Retaining wall cost in Lubbock, TX
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,000 – $11,800
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $29.50 – $57
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −13%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #296
- 1 = most expensive
If you want to build a retaining wall in Lubbock, plan on $6,000 to $11,800 for 200 sq ft of wall face, all in. Per sq ft of wall face, that is $29.50 to $57 for materials and labor, with the permit on top. The local midpoint runs 13% lower than the national one. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $23.89 an hour in the Lubbock area, 20% below the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Lubbock, TX, standard level
$7,750 to $10,100
About $38 to $49 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 42% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,050 | $5,900 |
| Labor | $3,550 | $3,850 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $300 |
| Total | $7,750 | $10,100 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Lubbock, TX
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,650 | $4,950 | $7,300 | 56% |
| Labor | $3,300 | $3,700 | $4,100 | 42% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $230 | $410 | 3% |
| Total | $6,000 | $8,900 | $11,800 | 100% |
Where the Lubbock 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, Lubbock wages are 0.79 times the national level. Labor makes up about 42% of the midpoint estimate (46% at national prices).
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Lubbock metro is 93.8 (US = 100). The midpoint materials bill for 200 sq ft of wall face comes to $4,950, compared with $5,300 at national prices. Permit and inspection fees are scaled by the broader index (91.3) and land at $45 to $410.
Retaining wall: what moves the price in Lubbock
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.
Cost by quality level and size in Lubbock
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Lubbock 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
$6,000 to $8,350
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$7,750 to $10,100
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$9,500 to $11,800
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,000 – $4,250 | $3,950 – $5,200 | $4,900 – $6,100 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,400 – $3,450 | $3,200 – $4,200 | $3,950 – $5,000 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $4,800 – $6,700 | $6,250 – $8,150 | $7,650 – $9,550 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,200 – $9,950 | $9,250 – $12,000 | $11,300 – $14,100 |
Climate in Lubbock: timing your retaining wall job
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Lubbock Wfo (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
March through May and September through November are the stretches where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Lubbock (6 of 12 months). January, February and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F); 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 61 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Lubbock gets about 19 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are May, June and September (2.7 inches in June). Inside the workable window, March and November are the driest, at 1.2 and 0.8 inches. The station averages about 91 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 | 55 | 30 | 0.7 | Cold |
| Feb | 59 | 32 | 0.6 | Cold |
| Mar | 68 | 39 | 1.2 | Workable |
| Apr | 76 | 48 | 1.4 | Workable |
| May | 84 | 57 | 2.6 | Workable |
| Jun | 91 | 66 | 2.7 | Hot |
| Jul | 93 | 70 | 2.2 | Hot |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 2.0 | Hot |
| Sep | 84 | 61 | 2.6 | Workable |
| Oct | 76 | 50 | 1.7 | Workable |
| Nov | 64 | 38 | 0.8 | Workable |
| Dec | 55 | 30 | 0.8 | Cold |
Related projects, priced for Lubbock
Because every project leans on different trades, Lubbock's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, sod installation runs −10% and concrete driveway −15%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $520 – $1,850 | −13% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $2,600 – $4,650 | −14% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,150 – $7,750 | −15% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,350 – $2,950 | −10% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,400 – $8,550 | −15% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $30,900 – $96,700 | −14% |
Lubbock labor market for retaining wall
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 Lubbock is 0.79 times the national level.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021), 50% of the weighting: a median of $23.89 an hour, 20% below the US median of $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $21.58 and $26.80 an hour. About 80 work in the metro. That is 4.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 3.4 nationally, which suggests plenty of local crews to bid.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $17.78 an hour, 22% below the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $16.45 and $21.13 an hour. About 980 work in the metro. That is 58.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so expect fewer local crews to bid.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 20%) the local median is $22.35 an hour, which is 22% below the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $21.37 and $27.40 an hour. BLS counts 550 of them working in the area, 33.0 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 ($26.80 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $230. At the 25th percentile ($21.58) it shrinks by about $180. The total moves by 2.6% or 2.0%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 166,780 jobs in the Lubbock area. That makes it the 140th largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.11% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $21.58 | $23.89 | $26.80 | $29.87 | 0.80 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $16.45 | $17.78 | $21.13 | $22.66 | 0.78 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $21.37 | $22.35 | $27.40 | $28.78 | 0.78 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.79 | |||||
How Lubbock compares
Same job, same size (200 sq ft of wall face), priced for the nearest metros. Midland is the priciest of the group at $9,450. El Paso is the cheapest at $8,850.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lubbock, TXthis page | $6,000 – $11,800 | $8,900 | |
| Midland, TX95 miles | $6,450 – $12,400 | $9,450 | +6% |
| Odessa, TX115 miles | $6,400 – $12,300 | $9,350 | +5% |
| Amarillo, TX125 miles | $6,300 – $12,200 | $9,250 | +4% |
| Abilene, TX145 miles | $6,300 – $12,200 | $9,250 | +4% |
| El Paso, TX250 miles | $5,900 – $11,700 | $8,850 | −1% |
| Texas (statewide) | $6,500 – $12,700 | $9,600 | +8% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +15% |
Across 300 US metros, Lubbock comes in at #296 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, Lubbock is 7% below the Texas figure.
Other Texas metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, TX | 4,049,800 jobs | $6,850 – $13,300 | $10,100 | +13% |
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $6,600 – $12,900 | $9,750 | +9% |
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $6,600 – $12,600 | $9,600 | +8% |
| San Antonio, TX | 1,126,880 jobs | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | +4% |
| El Paso, TX | 339,120 jobs | $5,900 – $11,700 | $8,850 | −1% |
| McAllen, TX | 296,700 jobs | $6,050 – $11,900 | $8,950 | +1% |
Cities with a workforce like Lubbock's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Lubbock against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City, NJ | 168,700 jobs | $8,000 – $14,600 | $11,300 | +27% |
| Peoria, IL | 166,020 jobs | $8,600 – $15,100 | $11,800 | +33% |
| Fort Collins, CO | 169,430 jobs | $7,200 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +16% |
| Montgomery, AL | 165,550 jobs | $6,050 – $12,000 | $9,000 | +1% |
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Retaining wall in Lubbock: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Lubbock?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,000 to $11,800 in the Lubbock area. A standard-spec job lands at $7,750 to $10,100. 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 Lubbock?
About $29.50 to $57 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 Lubbock or Midland?
Midland is 95 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $9,450, which is 6% more than Lubbock ($8,900). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Lubbock?
About 42% at the midpoint, or $3,700 out of $8,900. Materials are 56% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Lubbock?
$4,800 to $9,550. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Lubbock?
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 Lubbock area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Lubbock expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Texas?
Lubbock is 7% 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 Lubbock?
The BLS median is $23.89 an hour in the Lubbock area, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $21.58 to $26.80.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Lubbock?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,000 to $8,350 and premium work $9,500 to $11,800. 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 Lubbock?
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 Lubbock
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.