# Retaining Wall Cost in 2026: Price by Material From Real Suppliers

Canonical URL: https://www.simplywise.com/blog/retaining-wall-cost/
Plain text: https://www.simplywise.com/blog/retaining-wall-cost/llms.txt
Publisher: SimplyWise, Inc. (https://www.simplywise.com)
Published: September 16, 2026
Updated: October 27, 2026
Category: Project Cost Guides
Summary: Retaining wall cost by material: block, natural stone, timber, and gabion prices from named suppliers with capture dates, plus BLS mason wages.

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## Retaining Wall Cost in 2026: Price by Material From Real Suppliers

Retaining wall cost compared across five materials, block to gabion, from dated supplier price lists instead of national averages.

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Retaining wall cost, at a glance

1. Segmental block: Allan Block Classic runs $8.24 to $9.52 a block at Valley Landscape Center, about one square foot of wall face per block.
2. Belgard Versa-Lok runs $8.42 to $64.97 a unit at Unique Supply, spanning the standard block, cap, and pin listings.
3. Natural stone sells by the ton: $100 at Stoneyard. $220 at Tri-State Stone for cut gardenwall stone.
4. Pressure-treated 6×6, 8-foot timbers run $37.45 at KL Supplies to $40.88 at Dunn Lumber each.
5. Gabion cages run $139 at Acme Sand and Gravel. A heavier 6-gauge cage runs $220.55 at BlueStone Supply.
6. Brickmasons and blockmasons earn a $32.83 mean hourly wage, stonemasons $29.19, construction laborers $25.02 (BLS, May 2025).

## What does a retaining wall cost per square foot, by material?

Retaining wall cost depends almost entirely on which material goes in the ground. The five common materials do not price the same way. Block runs $8 to $10 a square foot. Stone prices by the ton, from $100 to $220. Timber is the cheapest, $37 to $41 a post. Gabion lands between block and stone, and no allowed publisher posts a rate for poured concrete at all. Here is what each material costs, sourced to the supplier and the day we checked.

| Material | Publisher | Product | Price | Captured |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Segmental block | Valley Landscape Center | Allan Block Classic, eff. 2024-04-01 | $8.24 to $9.52/block | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Segmental block | Unique Supply | Belgard Versa-Lok, standard block to cap and pins | $8.42 to $64.97/unit | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Natural stone | Stoneyard | Round fieldstone wallstone, bulk | $100.00/ton | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Natural stone | Tri-State Stone & Building | Gardenwall and drywall stone, list pl26-8 | $145.00 to $220.00/ton | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Timber | Dunn Lumber | PT Hem-Fir timber, 6×6, 8 ft | $40.88 each | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Timber | KL Supplies | PT red pine timber, 6×6, 8 ft | $37.45 each | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Gabion | Acme Sand & Gravel | 9-gauge basket, 6x2x2 ft, eff. 2026-03-30 | $139.00 each | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Gabion | BlueStone Supply | 6-gauge galvanized basket, 6x1x4 ft | $220.55 each | Sept 5, 2026 |

Honest note: these materials do not share one unit. Block and gabion price per piece, stone by weight, timber by the post. The gabion prices differ partly because the wire gauge and mesh size differ, not because one supplier pads the number.

## Why is there no posted price for a poured concrete retaining wall?

Every live, non-aggregator publisher we found quotes ready-mix concrete by the yard, not a finished wall by the square foot. Forming, rebar, and footing labor turn a yard of concrete into a wall, and that gets quoted per job. What is public is the raw material. Supreme Concrete lists a 3,000 PSI mix at $127.05 a cubic yard. Gehring Construction lists its 6-bag mix at $148.00, plus a $50 small-load fee under 4 yards. Treat $127 to $148 as the material floor, well under what the finished wall runs.

## How do you turn a per-block or per-ton price into a full retaining wall cost?

1. Measure the wall face and pick the material Length times height gives square feet for block and timber. Stone and gabion price by weight or by the cage, so convert those separately.
2. Match the price to the exact product name A corner block can run close to 1.4 times the standard unit price on the same sheet, while a cap can price at or below the standard unit. Confirm PSI, wire gauge, or collection name first.
3. Add base rock, drainage, and geogrid These scale with wall height. Most jurisdictions require an engineer once a wall passes about 3 to 4 feet, a line neither dealer prices.
4. Add the labor line separately Material price lists do not include installation. Price labor off wages paid, then add burden, overhead, and margin.

