Retaining wall cost in Vermont
Statewide estimate from BLS wages and BEA prices. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Statewide range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $6,900 – $13,200
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $34.50 – $63.50
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- −2%
- US $10,300
- Metros covered
- 1
Vermont prices for retaining wall: $6,900 to $13,200 for 200 sq ft of wall face, or $34.50 to $63.50 per sq ft of wall face without the permit. The state midpoint is 2% below the national one. Local wages for brickmasons and blockmasons are $28.65 an hour.
Vermont has one metro in our dataset, Burlington, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Vermont (statewide), standard level
$8,800 to $11,300
About $43 to $55 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 46% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,200 | $6,150 |
| Labor | $4,450 | $4,850 |
| Permits and fees | $170 | $320 |
| Total | $8,800 | $11,300 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Vermont
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,700 | $5,150 | $7,600 | 51% |
| Labor | $4,150 | $4,650 | $5,100 | 46% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $240 | $440 | 2% |
| Total | $6,900 | $10,000 | $13,200 | 100% |
If you are planning more than one job in Vermont
The table prices neighboring jobs at their usual sizes using statewide Vermont wages and prices. Against national midpoints, sod installation comes out highest (+6%) and inground pool lowest (−1%), because each job leans on different trades.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $600 – $2,100 | −1% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,050 – $5,500 | +1% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,700 – $9,450 | +2% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,600 – $3,500 | +6% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $3,950 – $9,850 | −1% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $35,600 – $111,000 | −1% |
When Vermont weather lets you build
Season matters for retaining wall. For each Vermont metro below we took NOAA's 1991-2020 monthly normals from the nearest suitable station and counted comfortable months for digging and ground work.
Burlington has 7 comfortable months (April through October), with about 38 inches of precipitation a year.
We do not adjust prices by month, because we have no reliable published data on seasonal pricing. Timing is still worth raising when you collect bids.
| Metro | Jan avg low °F | Jul avg high °F | Precip (in/yr) | Comfortable months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington | 13 | 82 | 38 | 7: April through October |
Quality levels and sizes in Vermont
The cited range is cut into three overlapping bands (basic, standard and premium) and scaled to statewide Vermont wages and prices. The grid prices the same bands at 4 common sizes.
Basic
$6,900 to $9,400
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$8,800 to $11,300
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$10,700 to $13,200
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $3,500 – $4,800 | $4,500 – $5,800 | $5,450 – $6,800 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $2,800 – $3,900 | $3,600 – $4,700 | $4,450 – $5,550 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $5,550 – $7,550 | $7,050 – $9,100 | $8,600 – $10,600 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $8,300 – $11,200 | $10,500 – $13,500 | $12,700 – $15,700 |
Vermont labor market for retaining wall
Statewide wages come from BLS's state-level estimates, which blend big cities with small towns and rural areas. 3 trades drive the labor line for this job, and the weighted ratio against the national wage level is 0.99 for Vermont.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021), 50% of the weighting: a median of $28.65 an hour, 4% below the US median of $29.87. The middle half of them earn between $27.60 and $30.58 an hour. About 100 work in the state. That is 3.3 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 3.4 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $23.36 an hour, 3% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $22.49 and $27.94 an hour. About 1,430 work in the state. That is 47.1 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 $28.30 an hour, which is in line with the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $25.37 and $30.62 an hour. BLS counts 1,280 of them working in the state, 42.1 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
A crew paid at the 75th percentile for brickmasons and blockmasons ($30.58 an hour) would add about $150 to the statewide midpoint; one at the 25th percentile ($27.60) would take off about $85. Use that as a rough guide to how far a bid can sit from our midpoint on wages alone.
BLS counts 303,890 jobs across Vermont (May 2025), which is 0.2% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $27.60 | $28.65 | $30.58 | $29.87 | 0.96 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $22.49 | $23.36 | $27.94 | $22.66 | 1.03 | state |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $25.37 | $28.30 | $30.62 | $28.78 | 0.98 | state |
| Blended | 100% | 0.99 | |||||
Retaining wall: what moves the price in Vermont
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.
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.
Which Vermont city is cheapest for retaining wall?
Vermont has one metro in our dataset, Burlington, so the statewide and metro figures are close. The state figure uses BLS statewide wages, which include rural areas. Each row prices the default size with that metro's own BLS wages and BEA price levels, so the gap between rows is real local variation rather than a flat markup.
| Metro | Range (200 sq ft of wall face) | Midpoint | vs. state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, VT | $7,050 – $13,300 | $10,200 | +2% |
Vermont versus the states around it
Vermont ranks 28 of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) for retaining wall, where 1 is the most expensive. The costliest is Hawaii at $13,300 and the cheapest New Mexico at $9,000, both for 200 sq ft of wall face at the midpoint. Vermont sits at $10,000. The five states closest by workforce center are listed below.
| State | Distance | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 140 miles away | $7,300 – $13,700 | $10,500 | +5% |
| Maine | 150 miles away | $6,250 – $12,300 | $9,300 | −8% |
| Massachusetts | 180 miles away | $8,800 – $15,600 | $12,200 | +22% |
| Connecticut | 220 miles away | $7,750 – $14,200 | $11,000 | +9% |
| Rhode Island | 220 miles away | $7,850 – $14,400 | $11,100 | +11% |
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Retaining wall in Vermont: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Vermont?
$6,900 to $13,200 for 200 sq ft of wall face, using statewide wages and prices. Metro areas inside Vermont can sit above or below that.
+Which city in Vermont is cheapest for retaining wall?
Burlington at about $10,200 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face).
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Vermont than the US average?
It is 2% cheaper: $10,000 against $10,300 for 200 sq ft of wall face at the midpoint.
+What share of the price is labor in Vermont?
About 46% ($4,650). Materials are 51%. Statewide labor for this job is weighted 0.99x the national wage level.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Vermont?
The BLS statewide median is $28.65 an hour, against $29.87 for the US. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $27.60 to $30.58.
+Where does Vermont rank for retaining wall costs?
28th most expensive of 51 (the 50 states plus DC) at the midpoint, $10,000 for 200 sq ft of wall face. Rank 1 is the costliest.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Vermont?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $6,900 to $9,400 and premium work $10,700 to $13,200. Basic means: short block wall, easy access. Premium means: tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access.
+Does the season matter for retaining wall in Vermont?
Yes where winters or summers are hard. Of the Vermont metros we cover, Burlington has the most comfortable months (7 of 12) based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals. Our prices do not change by month, so ask contractors whether they charge more or less in busy and slow seasons.
Retaining wall by city in Vermont
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.