Retaining wall cost in Rhode Island
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $7,850 – $14,400
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $39 – $69.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +8%
- US $10,300
- Metros covered
- 1
What does it cost to build a retaining wall in Rhode Island? Plan on $7,850 to $14,400 for 200 sq ft of wall face. Wages (1.21x the US blend), materials (price index 97.2) and permit costs (102.3) put the state above the national midpoint by 8%.
Rhode Island has one metro in our dataset, Providence, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Rhode Island (statewide), standard level
$9,800 to $12,400
About $48 to $60.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 51% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,200 | $6,100 |
| Labor | $5,450 | $5,950 |
| Permits and fees | $170 | $340 |
| Total | $9,800 | $12,400 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Rhode Island
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,150 | $7,600 | 46% |
| Labor | $5,100 | $5,700 | $6,300 | 51% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $260 | $460 | 2% |
| Total | $7,850 | $11,100 | $14,400 | 100% |
Basic, standard or premium: Rhode Island 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
$7,850 to $10,500
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$9,800 to $12,400
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$11,800 to $14,400
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,950 – $5,350 | $5,000 – $6,350 | $6,050 – $7,400 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $3,200 – $4,300 | $4,050 – $5,150 | $4,900 – $6,000 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $6,300 – $8,400 | $7,900 – $10,000 | $9,450 – $11,600 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $9,450 – $12,500 | $11,700 – $14,800 | $14,100 – $17,100 |
Which Rhode Island city is cheapest for retaining wall?
Rhode Island has one metro in our dataset, Providence, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence, RI | $8,300 – $14,800 | $11,600 | +4% |
If you are planning more than one job in Rhode Island
Each project weights the trades differently, so Rhode Island's wage level does not push every price by the same amount. Compared with the US midpoint, paver patio is +12% and French drain +5%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $630 – $2,200 | +5% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,350 – $6,150 | +12% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,900 – $9,950 | +8% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,600 – $3,500 | +6% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,300 – $10,800 | +8% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $39,000 – $122,000 | +8% |
Rhode Island versus the states around it
Rhode Island ranks 12 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. Rhode Island sits at $11,100. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 50 miles away | $8,800 – $15,600 | $12,200 | +10% |
| Connecticut | 80 miles away | $7,750 – $14,200 | $11,000 | −1% |
| New Hampshire | 90 miles away | $7,300 – $13,700 | $10,500 | −6% |
| New York | 160 miles away | $8,550 – $15,600 | $12,100 | +9% |
| Maine | 170 miles away | $6,250 – $12,300 | $9,300 | −17% |
Wages behind the Rhode Island number
Rhode Island'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 1.21 times the national level.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 50%) the local median is $38.12 an hour, which is 28% above the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $27.47 and $51.91 an hour. BLS counts 220 of them working in the state, 4.4 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 $27.52 an hour, which is 21% above the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.51 and $37.25 an hour. BLS counts 2,110 of them working in the state, 42.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 70.5), so the local bench is thinner than average.
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073), 20% of the weighting: a median of $30.58 an hour, 6% above the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $29.65 and $40.30 an hour. About 970 work in the state. That is 19.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for brickmasons and blockmasons ($51.91 an hour) would add about $1,100 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($27.47) would take off about $840. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 501,340 jobs across Rhode Island (May 2025), which is 0.3% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $27.47 | $38.12 | $51.91 | $29.87 | 1.28 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $22.51 | $27.52 | $37.25 | $22.66 | 1.21 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $29.65 | $30.58 | $40.30 | $28.78 | 1.06 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 1.21 | |||||
When Rhode Island weather lets you build
Weather decides when digging and ground work can happen, and Rhode Island 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.
Providence has 8 comfortable months (April through November), with about 48 inches of precipitation a year.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | 22 | 84 | 48 | 8: April through November |
Why two Rhode Island 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.
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Detailed retaining wall report for Rhode Island, $9
The report lays out the retaining wall numbers for Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Rhode Island?
$7,850 to $14,400 for 200 sq ft of wall face, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Rhode Island can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Rhode Island is cheapest for retaining wall?
Providence at about $11,600 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face).
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Rhode Island than the US average?
It is 8% more expensive: $11,100 against $10,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Rhode Island?
About 51% ($5,700). Materials are 46%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 1.21x the national wage level.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Rhode Island?
The BLS statewide median is $38.12 an hour, against $29.87 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $27.47 to $51.91.
+Where does Rhode Island rank for retaining wall costs?
12th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $11,100 for 200 sq ft of wall face. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Rhode Island?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $7,850 to $10,500 and premium work $11,800 to $14,400. Basic means: short block wall, easy access. Premium means: tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access.
+Does the season matter for retaining wall in Rhode Island?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Rhode Island metros we cover, Providence has the most comfortable months (8 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 Rhode Island
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.