Retaining wall cost in North Carolina
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,350 – $12,400
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $31.50 – $60
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −9%
- US $10,300
- Metros covered
- 11
What does it cost to build a retaining wall in North Carolina? Plan on $6,350 to $12,400 for 200 sq ft of wall face. Wages (0.85x the US blend), materials (price index 96.6) and permit costs (94.3) put the state below the national midpoint by 9%.
Inside North Carolina, the metros we cover range from $9,050 (Greenville) to $9,500 (Charlotte) 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 North Carolina (statewide), standard level
$8,150 to $10,600
About $40 to $51.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 43% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $6,100 |
| Labor | $3,850 | $4,150 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $310 |
| Total | $8,150 | $10,600 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in North Carolina
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,550 | 55% |
| Labor | $3,600 | $4,000 | $4,450 | 43% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $240 | $420 | 3% |
| Total | $6,350 | $9,350 | $12,400 | 100% |
Weather windows across North Carolina
Season matters for retaining wall. For each North Carolina metro below we took NOAA's 1991-2020 monthly normals from the nearest suitable station and counted comfortable months for digging and ground work.
Greensboro has the longest comfortable season of the metros we cover in North Carolina at 11 months (February through December); Asheville has the shortest at 9 (March through November). Rainfall runs from 41 inches a year in Asheville to 60 inches in Wilmington.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 32 | 90 | 44 | 10: February through June and August through December |
| Raleigh | 32 | 91 | 46 | 10: February through June and August through December |
| Greensboro | 30 | 89 | 46 | 11: February through December |
| Durham | 32 | 91 | 46 | 10: February through June and August through December |
| Winston | 31 | 88 | 43 | 11: February through December |
| Wilmington | 36 | 90 | 60 | 11: August through June |
| Asheville | 29 | 86 | 41 | 9: March through November |
| Hickory | 30 | 87 | 47 | 11: February through December |
| Fayetteville | 34 | 91 | 45 | 11: August through June |
| Greenville | 33 | 90 | 53 | 11: August through June |
| Burlington | 30 | 91 | 43 | 10: February through June and August through December |
Retaining wall: what moves the price in North Carolina
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.
Quality levels and sizes in North Carolina
The cited range is cut into three overlapping bands (basic, standard and premium) and scaled to statewide North Carolina wages and prices. The grid prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$6,350 to $8,750
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,150 to $10,600
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$9,950 to $12,400
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,200 – $4,500 | $4,150 – $5,450 | $5,100 – $6,400 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,550 – $3,600 | $3,350 – $4,400 | $4,150 – $5,200 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,050 – $7,050 | $6,550 – $8,500 | $8,050 – $10,000 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,600 – $10,500 | $9,750 – $12,600 | $11,900 – $14,800 |
Retaining wall cost by metro in North Carolina
3 of the 11 metros sit above the statewide midpoint of $9,350, and the top-to-bottom gap is 5%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | $6,450 – $12,600 | $9,500 | +2% |
| Durham, NC | $6,400 – $12,500 | $9,450 | +1% |
| Raleigh, NC | $6,400 – $12,500 | $9,400 | +1% |
| Asheville, NC | $6,350 – $12,400 | $9,350 | level |
| Burlington, NC | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | level |
| Wilmington, NC | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | level |
| Fayetteville, NC | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | −1% |
| Hickory, NC | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | −1% |
| Greensboro, NC | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | −2% |
| Winston, NC | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | −2% |
| Greenville, NC | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | −3% |
North Carolina versus the states around it
North Carolina ranks 41 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. North Carolina sits at $9,350. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 120 miles away | $6,250 – $12,300 | $9,250 | −1% |
| Virginia | 180 miles away | $6,700 – $13,000 | $9,850 | +5% |
| West Virginia | 240 miles away | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | −2% |
| District of Columbia | 260 miles away | $7,600 – $14,500 | $11,000 | +18% |
| Georgia | 270 miles away | $6,250 – $12,400 | $9,300 | level |
What brickmasons and blockmasons and the other trades earn in North Carolina
Statewide wages come from BLS's state-level estimates, which blend big cities with small towns and rural areas. 3 trades drive the labor line for this job, and the weighted ratio against the national wage level is 0.85 for North Carolina.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021), 50% of the weighting: a median of $24.01 an hour, 20% below the US median of $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $21.78 and $27.70 an hour. About 1,760 work in the state. That is 3.6 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 3.4 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $21.50 an hour, 5% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.97 and $23.59 an hour. About 35,620 work in the state. That is 72.1 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 20%) the local median is $23.71 an hour, which is 18% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $21.97 and $27.82 an hour. BLS counts 16,580 of them working in the state, 33.6 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is about average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for brickmasons and blockmasons ($27.70 an hour) would add about $290 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($21.78) would take off about $180. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 4,941,820 jobs across North Carolina (May 2025), which is 3.2% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $21.78 | $24.01 | $27.70 | $29.87 | 0.80 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $17.97 | $21.50 | $23.59 | $22.66 | 0.95 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $21.97 | $23.71 | $27.82 | $28.78 | 0.82 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.85 | |||||
Related projects, priced for North Carolina
The table prices neighboring jobs at their usual sizes using statewide North Carolina wages and prices. Against national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (−4%) and concrete driveway lowest (−11%), because each job leans on different trades.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $560 – $1,950 | −6% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,800 – $5,050 | −7% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,300 – $8,150 | −11% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,200 | −4% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,750 – $9,350 | −7% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $33,200 – $104,000 | −8% |
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Detailed retaining wall report for North Carolina, $9
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Retaining wall in North Carolina: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in North Carolina?
$6,350 to $12,400 for 200 sq ft of wall face, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside North Carolina can sit above or below that.
+Which city in North Carolina is cheapest for retaining wall?
Greenville at about $9,050 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face). The priciest is Charlotte at $9,500.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in North Carolina than the US average?
It is 9% cheaper: $9,350 against $10,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in North Carolina?
About 43% ($4,000). Materials are 55%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.85x the national wage level.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in North Carolina?
The BLS statewide median is $24.01 an hour, against $29.87 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.78 to $27.70.
+Where does North Carolina rank for retaining wall costs?
41st most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $9,350 for 200 sq ft of wall face. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in North Carolina?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,350 to $8,750 and premium work $9,950 to $12,400. Basic means: short block wall, easy access. Premium means: tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access.
+Does the season matter for retaining wall in North Carolina?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the North Carolina metros we cover, Greensboro has the most comfortable months (11 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 North Carolina
- Charlotte, NC$9,500 midpoint
- Durham, NC$9,450 midpoint
- Raleigh, NC$9,400 midpoint
- Asheville, NC$9,350 midpoint
- Burlington, NC$9,300 midpoint
- Wilmington, NC$9,300 midpoint
- Fayetteville, NC$9,300 midpoint
- Hickory, NC$9,300 midpoint
- Greensboro, NC$9,200 midpoint
- Winston, NC$9,150 midpoint
- Greenville, NC$9,050 midpoint
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.