Retaining wall cost in Portland, OR
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $8,300 – $15,300
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $41.50 – $74
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +15%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #27
- 1 = most expensive
A retaining wall in Portland, OR usually costs $8,300 to $15,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face. That works out to about $41.50 to $74 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $1,550 more. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $39.28 an hour in the Portland area, 32% above the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Portland, OR, standard level
$10,400 to $13,200
About $51 to $64 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 50% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,500 | $6,650 |
| Labor | $5,700 | $6,200 |
| Permits and fees | $180 | $350 |
| Total | $10,400 | $13,200 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Portland, OR
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,950 | $5,600 | $8,200 | 47% |
| Labor | $5,300 | $5,950 | $6,600 | 50% |
| Permits and fees | $55 | $260 | $470 | 2% |
| Total | $8,300 | $11,800 | $15,300 | 100% |
What is behind the Portland number
Labor is 50% 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 Portland the blended ratio comes out at 1.27.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Portland is at 105.2 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $5,300 nationally becomes $5,600 here (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face). Permits follow the all-items index of 105.4: $55 to $470.
Retaining wall: what moves the price in Portland
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.
Height
Walls over 4 feet need engineering, deeper excavation and more skilled labor; many cities require permits over 3-4 feet (HomeGuide).
What local crews earn in Portland
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 Portland the blend is 1.27.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 50%) the local median is $39.28 an hour, which is 32% above the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $36.10 and $48.93 an hour. BLS counts 400 of them working in the area, 3.3 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 $26.08 an hour, which is 15% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.45 and $31.65 an hour. BLS counts 7,950 of them working in the area, 65.8 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is about average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 20% of the weighting: a median of $38.00 an hour, 32% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $31.37 and $50.10 an hour. About 3,040 work in the metro. That is 25.2 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer 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 $760 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $250. That is a swing of roughly 2.1% to 6.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has 1,208,410 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 25th 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% | $36.10 | $39.28 | $48.93 | $29.87 | 1.32 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $21.45 | $26.08 | $31.65 | $22.66 | 1.15 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $31.37 | $38.00 | $50.10 | $28.78 | 1.32 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.27 | |||||
Portland weather and the retaining wall calendar
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Portland Intl Ap (5 miles from the city center). They are 30-year averages, so any one year can run hotter, colder or wetter.
Weather is not a serious constraint for digging, grading and setting material in the ground in Portland: no month in the averages is cold enough (an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F)) or hot enough (an average daytime high of 90°F or more) to rule it out, so the workable window is all year.
Portland gets about 37 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 4 inches of snow. The wettest months are January, November and December (5.8 inches in December). The station averages about 15 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 | 48 | 36 | 5.0 | Workable |
| Feb | 52 | 37 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Mar | 57 | 40 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Apr | 62 | 44 | 2.9 | Workable |
| May | 69 | 49 | 2.5 | Workable |
| Jun | 74 | 54 | 1.6 | Workable |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 0.5 | Workable |
| Sep | 77 | 54 | 1.5 | Workable |
| Oct | 64 | 47 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Nov | 54 | 41 | 5.5 | Workable |
| Dec | 47 | 36 | 5.8 | Workable |
Portland: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Portland. 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
$8,300 to $11,100
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$10,400 to $13,200
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$12,500 to $15,300
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $4,200 – $5,650 | $5,300 – $6,750 | $6,400 – $7,850 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $3,350 – $4,550 | $4,250 – $5,500 | $5,200 – $6,400 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $6,650 – $8,900 | $8,350 – $10,600 | $10,100 – $12,300 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $9,950 – $13,300 | $12,400 – $15,800 | $14,900 – $18,200 |
Portland against nearby metros and the rest of Oregon
Of the five closest metros, 3 are cheaper than Portland. Bend is the lowest at about $11,200 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face), 125 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland, ORthis page | $8,300 – $15,300 | $11,800 | |
| Salem, OR50 miles | $8,600 – $15,600 | $12,100 | +3% |
| Olympia, WA95 miles | $8,650 – $15,700 | $12,200 | +3% |
| Yakima, WA100 miles | $8,100 – $15,000 | $11,500 | −2% |
| Eugene, OR115 miles | $7,850 – $14,700 | $11,300 | −4% |
| Bend, OR125 miles | $7,800 – $14,600 | $11,200 | −5% |
| Oregon (statewide) | $8,050 – $15,000 | $11,500 | −2% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | −13% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Portland ranks #27 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Portland is 2% above the Oregon figure.
Elsewhere in Oregon
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | 188,620 jobs | $8,600 – $15,600 | $12,100 | +3% |
| Eugene, OR | 157,710 jobs | $7,850 – $14,700 | $11,300 | −4% |
| Bend, OR | 108,240 jobs | $7,800 – $14,600 | $11,200 | −5% |
| Medford, OR | 89,060 jobs | $7,900 – $14,700 | $11,300 | −4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Portland against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $6,600 – $12,600 | $9,600 | −19% |
| Las Vegas, NV | 1,136,960 jobs | $6,800 – $13,000 | $9,900 | −16% |
| St. Louis, MO | 1,341,320 jobs | $8,350 – $15,000 | $11,700 | −1% |
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $9,150 – $16,300 | $12,700 | +8% |
Related projects, priced for Portland
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Portland wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sprinkler system comes out highest (+21%) and sod installation lowest (+11%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $700 – $2,450 | +17% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,450 – $6,250 | +15% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $4,300 – $11,000 | +19% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,650 – $3,650 | +11% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,850 – $12,100 | +21% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $42,200 – $132,000 | +17% |
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 $10,400 to $13,200 for Portland, OR is attached.
Detailed retaining wall report for Portland, OR, $9
The report lays out the retaining wall numbers for Portland, OR 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 Portland: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Portland?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $8,300 to $15,300 in the Portland area. A standard-spec job lands at $10,400 to $13,200. 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 Portland?
About $41.50 to $74 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $55 to $470 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Portland or Salem?
Salem is 50 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $12,100, which is 3% more than Portland ($11,800). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Portland?
About 50% at the midpoint, or $5,950 out of $11,800. Materials are 47% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Portland?
$6,650 to $12,300. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Portland?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $55 to $470 for fees in the Portland area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Portland expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Oregon?
Portland is 2% above the Oregon statewide estimate ($11,500 at the midpoint). We cover 5 metros in Oregon; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Portland?
The BLS median is $39.28 an hour in the Portland area, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $36.10 to $48.93.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Portland?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $8,300 to $11,100 and premium work $12,500 to $15,300. Basic means: short block wall, easy access. Premium means: tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access.
+Is there a bad season to build a retaining wall in Portland?
Not from a temperature point of view. NOAA's 1991-2020 normals show no month with a freezing-level overnight low or a 90°F-plus average high, so timing is mostly about contractor availability and rain.
Retaining wall near Portland
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.