Retaining wall cost in Racine, WI
Local estimate from BLS wage data and BEA price levels. Reviewed Nov 4, 2026.
- Typical range (200 sq ft of wall face)
- $8,100 – $14,500
- Per sq ft of wall face
- $40.50 – $70
- before permit
- Versus US midpoint
- +10%
- US $10,300
- Rank of 300 metros
- #61
- 1 = most expensive
Racine homeowners pay roughly $8,100 to $14,500 to build a retaining wall at 200 sq ft of wall face, or $40.50 to $70 per sq ft of wall face (permit not included). Against the US midpoint, Racine is 10% higher. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a median of $38.52 an hour in the Racine area, 29% above the US median of $29.87.
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Estimated cost for 200 sq ft of wall face in Racine, WI, standard level
$10,000 to $12,600
About $49 to $61 per sq ft of wall face before permits. Labor is about 54% of the bill.
| Part | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $4,050 | $5,900 |
| Labor | $5,800 | $6,350 |
| Permits and fees | $160 | $320 |
| Total | $10,000 | $12,600 |
Cost breakdown for 200 sq ft of wall face in Racine, WI
| Part of the job | Low | Midpoint | High | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Materials | $2,650 | $4,950 | $7,300 | 44% |
| Labor | $5,450 | $6,050 | $6,700 | 54% |
| Permits and fees | $50 | $240 | $430 | 2% |
| Total | $8,100 | $11,300 | $14,500 | 100% |
What is behind the Racine number
The wage side of the estimate leans on brickmasons and blockmasons, who do 50% of the hours on a typical job. Their local median is $38.52 an hour. Add the other trades involved and the blended wage index for Racine is 1.29 (US = 1.00), which puts labor at 54% of the total. BLS does not publish this trade for the metro, so we used the Wisconsin statewide median.
On the materials line, the BEA goods price index for the Racine 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 (96.0) and land at $50 to $430.
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 Racine. The wage table below marks each row.
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 Racine is 1.29 times the national level.
Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) carry 50% of the labor weighting. BLS does not publish this trade for the Racine metro, so we used the Wisconsin statewide median: $38.52 an hour against $29.87 for the US. The middle half of them earn between $29.59 and $46.62 an hour.
Construction laborers (47-2061), 30% of the weighting: a median of $26.11 an hour, 15% above the US median of $22.66. The middle half of them earn between $21.83 and $33.66 an hour. About 540 work in the metro. That is 70.8 per 10,000 jobs, compared with 70.5 nationally, so the supply of crews looks typical.
For operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073, weighted 20%) the local median is $43.43 an hour, which is 51% above the national $28.78. The middle half of them earn between $33.27 and $44.81 an hour. BLS counts 280 of them working in the area, 36.7 for every 10,000 jobs (US: 30.7), so the local bench is deeper than average.
Quotes come from real crews, not medians. If the brickmasons and blockmasons on your job are paid at the 75th percentile ($46.62 an hour) instead of the median, the labor line grows by about $640. At the 25th percentile ($29.59) it shrinks by about $700. The total moves by 5.6% or 6.2%, so wages alone rarely explain a quote that is far outside our range.
For context on the local economy, BLS counts 76,280 jobs in the Racine-Mount Pleasant area. That makes it the 243rd largest of the 300 metros we cover, with 0.05% of US employment.
| Trade | Weight | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | US median | Ratio | Level used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | 50% | $29.59 | $38.52 | $46.62 | $29.87 | 1.29 | state |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | 30% | $21.83 | $26.11 | $33.66 | $22.66 | 1.15 | metro |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators (47-2073) | 20% | $33.27 | $43.43 | $44.81 | $28.78 | 1.51 | metro |
| Blended | 100% | 1.29 | |||||
Why two Racine quotes can differ
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.
Pick a size, pick a tier: retaining wall pricing in Racine
Three bands are cut from the same cited range and localized for Racine 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
$8,100 to $10,600
Short block wall, easy access
Standard
$10,000 to $12,600
Standard segmental block wall with drainage
Premium
$11,900 to $14,500
Tall or stone wall, engineered, hard access
| Size | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| short garden wall (4x25 ft), 100 sq ft of wall face | $4,050 – $5,400 | $5,100 – $6,450 | $6,100 – $7,450 |
| 20 ft x 4 ft (80 sq ft of wall face) | $3,250 – $4,400 | $4,100 – $5,200 | $4,950 – $6,050 |
| 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) | $6,500 – $8,550 | $8,050 – $10,100 | $9,600 – $11,700 |
| 40 ft x 6 ft (240 sq ft of wall face) | $9,700 – $12,700 | $12,000 – $15,000 | $14,200 – $17,300 |
Related projects, priced for Racine
Because every project leans on different trades, Racine's wage level does not move all prices equally. Against the US midpoint, French drain runs +17% and sod installation −1%.
| Project | Size | Range | vs. US |
|---|---|---|---|
| French drain | 60 linear ft | $700 – $2,450 | +17% |
| Paver patio | 300 sq ft | $3,200 – $5,850 | +8% |
| Concrete driveway | 600 sq ft | $3,900 – $10,100 | +9% |
| Sod installation | 1,500 sq ft | $1,500 – $3,250 | −1% |
| Sprinkler system | 4,000 sq ft of lawn | $4,400 – $11,000 | +10% |
| Inground pool | 450 sq ft | $40,600 – $126,500 | +12% |
How Racine compares
Of the five closest metros, 2 are cheaper than Racine. Sheboygan is the lowest at about $10,900 (midpoint, 200 sq ft of wall face), 65 miles away.
