Meridian Retaining Walls covers retaining wall cost in Meridian, Idaho, with typical national price ranges per square foot for each wall type. Interlocking block typically runs $15 to $35 per square foot of wall face, which puts a wall 40 feet long and 3 feet high at $1,800 to $4,200.
Those are general ranges that change over time, not a quote for your wall. Use them for a sense of scale before you call, or to check a price you’ve already been given.
- Typical block price
- $15 to $35 per sq ft of wall face
- Typical project
- $3,500 to $9,400
- Block wall, 40 ft by 3 ft, at typical rates
- $1,800 to $4,200
- Irrigation district application fees
- $750 to $4,250
Typical retaining wall prices by type of job
- Block retaining wall cost Priced by the square foot of wall face. The typical national range for block retaining walls is $15 to $35.
- Boulder and stone retaining wall cost For a rock wall on a slope or bank. Natural stone for boulder retaining walls typically runs $20 to $90 per square foot.
- Poured concrete retaining wall cost For a poured wall with its footing and steel. Typical prices for concrete retaining walls range from $16 to $20 up to $30 to $40 per square foot, depending on the guide.
- Cost of an engineered wall over 4 feet Engineered retaining walls need stamped plans, and you pay for the design on top of the wall.
- Retaining wall replacement cost Removal plus rebuild. Removal with hauling on a 40 foot by 3 foot wall works out to $3,600 to $6,000, so ask first whether retaining wall repair would do.
- Cost of a retaining wall beside a canal On an irrigation easement, the district’s fee is part of the bill. Application fees for retaining walls near canals run $750 to $4,250 across the valley.
Call (208) 445-1999 to talk it throughor request a quote online
Retaining wall cost per square foot, by wall type
A retaining wall is priced mostly by the square foot of face, then by material and site. The ranges below are typical price ranges per square foot of wall face, installed.
| Wall type | Typical price per sq ft of face |
|---|---|
| Interlocking block | $15 to $35 (other guides: $12 to $20) |
| Poured concrete | $20 to $40 (other guides: $16 to $20 up to $30 to $40) |
| Natural stone | $20 to $90 (other guides: $15 to $95) |
| Wood | $13 to $35 (other guides: $15 to $30 for timber) |
| Gabion | $10 to $40 |
| Railroad ties | $18 to $25 |
Typical US prices, October 2026; bracketed notes from other guides, 2023 to 2026. Prices change with the wall and site.
These are national ranges, not a quote or an estimate for your wall. Your wall’s price moves with its height, how a machine gets to it, the soil and drainage, engineering, permits and whether an old wall comes out, and the sections below cover each. Call with the size, and we’ll help you find a contractor to price it.
How much does a retaining wall cost per linear foot, by height and size?
The first three rows are typical national prices for 50 linear feet at three heights. The rest are one wall, 40 feet by 3 feet (120 square feet), in five materials.
| Wall | Works out to |
|---|---|
| 50 linear ft, 2 ft high | $2,000 to $6,000. |
| 50 linear ft, 4 ft high | $4,000 to $10,000. |
| 50 linear ft, 6 ft high | $6,000 to $18,000. |
| 40 ft by 3 ft, gabion | $1,200 to $4,800. |
| 40 ft by 3 ft, wood | $1,560 to $4,200. |
| 40 ft by 3 ft, interlocking block | $1,800 to $4,200. |
| 40 ft by 3 ft, poured concrete | $2,400 to $4,800. |
| 40 ft by 3 ft, natural stone or boulder | $2,400 to $10,800. |
Typical US figures: height rows January 2025, the rest October 2026. Prices move.
Not sure what comes next?
We can help you sort out the next step.
How long does a retaining wall take, and does the wait change the price?
The waits before the build come in this order.
- Quote Have the length and height ready, and say whether an old wall comes out first.
- City permit review Meridian lists a residential permit at 7 to 10 business days, as last published by the city in 2021. Caldwell says not more than 5 to 7 working days for residential plan review, with a complete submittal. Star gives 2 to 4 weeks for small residential review, with 3 to 4 more for each correction.
- Irrigation district review Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District gives roughly six weeks of land use change review. Settlers Irrigation District asks for at least two months.
- The canal work window At the Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District, flow-affecting work runs October 15 to March 15, unless its water superintendent says otherwise.
Ask how long a quoted price holds, and get the build time in writing.
