Retaining wall cost in Myrtle Beach, SC
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,000 – $12,000
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $30 – $58
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −12%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #290
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a retaining wall in the Myrtle Beach area: $6,000 to $12,000 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 12% lower than the US figure. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $22.70 an hour in the Myrtle Beach area, 24% below the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Myrtle Beach, SC, standard level
$7,800 to $10,200
About $38.50 to $49.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 41% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $6,050 |
| Labor | $3,500 | $3,800 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $310 |
| Total | $7,800 | $10,200 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Myrtle Beach, SC
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,500 | 57% |
| Labor | $3,300 | $3,650 | $4,050 | 41% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $230 | $420 | 3% |
| Total | $6,000 | $9,000 | $12,000 | 100% |
Where the Myrtle Beach 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 $22.70 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Myrtle Beach is 0.78 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 41% of the total.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Myrtle Beach is at 96.3 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 93.6: $45 to $420.
The best months for retaining wall in Myrtle Beach
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, Myrtle Beach (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 Myrtle Beach: 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.
Myrtle Beach gets about 54 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are July, August and September (6.8 inches in September). The station averages about 22 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 | 56 | 34 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Feb | 58 | 36 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 3.7 | Workable |
| Apr | 72 | 51 | 3.4 | Workable |
| May | 79 | 60 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Jun | 85 | 68 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Jul | 87 | 72 | 6.6 | Workable |
| Aug | 87 | 70 | 6.3 | Workable |
| Sep | 83 | 65 | 6.8 | Workable |
| Oct | 76 | 54 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 3.1 | Workable |
| Dec | 59 | 36 | 3.8 | Workable |
Myrtle Beach: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Myrtle Beach. 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
$6,000 to $8,400
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$7,800 to $10,200
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$9,600 to $12,000
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,050 – $4,300 | $4,000 – $5,250 | $4,950 – $6,200 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,450 – $3,500 | $3,200 – $4,250 | $4,000 – $5,050 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $4,850 – $6,750 | $6,300 – $8,200 | $7,750 – $9,700 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,200 – $10,100 | $9,350 – $12,200 | $11,500 – $14,300 |
Planning more than one job in Myrtle Beach?
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Myrtle Beach wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (−8%) and concrete driveway lowest (−15%); the gap comes from the trades each job uses.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $530 – $1,850 | −11% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,600 – $4,750 | −13% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,150 – $7,800 | −15% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,350 – $3,000 | −8% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,500 – $8,700 | −13% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $31,500 – $98,400 | −13% |
Who does the work: Myrtle Beach 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 Myrtle Beach the blend is 0.78.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 50%) the local median is $22.70 an hour, which is 24% below the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $20.57 and $27.63 an hour. BLS counts 50 of them working in the area, 3.4 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 $18.37 an hour, which is 19% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.32 and $22.65 an hour. BLS counts 1,440 of them working in the area, 98.5 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 $22.59 an hour, 22% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $19.93 and $23.83 an hour. About 980 work in the metro. That is 67.0 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 $390 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $170. That is a swing of roughly 1.9% to 4.3% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach has 146,260 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 157th 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% | $20.57 | $22.70 | $27.63 | $29.87 | 0.76 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $17.32 | $18.37 | $22.65 | $22.66 | 0.81 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $19.93 | $22.59 | $23.83 | $28.78 | 0.78 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.78 | |||||
Why two Myrtle Beach quotes can differ
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).
Material
Block, poured concrete and natural stone are priced differently; concrete and stone walls run higher than the segmental block default.
Myrtle Beach against nearby metros and the rest of South Carolina
Contractors rarely work more than an hour or two from home, so the neighboring metros set a rough ceiling and floor for your quotes. Midpoints for 200 sq ft of wall face range from $9,000 to $9,300 across Myrtle Beach and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myrtle Beach, SCthis page | $6,000 – $12,000 | $9,000 | |
| Florence, SC50 miles | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | +3% |
| Wilmington, NC60 miles | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | +3% |
| Fayetteville, NC80 miles | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | +3% |
| Charleston, SC85 miles | $6,250 – $12,300 | $9,300 | +3% |
| Columbia, SC120 miles | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | +2% |
| South Carolina (statewide) | $6,250 – $12,300 | $9,250 | +3% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +14% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Myrtle Beach ranks #290 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Myrtle Beach is 3% below the South Carolina figure.
Elsewhere in South Carolina
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | 434,900 jobs | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | +3% |
| Columbia, SC | 394,200 jobs | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | +2% |
| Charleston, SC | 394,170 jobs | $6,250 – $12,300 | $9,300 | +3% |
| Spartanburg, SC | 165,150 jobs | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | +2% |
| Florence, SC | 89,060 jobs | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | +3% |
| Hilton Head, SC | 81,920 jobs | $6,350 – $12,400 | $9,350 | +4% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Myrtle Beach against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo, ND | 148,660 jobs | $7,000 – $13,200 | $10,100 | +12% |
| Vallejo, CA | 144,130 jobs | $8,350 – $15,300 | $11,800 | +31% |
| Killeen, TX | 150,580 jobs | $6,250 – $12,200 | $9,200 | +2% |
| Huntington, WV | 140,740 jobs | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | +3% |
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 $7,800 to $10,200 for Myrtle Beach, SC is attached.
Detailed retaining wall report for Myrtle Beach, SC, $9
Multi-page report for Myrtle Beach, SC: low, typical and high cost, a line-item breakdown of materials and labor by trade, permit notes, the best months to schedule, a quote comparison sheet, red flags, questions for contractors, checklists and every source. 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 Myrtle Beach: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Myrtle Beach?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,000 to $12,000 in the Myrtle Beach area. A standard-spec job lands at $7,800 to $10,200. 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 Myrtle Beach?
About $30 to $58 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $45 to $420 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Myrtle Beach or Florence?
Florence is 50 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $9,300, which is 3% more than Myrtle Beach ($9,000). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Myrtle Beach?
About 41% at the midpoint, or $3,650 out of $9,000. Materials are 57% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Myrtle Beach?
$4,850 to $9,700. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Myrtle Beach?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $420 for fees in the Myrtle Beach area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Myrtle Beach expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of South Carolina?
Myrtle Beach is 3% below the South Carolina statewide estimate ($9,250 at the midpoint). We cover 7 metros in South Carolina; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Myrtle Beach?
The BLS median is $22.70 an hour in the Myrtle Beach area, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $20.57 to $27.63.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Myrtle Beach?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,000 to $8,400 and premium work $9,600 to $12,000. 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 Myrtle Beach?
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 Myrtle Beach
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.