| Area | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Racine, WIthis page | $8,100 – $14,500 | $11,300 | |
| Milwaukee, WI10 miles | $8,550 – $15,100 | $11,800 | +5% |
| Kenosha, WI15 miles | $8,100 – $15,000 | $11,600 | +2% |
| Sheboygan, WI65 miles | $7,800 – $14,100 | $10,900 | −3% |
| Janesville, WI65 miles | $7,800 – $14,100 | $10,900 | −3% |
| Chicago, IL70 miles | $9,150 – $16,400 | $12,800 | +13% |
| Wisconsin (statewide) | $7,950 – $14,300 | $11,100 | −1% |
| United States | $7,050 – $13,500 | $10,300 | −9% |
Across 300 US metros, Racine comes in at #61 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, Racine is 1% above the Wisconsin figure.
Other Wisconsin metros
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | 820,780 jobs | $8,550 – $15,100 | $11,800 | +5% |
| Madison, WI | 408,070 jobs | $8,150 – $14,500 | $11,300 | level |
| Green Bay, WI | 174,550 jobs | $7,600 – $13,800 | $10,700 | −5% |
| Appleton, WI | 124,230 jobs | $8,100 – $14,500 | $11,300 | level |
| Oshkosh, WI | 93,750 jobs | $7,850 – $14,100 | $11,000 | −3% |
| Eau Claire, WI | 86,060 jobs | $8,050 – $14,400 | $11,200 | level |
Cities with a workforce like Racine's
Big cities and small ones price differently, so here is Racine against the 4 metros with the closest total employment.
| Metro | Size | Range | Midpoint | vs. here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | 77,860 jobs | $8,200 – $15,100 | $11,700 | +3% |
| Warner Robins, GA | 76,050 jobs | $6,200 – $12,200 | $9,200 | −19% |
| Chico, CA | 78,220 jobs | $7,900 – $14,700 | $11,300 | level |
| Kenosha, WI | 75,450 jobs | $8,100 – $15,000 | $11,600 | +2% |
When to schedule retaining wall in Racine
We use NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for Racine Batten Ap (5 miles from the city center). These are 30-year monthly averages, not forecasts.
April through October is the stretch where digging, grading and setting material in the ground runs into the fewest weather problems in Racine (7 of 12 months). January, February, March, November and December have an average overnight low at or below freezing (32°F).
In January, February, March, November 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 126 days a year with a low at or below 32°F at this station.
Racine gets about 32 inches of precipitation in a normal year. The wettest months are April, May and June (4.0 inches in June). Inside the workable window, July and October are the driest, at 2.9 and 2.9 inches. The station averages about 7 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 | 31 | 16 | 1.3 | Cold |
| Feb | 34 | 19 | 1.1 | Cold |
| Mar | 43 | 28 | 2.1 | Cold |
| Apr | 54 | 37 | 3.7 | Workable |
| May | 66 | 46 | 3.5 | Workable |
| Jun | 76 | 57 | 4.0 | Workable |
| Jul | 81 | 63 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Aug | 80 | 63 | 3.4 | Workable |
| Sep | 73 | 55 | 3.2 | Workable |
| Oct | 61 | 43 | 2.9 | Workable |
| Nov | 47 | 32 | 2.2 | Cold |
| Dec | 36 | 22 | 1.6 | Cold |
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Detailed retaining wall report for Racine, WI, $9
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Retaining wall in Racine: your questions
+How much does it cost to build a retaining wall in Racine?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, expect $8,100 to $14,500 in the Racine area. A standard-spec job lands at $10,000 to $12,600. 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 Racine?
About $40.50 to $70 per sq ft of wall face for materials and labor, plus $50 to $430 for the permit if one is needed. The US range is $35 to $65.
+Is retaining wall cheaper in Racine or Milwaukee?
Milwaukee is 10 miles away. The midpoint for 200 sq ft of wall face there is $11,800, which is 5% more than Racine ($11,300). Wage and materials indexes both feed that gap.
+How much of the bill is labor in Racine?
About 54% at the midpoint, or $6,050 out of $11,300. Materials are 44% and permits 2%. Nationally, labor is 46%.
+What would 40 ft x 4 ft (160 sq ft of wall face) cost in Racine?
$6,500 to $11,700. Pick a different size in the estimator above to get your own number.
+Does retaining wall need a permit in Racine?
Often, but rules are set by your city or county building office, so call before you hire. Budget $50 to $430 for fees in the Racine area (our national range of $50 to $450 scaled by the local price level).
+Is Racine expensive for retaining wall compared with the rest of Wisconsin?
Racine is 1% above the Wisconsin statewide estimate ($11,100 at the midpoint). We cover 12 metros in Wisconsin; see the state page to compare them.
+What do brickmasons and blockmasons earn in Racine?
BLS has no published metro figure here, so we use the statewide median of $38.52 an hour, compared with $29.87 nationally. The 25th to 75th percentile range is $29.59 to $46.62.
+What do basic and premium retaining wall work cost in Racine?
For 200 sq ft of wall face, basic work runs $8,100 to $10,600 and premium work $11,900 to $14,500. 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 Racine?
Based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals, the comfortable months for this kind of work are April through October. July 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 Racine
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.