Retaining wall cost in Raleigh, NC
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,400 – $12,500
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $31.50 – $60
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −8%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #216
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a retaining wall in the Raleigh area: $6,400 to $12,500 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 8% lower than the US figure. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $24.00 an hour in the Raleigh area, 20% below the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Raleigh, NC, standard level
$8,200 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 | $3,900 | $4,250 |
| Permits and fees | $170 | $320 |
| Total | $8,200 | $10,600 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Raleigh, NC
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,550 | 54% |
| Labor | $3,600 | $4,050 | $4,500 | 43% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $250 | $440 | 3% |
| Total | $6,400 | $9,400 | $12,500 | 100% |
Where the Raleigh price comes from
Labor is 43% 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 Raleigh the blended ratio comes out at 0.86.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Raleigh is at 96.6 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 98.2: $50 to $440.
How Raleigh compares
Same job, same size (200 sq ft of wall face), priced for the nearest metros. Durham is the priciest of the group at $9,450. Greenville is the cheapest at $9,050.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh, NCthis page | $6,400 – $12,500 | $9,400 | |
| Durham, NC40 miles | $6,400 – $12,500 | $9,450 | level |
| Burlington, NC55 miles | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | −1% |
| Fayetteville, NC60 miles | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | −1% |
| Greenville, NC60 miles | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,050 | −4% |
| Greensboro, NC75 miles | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | −2% |
| North Carolina (statewide) | $6,350 – $12,400 | $9,350 | −1% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +9% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Raleigh ranks #216 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Raleigh is 1% above the North Carolina figure.
Elsewhere in North Carolina
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC | 1,358,370 jobs | $6,450 – $12,600 | $9,500 | +1% |
| Greensboro, NC | 365,410 jobs | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | −2% |
| Durham, NC | 344,020 jobs | $6,400 – $12,500 | $9,450 | level |
| Winston, NC | 271,980 jobs | $6,150 – $12,200 | $9,150 | −3% |
| Wilmington, NC | 191,280 jobs | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | −1% |
| Asheville, NC | 180,620 jobs | $6,350 – $12,400 | $9,350 | −1% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Raleigh against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach, VA | 763,060 jobs | $6,200 – $12,300 | $9,250 | −2% |
| Providence, RI | 714,120 jobs | $8,300 – $14,800 | $11,600 | +23% |
| Jacksonville, FL | 765,930 jobs | $6,550 – $12,700 | $9,650 | +2% |
| Louisville, KY | 685,190 jobs | $6,950 – $13,100 | $10,000 | +6% |
Related projects, priced for Raleigh
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Raleigh wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (−3%) 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 – $5,150 | −6% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,350 – $8,300 | −10% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,450 – $3,200 | −3% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,800 – $9,500 | −5% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $33,600 – $105,000 | −7% |
Specs and site conditions that change a Raleigh bid
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.
Who does the work: Raleigh 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 Raleigh the blend is 0.86.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 50%) the local median is $24.00 an hour, which is 20% below the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $22.21 and $29.61 an hour. BLS counts 290 of them working in the area, 3.9 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 $21.95 an hour, which is 3% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.31 and $23.77 an hour. BLS counts 6,360 of them working in the area, 85.6 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 $24.57 an hour, 15% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $23.05 and $28.70 an hour. About 3,080 work in the metro. That is 41.4 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 $440 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $140. That is a swing of roughly 1.5% to 4.7% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Raleigh-Cary has 743,120 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 41st 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% | $22.21 | $24.00 | $29.61 | $29.87 | 0.80 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $18.31 | $21.95 | $23.77 | $22.66 | 0.97 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $23.05 | $24.57 | $28.70 | $28.78 | 0.85 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.86 | |||||
The best months for retaining wall in Raleigh
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Raleigh Durham Intl Ap (10 miles from the city center). 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 Raleigh are February through June and August through December: 10 of 12. Outside them, January has an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F), and July has an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
In January the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 65 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Raleigh gets about 46 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 5 inches of snow. The wettest months are July, August and September (5.2 inches in September). Inside the workable window, February and November are the driest, at 2.8 and 3.3 inches. The station averages about 52 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 | 52 | 32 | 3.4 | Cold |
| Feb | 56 | 34 | 2.8 | Workable |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.5 | Workable |
| May | 80 | 58 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 3.9 | Workable |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 5.0 | Hot |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 4.7 | Workable |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 5.2 | Workable |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 63 | 40 | 3.3 | Workable |
| Dec | 55 | 34 | 3.4 | Workable |
Raleigh: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Raleigh. 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
$6,400 to $8,800
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,200 to $10,600
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$10,000 to $12,500
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 | $4,200 – $5,500 | $5,150 – $6,450 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,600 – $3,650 | $3,400 – $4,450 | $4,200 – $5,250 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,100 – $7,100 | $6,600 – $8,600 | $8,100 – $10,100 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,650 – $10,500 | $9,800 – $12,700 | $12,000 – $14,900 |
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Retaining wall in Raleigh: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Raleigh?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,400 to $12,500 in the Raleigh area. A standard-spec job lands at $8,200 to $10,600. 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 Raleigh?
About $31.50 to $60 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $50 to $440 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Raleigh or Durham?
Durham is 40 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $9,450, which is 0% more than Raleigh ($9,400). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Raleigh?
About 43% at the midpoint, or $4,050 out of $9,400. Materials are 54% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Raleigh?
$5,100 to $10,100. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Raleigh?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $50 to $440 for fees in the Raleigh area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Raleigh expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of North Carolina?
Raleigh is 1% above the North Carolina statewide estimate ($9,350 at the midpoint). We cover 11 metros in North Carolina; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Raleigh?
The BLS median is $24.00 an hour in the Raleigh area, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $22.21 to $29.61.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Raleigh?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,400 to $8,800 and premium work $10,000 to $12,500. 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 Raleigh?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are February through June and August through December. February 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 Raleigh
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.