Retaining wall add-on costs: removal, drainage, permits and canal fees
None of these are in a per square foot price.
| Add-on | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Removing an old wall | $10 to $20 per sq ft | Typical national figure, January 2025. |
| Hauling and disposal | $20 to $30 per sq ft | Typical national figure, January 2025. |
| Drainage added to an existing wall | $60 to $70 per linear ft | Typical national figure, January 2025. |
| Structural engineer’s time | $100 to $200 an hour | Typical national figure, January 2025. |
| Building permit, national range | $40 to $450 | Typical national figure, October 2026. |
| Permit, wall valued at $8,000, Kuna | $133.10 before plan review | Kuna’s small-structure fee table. |
| Permit, wall valued at $5,000, Caldwell | $137.79: permit fee plus building plan review only | Caldwell’s FY2026 permit fees. |
| Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District application | $1,200 | District packet, May 19, 2026. |
| Settlers Irrigation District review | $750 | District contractor page. |
| Pioneer Irrigation District application | $4,250 | District construction page. |
National rows are typical US ranges from cost guides and change over time. Local rows: Kuna and Caldwell fee schedules; Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District, May 2026; Settlers and Pioneer irrigation districts.
Kuna and Caldwell are worked examples and may not be the whole bill. Meridian’s fee worksheet (June 1, 2026) starts from a $50.00 base plus an amount based on the work. The retaining wall permits page covers which walls need one.
What changes the price of a retaining wall in Meridian
Height
A 50 foot wall triples in price from 2 feet high to 6, at both ends of the range.
Access
Can a machine reach the wall line, or only a side gate?
Removal of an old wall
On the 40 foot by 3 foot wall, removal with hauling comes to more than new block.
Drainage
Block manufacturer guidance calls for a drain pipe behind any wall in silty or clay soil, and the subsoil of the Purdam series, extensive in southwest Idaho, is 24 to 32 percent clay.
Engineering
Idaho’s adopted code requires engineered design when a wall retains more than 48 inches of unbalanced fill, or is more than 24 inches tall and carries a load besides soil.
Permits and canal approvals
In Meridian a wall over 4 feet from the bottom of the footing needs a Residential Miscellaneous permit. A district’s application fee is a separate bill.
Talk through your retaining wall with us
Tell us the length, the height and what the wall holds back.
What a retaining wall quote should include
- Demolition and haul-off Two separate lines when an old wall is coming out.
- Base Thickness of rock under the first row. The block industry association calls for at least 6 inches.
- Drain rock and pipe At least 12 inches of gravel behind the block, with pipe outlets no more than 50 feet apart. Both are the block industry association’s figures.
- Geogrid Where used, the length of each layer. The association’s design note sets it at not less than 0.6 of the wall height, 4 feet minimum.
- Engineering, permit and access Each as its own line. The block association’s guidance makes the owner responsible for permits and hiring the engineer.
- Registration number Idaho requires contractor registration for any job over $2,000 in labor and materials, with at least $300,000 of general liability insurance. The number must appear on contracts.
- Written disclosure Before a residential contract over $2,000, the state’s contractor FAQ says a general contractor must disclose the owner’s right to lien waivers, to proof of general liability and workers’ compensation insurance, to an extended policy of title insurance and to a surety bond.
Price missing some of these lines? Ask what it assumes, or call us about the same wall before you decide.
Retaining wall repair and removal costs
| Job | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Typical repair | $400 to $1,065 |
| Leaning or bowing wall | $250 to $1,500 |
| Rebuild | $70 to $125 per linear ft |
| Removal with hauling, 40 ft by 3 ft (120 sq ft) | $3,600 to $6,000 |
Typical US figures, January 2025; repair range October 2026. Prices shift.
An average repair typically comes to $750. The retaining wall repair page covers how to tell which job you have.
Retaining wall cost questions
How much does a retaining wall cost?
A typical project runs $3,500 to $9,400, going by a national cost guide updated in October 2026. That’s a general range, not a price for your wall.
How are retaining walls priced?
Per square foot of wall face. Length times height gives the area: 40 feet by 3 feet is 120 square feet, and at the block range that’s $1,800 to $4,200. The retaining wall installation page shows what the price pays for.
Which retaining wall is cheapest?
Gabion, going by the low end of the typical ranges: $10 per square foot, then wood at $13. Some guides start block as low as $12.
Don't see your question? Call (208) 445-1999.
Sources and review date
Reviewed October 2026. Sources: national cost guides (July 2023, January 2025 and October 2026); permit handouts and fee schedules of Meridian, Kuna, Caldwell and Star; Nampa & Meridian, Settlers and Pioneer irrigation districts; Idaho residential code, contractor statutes and Contractors Board; block industry association and manufacturer guidance; USDA soil survey.