Retaining wall cost in Amarillo, TX
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,300 – $12,200
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $31 – $59
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −10%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #247
- 1 = most expensive
A retaining wall in Amarillo, TX usually costs $6,300 to $12,200 for 200 sq ft of wall face. That works out to about $31 to $59 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Compared with the national midpoint that is $1,000 less. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $27.12 an hour in the Amarillo area, 9% below the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Amarillo, TX, standard level
$8,050 to $10,400
About $39.50 to $50.50 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 44% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,050 | $5,900 |
| Labor | $3,850 | $4,200 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $300 |
| Total | $8,050 | $10,400 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Amarillo, TX
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,650 | $4,950 | $7,300 | 54% |
| Labor | $3,600 | $4,050 | $4,450 | 44% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $230 | $410 | 2% |
| Total | $6,300 | $9,250 | $12,200 | 100% |
Where the Amarillo price comes from
We price the labor side from BLS wage data for 3 trades: brickmasons and blockmasons at 50%, construction laborers at 30%, operating engineers and other construction equipment operators at 20%. Weighted together, Amarillo wages are 0.86 times the national level. Labor makes up about 44% of the midpoint estimate (46% at national prices). BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Texas statewide median.
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. Amarillo is at 93.8 against 100 for the US, so a materials line of $5,300 nationally becomes $4,950 here (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face). Permits follow the all-items index of 91.8: $45 to $410.
Data note: 50% of the labor weighting for this project uses a statewide median because BLS has no published metro figure for that trade in Amarillo. The wage table below marks each row.
Specs and site conditions that change a Amarillo bid
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.
Amarillo 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, Amarillo (5 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 Amarillo are March through May and September through November: 6 of 12. Outside them, January, February and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F), and June, July and August have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
In January, February and December the average low is at or below freezing, which means frozen ground and slower digging, compaction and sod or stone placement. NOAA counts about 108 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Amarillo gets about 20 inches of precipitation in a normal year, including roughly 17 inches of snow. The wettest months are June, July and August (2.9 inches in August). Inside the workable window, March and November are the driest, at 1.3 and 0.8 inches. The station averages about 72 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 | 25 | 0.7 | Cold |
| Feb | 56 | 28 | 0.5 | Cold |
| Mar | 65 | 35 | 1.3 | Workable |
| Apr | 72 | 43 | 1.4 | Workable |
| May | 81 | 53 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Jun | 90 | 62 | 2.9 | Hot |
| Jul | 93 | 66 | 2.8 | Hot |
| Aug | 91 | 65 | 2.9 | Hot |
| Sep | 84 | 58 | 1.7 | Workable |
| Oct | 73 | 45 | 1.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 61 | 34 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Dec | 52 | 26 | 0.7 | Cold |
What nearby projects cost in Amarillo
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same Amarillo wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (−10%) 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 | −12% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,650 – $4,850 | −11% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,150 – $7,750 | −15% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,350 – $3,000 | −10% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,550 – $8,850 | −11% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $32,000 – $99,900 | −11% |
Amarillo: what basic, standard and premium work costs
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to Amarillo. 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
$6,300 to $8,650
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,050 to $10,400
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$9,850 to $12,200
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,150 – $4,400 | $4,100 – $5,350 | $5,050 – $6,300 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,550 – $3,600 | $3,300 – $4,350 | $4,100 – $5,150 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,050 – $6,950 | $6,500 – $8,400 | $7,900 – $9,850 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,550 – $10,300 | $9,650 – $12,400 | $11,700 – $14,600 |
What local crews earn in Amarillo
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 Amarillo the blend is 0.86.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 50% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Amarillo metro, so we used the Texas statewide median: $27.12 an hour against $29.87 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $23.31 and $28.57 an hour.
For construction laborers (47-2061, weighted 30%) the local median is $18.35 an hour, which is 19% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.77 and $21.85 an hour. BLS counts 970 of them working in the area, 78.3 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 $23.48 an hour, 18% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $21.41 and $28.73 an hour. About 490 work in the metro. That is 39.5 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 $110 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $300. That is a swing of roughly 3.2% to 1.2% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
Amarillo has 123,930 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 175th 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% | $23.31 | $27.12 | $28.57 | $29.87 | 0.91 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $16.77 | $18.35 | $21.85 | $22.66 | 0.81 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $21.41 | $23.48 | $28.73 | $28.78 | 0.82 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.86 | |||||
Is Amarillo cheap or dear? The local comparison
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 $8,900 to $9,450 across Amarillo and its five closest metros.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amarillo, TXthis page | $6,300 – $12,200 | $9,250 | |
| Lubbock, TX125 miles | $6,000 – $11,800 | $8,900 | −4% |
| Midland, TX220 miles | $6,450 – $12,400 | $9,450 | +2% |
| Santa Fe, NM230 miles | $6,100 – $12,100 | $9,100 | −1% |
| Abilene, TX230 miles | $6,300 – $12,200 | $9,250 | level |
| Odessa, TX235 miles | $6,400 – $12,300 | $9,350 | +1% |
| Texas (statewide) | $6,500 – $12,700 | $9,600 | +4% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +11% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, Amarillo ranks #247 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, Amarillo is 4% below the Texas figure.
Elsewhere in Texas
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $6,850 – $13,300 | $10,100 | +9% |
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $6,600 – $12,900 | $9,750 | +6% |
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $6,600 – $12,600 | $9,600 | +4% |
| San Antonio, TX | 1,126,880 jobs | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | +1% |
| El Paso, TX | 339,120 jobs | $5,900 – $11,700 | $8,850 | −4% |
| McAllen, TX | 296,700 jobs | $6,050 – $11,900 | $8,950 | −3% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Amarillo against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appleton, WI | 124,230 jobs | $8,100 – $14,500 | $11,300 | +22% |
| Rochester, MN | 122,980 jobs | $8,550 – $15,100 | $11,800 | +28% |
| Duluth, MN | 124,710 jobs | $8,150 – $14,500 | $11,300 | +23% |
| Midland, TX | 122,180 jobs | $6,450 – $12,400 | $9,450 | +2% |
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Detailed retaining wall report for Amarillo, TX, $9
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Retaining wall in Amarillo: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Amarillo?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,300 to $12,200 in the Amarillo area. A standard-spec job lands at $8,050 to $10,400. 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 Amarillo?
About $31 to $59 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $45 to $410 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Amarillo or Lubbock?
Lubbock is 125 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $8,900, which is 4% less than Amarillo ($9,250). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Amarillo?
About 44% at the midpoint, or $4,050 out of $9,250. Materials are 54% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Amarillo?
$5,050 to $9,850. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Amarillo?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $410 for fees in the Amarillo area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Amarillo expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Texas?
Amarillo is 4% below the Texas statewide estimate ($9,600 at the midpoint). We cover 21 metros in Texas; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Amarillo?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $27.12 an hour, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.31 to $28.57.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Amarillo?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,300 to $8,650 and premium work $9,850 to $12,200. 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 Amarillo?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are March through May and September through November. March 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 Amarillo
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.