Retaining wall cost in Knoxville, TN
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,800 – $13,000
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $34 – $63
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −3%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #170
- 1 = most expensive
Knoxville homeowners pay roughly $6,800 to $13,000 to build a retaining wall at 200 sq ft of wall face, or $34 to $63 per sq ft of wall face (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Knoxville is 3% lower. Building materials run about 4% below the US average here (BEA goods price index 96.2).
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Knoxville, TN, standard level
$8,650 to $11,100
About $42.50 to $54 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 46% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,150 | $6,050 |
| Labor | $4,350 | $4,750 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $310 |
| Total | $8,650 | $11,100 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Knoxville, TN
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,100 | $7,500 | 52% |
| Labor | $4,100 | $4,550 | $5,050 | 46% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $230 | $420 | 2% |
| Total | $6,800 | $9,900 | $13,000 | 100% |
What is behind the Knoxville number
Labor is 46% 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 Knoxville the blended ratio comes out at 0.97.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Knoxville metro is 96.2 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 200 sq ft of wall face comes to $5,100, compared with $5,300 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (92.6) and land at $45 to $420.
When to schedule retaining wall in Knoxville
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Knoxville Mcghee Tyson Ap (10 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
February through December is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Knoxville (11 of 12 months). January has an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
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 67 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Knoxville gets about 52 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 5 inches of snow. The wettest months are March, July and December (5.3 inches in July). Inside the workable window, September and October are the driest, at 3.5 and 2.8 inches. The station averages about 37 days a year at 90°F or above.
Does the season change the price? Probably, but we do not have a sourced seasonal price curve, so the estimator shows a year-round figure and does not adjust by month. When you collect quotes, ask whether scheduling in a slower month gets a better rate.
| Month | Avg high °F | Avg low °F | Precip (in) | For this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 30 | 4.8 | Cold |
| Feb | 53 | 33 | 4.8 | Workable |
| Mar | 61 | 40 | 4.9 | Workable |
| Apr | 71 | 48 | 4.7 | Workable |
| May | 79 | 57 | 4.1 | Workable |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 5.3 | Workable |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 3.6 | Workable |
| Sep | 83 | 61 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Oct | 72 | 49 | 2.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 60 | 38 | 4.2 | Workable |
| Dec | 51 | 33 | 5.0 | Workable |
Is Knoxville cheap or dear? The local comparison
Of the five closest metros, 4 are cheaper than Knoxville. Dalton is the lowest at about $8,950 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face), 95 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville, TNthis page | $6,800 – $13,000 | $9,900 | |
| Asheville, NC95 miles | $6,350 – $12,400 | $9,350 | −5% |
| Dalton, GA95 miles | $5,950 – $11,900 | $8,950 | −10% |
| Chattanooga, TN95 miles | $6,950 – $13,100 | $10,000 | +1% |
| Johnson City, TN100 miles | $6,650 – $12,800 | $9,700 | −2% |
| Kingsport, TN100 miles | $6,700 – $12,800 | $9,750 | −2% |
| Tennessee (statewide) | $6,850 – $13,000 | $9,900 | level |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +4% |
Across 300 US metros, Knoxville comes in at #170 from the top. The priciest is Kahului, HI at $13,500; the cheapest is El Paso, TX at $8,850 (midpoints, 200 sq ft of wall face). Statewide, Knoxville is 0% below the Tennessee figure.
Other Tennessee metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville, TN | 1,099,300 jobs | $7,000 – $13,200 | $10,100 | +2% |
| Memphis, TN | 611,670 jobs | $6,900 – $13,100 | $10,000 | +1% |
| Chattanooga, TN | 268,750 jobs | $6,950 – $13,100 | $10,000 | +1% |
| Kingsport, TN | 119,560 jobs | $6,700 – $12,800 | $9,750 | −2% |
| Clarksville, TN | 103,220 jobs | $6,750 – $12,900 | $9,800 | −1% |
| Jackson, TN | 84,530 jobs | $6,750 – $12,900 | $9,800 | −1% |
Cities with a workforce like Knoxville's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Knoxville against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | 434,900 jobs | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | −6% |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 409,690 jobs | $6,450 – $12,400 | $9,450 | −5% |
| New Orleans, LA | 445,550 jobs | $6,500 – $12,400 | $9,450 | −4% |
| Madison, WI | 408,070 jobs | $8,150 – $14,500 | $11,300 | +15% |
Planning more than one job in Knoxville?
Because every project leans on different trades, Knoxville's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, paver patio runs −3% and concrete driveway −11%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $560 – $2,000 | −6% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,900 – $5,300 | −3% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,300 – $8,200 | −11% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,400 – $3,100 | −5% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,800 – $9,450 | −5% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $34,200 – $107,000 | −5% |
Knoxville: what basic, standard and premium work costs
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Knoxville wages and prices. They overlap on purpose: a good standard job and a modest premium job can cost the same. The grid below prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$6,800 to $9,300
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,650 to $11,100
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$10,500 to $13,000
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,450 – $4,750 | $4,400 – $5,700 | $5,400 – $6,700 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,750 – $3,850 | $3,550 – $4,650 | $4,350 – $5,450 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,450 – $7,450 | $6,950 – $8,950 | $8,450 – $10,500 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $8,200 – $11,100 | $10,400 – $13,300 | $12,600 – $15,500 |
Local wages behind the labor line
Wages are the part of this estimate that changes most from town to town. 3 trades carry the job here, and each is compared with its US median. The weighted result for Knoxville is 0.97 times the national level.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021), 50% of the weighting: a median of $30.81 an hour, 3% above the US median of $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $23.35 and $36.36 an hour. About 70 work in the metro. That is 1.6 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 3.4 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $22.18 an hour, in line with the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $18.16 and $25.87 an hour. About 3,640 work in the metro. That is 85.7 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 20%) the local median is $23.41 an hour, which is 19% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $21.22 and $27.74 an hour. BLS counts 1,210 of them working in the area, 28.5 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is about average.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the brickmasons and blockmasons on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($36.36 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $440. At the 25th percentile ($23.35) it shrinks by about $590. The total moves by 4.4% or 5.9%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 424,600 jobs in the Knoxville area. That makes it the 59th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.27% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $23.35 | $30.81 | $36.36 | $29.87 | 1.03 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $18.16 | $22.18 | $25.87 | $22.66 | 0.98 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $21.22 | $23.41 | $27.74 | $28.78 | 0.81 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.97 | |||||
Specs and site conditions that change a Knoxville 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.
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 $8,650 to $11,100 for Knoxville, TN is attached.
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Retaining wall in Knoxville: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Knoxville?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,800 to $13,000 in the Knoxville area. A standard-spec job lands at $8,650 to $11,100. 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 Knoxville?
About $34 to $63 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 Knoxville or Asheville?
Asheville is 95 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $9,350, which is 5% less than Knoxville ($9,900). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Knoxville?
About 46% at the midpoint, or $4,550 out of $9,900. Materials are 52% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Knoxville?
$5,450 to $10,500. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Knoxville?
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 Knoxville area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Knoxville expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Tennessee?
Knoxville is 0% below the Tennessee statewide estimate ($9,900 at the midpoint). We cover 8 metros in Tennessee; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Knoxville?
The BLS median is $30.81 an hour in the Knoxville area, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.35 to $36.36.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Knoxville?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,800 to $9,300 and premium work $10,500 to $13,000. 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 Knoxville?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are February through December. September and October 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 Knoxville
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.