Concrete retaining wall cost
A concrete retaining wall runs $40 to $120 per square foot of wall face. The ready-mix itself is $110 to $205 per cubic yard depending on which source you believe. For sizing, a 10 in wall 6 ft tall runs about 0.19 cubic yards per linear foot.
- Installed
- $40 to $120 per square foot
- Thickness
- 8 to 12 inches
- Strength
- 3
What moves the price
The concrete itself is usually the smaller part. What separates one quote from another is thickness, base preparation, reinforcement, joint spacing, finish, and whether demolition and disposal of the existing surface is included. Two bids on the same job can differ by thousands purely because one is 8 to 12 inches, with anything over 4 ft normally requiring engineering over a compacted base and the other is thinner over graded dirt.
How to estimate your own project
Multiply length × width × thickness in feet and divide by 27 for cubic yards. For reference, a 10 in wall 6 ft tall runs about 0.19 cubic yards per linear foot. Add roughly 10% for waste. Then add labour, which on flatwork usually exceeds the material. Use the calculator.
How much region matters
The same 600 square foot driveway varies by a factor of more than three across US markets. Northeast and West Coast are highest; Midwest and South lowest.
| Metro | Range |
|---|---|
| New York, NY | $5,400–$12,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $7,200–$13,200 |
| Providence, RI | $4,200–$8,400 |
| Cleveland, OH | $3,600–$6,600 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $3,000–$7,800 |
| Nashville, TN | $3,600–$7,200 |
About these figuresThese are industry estimates from cost aggregators, not survey data, and the published sources contradict each other. Treat any figure as a starting point and get two local quotes.