Retaining wall cost in San Antonio, 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 – $12,300
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $31.50 – $59
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −9%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #239
- 1 = most expensive
Local price for a retaining wall in the San Antonio area: $6,300 to $12,300 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 9% lower than the US figure. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $27.20 an hour in the San Antonio area, 9% below the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in San Antonio, TX, standard level
$8,100 to $10,500
About $39.50 to $51 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 44% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,050 | $5,900 |
| Labor | $3,900 | $4,250 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $310 |
| Total | $8,100 | $10,500 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in San Antonio, TX
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,650 | $4,950 | $7,300 | 53% |
| Labor | $3,650 | $4,100 | $4,500 | 44% |
| Permits and fees | $45 | $240 | $430 | 3% |
| Total | $6,300 | $9,300 | $12,300 | 100% |
What is behind the San Antonio number
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, San Antonio wages are 0.87 times the national level. Labor makes up about 44% of the midpoint estimate (46% at national prices).
Materials are scaled with BEA's regional price parity for goods. San Antonio 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 94.7: $45 to $430.
Why two San Antonio quotes can differ
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.
Cost by quality level and size in San Antonio
The cited range is split into basic, standard and premium bands, then scaled to San Antonio. 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 $8,700
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,100 to $10,500
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$9,900 to $12,300
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,200 – $4,450 | $4,150 – $5,400 | $5,100 – $6,350 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,550 – $3,600 | $3,350 – $4,400 | $4,100 – $5,150 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,050 – $7,000 | $6,500 – $8,450 | $7,950 – $9,900 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $7,600 – $10,400 | $9,700 – $12,500 | $11,800 – $14,600 |
How San Antonio compares
Same job, same size (200 sq ft of wall face), priced for the nearest metros. Austin is the priciest of the group at $9,600. College Station is the cheapest at $8,900.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio, TXthis page | $6,300 – $12,300 | $9,300 | |
| Austin, TX80 miles | $6,600 – $12,600 | $9,600 | +3% |
| Laredo, TX125 miles | $6,100 – $12,000 | $9,050 | −3% |
| Corpus Christi, TX130 miles | $6,400 – $12,300 | $9,350 | +1% |
| Killeen, TX130 miles | $6,250 – $12,200 | $9,200 | −1% |
| College Station, TX155 miles | $5,950 – $11,800 | $8,900 | −4% |
| Texas (statewide) | $6,500 – $12,700 | $9,600 | +3% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | +10% |
Out of the 300 metros we cover, San Antonio ranks #239 for the cost of this job (#1 is the most expensive). Statewide, San Antonio is 3% 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 | +8% |
| Houston, TX | 3,289,720 jobs | $6,600 – $12,900 | $9,750 | +5% |
| Austin, TX | 1,293,690 jobs | $6,600 – $12,600 | $9,600 | +3% |
| El Paso, TX | 339,120 jobs | $5,900 – $11,700 | $8,850 | −5% |
| McAllen, TX | 296,700 jobs | $6,050 – $11,900 | $8,950 | −4% |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 192,580 jobs | $6,400 – $12,300 | $9,350 | +1% |
Metros of a similar size
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is San Antonio against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | 1,134,970 jobs | $9,150 – $16,300 | $12,700 | +37% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 1,114,490 jobs | $7,700 – $14,300 | $11,000 | +18% |
| Las Vegas, NV | 1,136,960 jobs | $6,800 – $13,000 | $9,900 | +7% |
| Columbus, OH | 1,105,580 jobs | $7,900 – $14,200 | $11,000 | +19% |
Planning more than one job in San Antonio?
Jobs that often go together with retaining wall are priced below at their usual sizes, using the same San Antonio wage and price inputs. Compared with national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (−8%) and concrete driveway lowest (−14%); 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 | $2,700 – $4,900 | −10% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,150 – $7,900 | −14% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,350 – $3,050 | −8% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,600 – $9,000 | −10% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $32,200 – $101,000 | −11% |
Who does the work: San Antonio 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 San Antonio the blend is 0.87.
For brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021, weighted 50%) the local median is $27.20 an hour, which is 9% below the national $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $23.65 and $27.65 an hour. BLS counts 400 of them working in the area, 3.5 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 $18.94 an hour, which is 16% below the national $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $17.61 and $21.87 an hour. BLS counts 8,400 of them working in the area, 74.5 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 $23.44 an hour, 19% below the US median of $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $22.15 and $28.28 an hour. About 3,980 work in the metro. That is 35.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 30.7 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
A quick sensitivity check: moving the lead trade (brickmasons and blockmasons) from the median to the 75th percentile wage adds about $35 to the midpoint estimate; the 25th percentile takes off about $280. That is a swing of roughly 3.0% to 0.4% of the total, which is useful for judging whether a bid reflects wages or something else, such as scope or margin.
San Antonio-New Braunfels has 1,126,880 jobs in total (BLS, May 2025), ranking 28th 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% | $23.65 | $27.20 | $27.65 | $29.87 | 0.91 | metro |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $17.61 | $18.94 | $21.87 | $22.66 | 0.84 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $22.15 | $23.44 | $28.28 | $28.78 | 0.81 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 0.87 | |||||
The best months for retaining wall in San Antonio
Climate numbers on this page come from NOAA's 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals at the nearest suitable station, San Antonio Intl Ap (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 San Antonio are October through May: 8 of 12. Outside them, June, July, August and September have an average daytime high of 90°F or more.
San Antonio gets about 32 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are May, September and October (4.4 inches in May). Inside the workable window, January and February are the driest, at 2.0 and 1.7 inches. The station averages about 122 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 | 63 | 41 | 2.0 | Workable |
| Feb | 68 | 45 | 1.7 | Workable |
| Mar | 74 | 52 | 2.3 | Workable |
| Apr | 80 | 58 | 2.4 | Workable |
| May | 87 | 66 | 4.4 | Workable |
| Jun | 92 | 73 | 3.3 | Hot |
| Jul | 95 | 75 | 2.4 | Hot |
| Aug | 96 | 75 | 2.1 | Hot |
| Sep | 90 | 70 | 3.9 | Hot |
| Oct | 82 | 60 | 3.8 | Workable |
| Nov | 72 | 50 | 2.1 | Workable |
| Dec | 65 | 42 | 2.0 | Workable |
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Retaining wall in San Antonio: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in San Antonio?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $6,300 to $12,300 in the San Antonio area. A standard-spec job lands at $8,100 to $10,500. 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 San Antonio?
About $31.50 to $59 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $45 to $430 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in San Antonio or Austin?
Austin is 80 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $9,600, which is 3% more than San Antonio ($9,300). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in San Antonio?
About 44% at the midpoint, or $4,100 out of $9,300. Materials are 53% and permits 3%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in San Antonio?
$5,050 to $9,900. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in San Antonio?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $45 to $430 for fees in the San Antonio area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is San Antonio expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Texas?
San Antonio is 3% 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 San Antonio?
The BLS median is $27.20 an hour in the San Antonio area, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $23.65 to $27.65.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in San Antonio?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,300 to $8,700 and premium work $9,900 to $12,300. 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 San Antonio?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are October through May. January and February 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 San Antonio
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.