 | +1% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,100 – $10,200 | +2% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $37,600 – $117,500 | +4% |
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 $9,500 to $12,100 for Syracuse, NY is attached.
Detailed retaining wall report for Syracuse, NY, $9
The report lays out the retaining wall numbers for Syracuse, NY line by line, with the local wage and price inputs, permit and timing notes, a quote comparison sheet and the full method. Save your estimate above, preview page 1 free, and unlock the full report for $9 one-time, or get every report with CostLocal Pro.
Retaining wall in Syracuse: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Syracuse?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $7,550 to $14,000 in the Syracuse area. A standard-spec job lands at $9,500 to $12,100. 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 Syracuse?
About $37.50 to $68 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $50 to $430 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Syracuse or Utica?
Utica is 55 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $11,200, which is 4% more than Syracuse ($10,800). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Syracuse?
About 49% at the midpoint, or $5,250 out of $10,800. Materials are 49% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Syracuse?
$6,050 to $11,300. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Syracuse?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $50 to $430 for fees in the Syracuse area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Syracuse expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of New York?
Syracuse is 11% below the New York statewide estimate ($12,100 at the midpoint). We cover 9 metros in New York; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Syracuse?
The BLS median is $35.52 an hour in the Syracuse area, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $28.93 to $39.78.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Syracuse?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $7,550 to $10,100 and premium work $11,400 to $14,000. 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 Syracuse?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through November. September 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 Syracuse
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.