## What does labor add to a retaining wall cost estimate?

Brickmasons and blockmasons earn $32.83 mean hourly; stonemasons $29.19; construction laborers $25.02 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Those are wages paid, not rates billed. Burden, overhead, and margin ride on top. Our contractor hourly labor rates by trade (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/contractor-hourly-labor-rates-by-trade/) page explains this for other trades too.

| Occupation (SOC code) | Mean hourly wage | Median hourly wage | Captured |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons (47-2021) | $32.83 | $29.87 | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Stonemasons (47-2022) | $29.19 | $27.59 | Sept 5, 2026 |
| Construction laborers (47-2061) | $25.02 | $22.66 | Sept 5, 2026 |

## SimplyWise Cost Estimator for retaining wall cost

SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a job-site photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Material, labor, and fee lines are editable. Enter your supplier’s per-block, per-ton, or per-cage price and set your own labor rate. Send a branded quote the client signs to approve. It is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, about $20/mo on annual, with a 7-day free trial.

## Keep reading

- Landscaping Contractor Pricing Guide (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/landscaping-contractor-pricing-guide/): pricing structure for landscaping bids beyond the wall line.
- Retaining Wall Calculator (https://www.simplywise.com/blog/retaining-wall-calculator/): blocks, caps, base gravel and drainage stone for the wall you are pricing.

## Sources

- Valley Landscape Center, Allan Block Retail Price Sheet (https://valleylandscapecenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/AB-CY-RETAIL-2024.pdf), eff. 2024-04-01, captured 2026-09-05.
- Unique Supply, Belgard Versa-Lok (https://uniquesupplywi.com/shop/walls/belgard-versa-lok/), captured 2026-09-05.
- Stoneyard, Round Wallstone (https://stoneyard.com/round-wallstone-for-100-ton-bulk/), captured 2026-09-05.
- Tri-State Stone & Building Supply, price list pl26-8 (https://carderock.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf-forms/StonePrices.pdf), captured 2026-09-05.
- Dunn Lumber, PT Landscape Timber 6×6-8′ (https://www.dunnlumber.com/pressure-treated-landscape-timbers-full-6-x-6-8-feet-lst6608.html), captured 2026-09-05.
- KL Supplies, Landscape Timbers (https://klsupplies.com/products/timbers), captured 2026-09-05.
- Acme Sand & Gravel, price sheet (https://acmesand.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/ACME-PRICE-SHEET-02-19-2026-1.pdf), eff. 2026-03-30, captured 2026-09-05.
- BlueStone Supply, Garden Gabion Baskets (https://bluestonesupply.com/products/garden-gabion-baskets), captured 2026-09-05.
- Supreme Concrete, price list (https://supreme-concrete.com/pages/price-list), captured 2026-09-05.
- Gehring Construction, Ready-Mix Pricing (https://gehringconcrete.com/Products/Ready-Mix-Products-Pricing), captured 2026-09-05.
- Nitterhouse Masonry, AB Classic spec (https://www.nitterhousemasonry.com/our-products/allan-block-classic-i-retaining-wall/), captured 2026-09-05.
- BLS OEWS, May 2025 (https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip), 47-2021, 47-2022, 47-2061, captured 2026-09-05.
- SimplyWise Cost Estimator, App Store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/simplywise-cost-estimator/id6670619664), 4.8 rating, verified 2026-08-06.

## Frequently asked questions about pricing a retaining wall

### The price

**How much does a retaining wall cost per square foot?**

Segmental block is the closest material to a flat per-square-foot rate: Allan Block Classic units cover about one square foot per block and sell for $8.24 to $9.52 each at Valley Landscape Center. Stone, timber, and gabion price by weight, by the post, or by the cage instead.

### By material

**How much does a natural stone retaining wall cost?**

$100 per ton for bulk round fieldstone at Stoneyard up to $220 per ton for cut gardenwall stone at Tri-State Stone and Building Supply. Stone sells by weight, so a dressed face costs more.

**Is a poured concrete retaining wall more expensive than block?**

No allowed publisher posts a finished per-square-foot price for a poured retaining wall. The raw material is public: a 3,000 PSI ready-mix yard runs $127.05 to $148.00 at two producers, before forms, rebar, and footing labor.

### Estimating the wall

**Can I measure a retaining wall with my phone camera instead of a tape?**

Tape or wheel the wall run and enter the dimensions. SimplyWise Cost Estimator then turns a job-site photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Every line stays editable.

**Does SimplyWise Cost Estimator price retaining walls by material?**

It builds material, labor, and fee line items, each with unit, quantity, and price per unit. Enter your supplier’s per-block, per-ton, or per-cage price and set the labor line, then send a branded quote the client signs to approve. Pricing is $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, with a 7-day free trial.

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