Our actual prices, not a national average. Per square foot of wall face, with drainage and cleanup already included.
Almost nobody in this market publishes what they charge. We do, because a homeowner deciding between a wall and living with the slope deserves a real number before they spend an afternoon on estimates.
| Wall type | Price per square foot of wall face | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Boulder retaining wall | $50 to $65 | Natural look, slopes, driveway cuts, lake and hillside lots |
| Rock (stacked stone) wall | $45 to $60 | Smaller stone, tighter curves, garden and patio edges |
| Block retaining wall | $40 to $55 | Clean straight lines, newer subdivisions, HOA look |
| Removing an old wall | $10 to $20 extra | Rotting railroad ties, leaning block, failed rockery |
Every project has a $4,500 minimum. That covers getting the excavator, stone and crew to your site. Drainage rock, filter fabric, perforated pipe and cleanup are included in the per-foot price, not added on later.
Wall face is height times length. Measure the height at the tallest point, from the ground at the bottom to where you want the top to land, and the length along the run of the wall. If the height changes along the run, use the average. A wall that goes from 2 feet at one end to 4 feet at the other averages 3.
| Project | Size | Face | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garden wall along a back lawn | 2 ft x 30 ft | 60 sq ft | $4,500 (project minimum) |
| Boulder wall holding a backyard slope | 3 ft x 40 ft | 120 sq ft | $6,000 to $7,800 |
| Boulder wall along a driveway cut | 4 ft x 60 ft | 240 sq ft | $12,000 to $15,600 |
| Two-tier boulder terrace on a hillside | two walls, 3 ft x 50 ft each | 300 sq ft | $15,000 to $19,500 |
| Replace a rotting railroad tie wall with block | 3 ft x 35 ft | 105 sq ft | $5,250 to $7,875 including removal |
These are starting points. The on-site visit sets the final number, and it is written down before any work starts.
A wall in an open front yard is the cheapest wall to build. If the excavator has to squeeze through a 6-foot side gate, work around a deck, or the stone has to be moved by hand for the last stretch, the price goes toward the top of the range.
Much of Spokane sits on basalt and glacial flood gravel, and the South Hill and the hillsides above Coeur d'Alene are notorious for rock just under the surface. Digging the base trench through loose gravel is quick. Hitting solid basalt is not. We look for this on the site visit so it is in the price, not a surprise on day two.
Boulders are priced by the ton and delivered by truck. Larger, more uniform stone costs more but builds a cleaner wall with fewer pieces. We will show you the stone options from the yards we buy from.
Pulling out rotted railroad ties, failed block or a collapsed rockery adds $10 to $20 per square foot of face, depending on what it is and how much soil comes with it. Old creosote ties have to go to the right place, which is part of that cost.
Taller walls need bigger stone in the bottom course and a deeper base. That is already built into the per-foot price range. A 4-foot wall sits toward the top of it, a 2-foot wall toward the bottom.
You can find someone who will stack rock on your slope for less. The difference shows up three winters later. A wall without a proper base, drain rock, fabric and a pipe to daylight holds water, and water-logged soil is what pushes walls over, especially through freeze and thaw.
The cheapest wall is the one you only pay for once. That is the wall we price.
If you are in North Idaho, the same prices apply. See our Coeur d'Alene page for what is different on that side of the line.
We charge $50 to $65 per square foot of wall face. For a 3-foot-tall wall that works out to about $150 to $195 per running foot of wall.
Yes, $4,500. That covers bringing the excavator, stone and crew to your property, which costs the same whether the wall is 20 feet long or 40.
No. Drain rock, filter fabric and perforated pipe are included in every wall we price.
No. Send photos for a price range, and the site visit and written quote are free.
No. Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls, Hayden and the rest of Kootenai County are priced the same as Spokane.
Send a few photos and rough measurements. We reply with a price range, usually within one business day.