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Retaining Wall Block & Material Calculator

Estimate how many blocks, capstones, base & drainage gravel, and adhesive your retaining wall needs — plus a materials cost estimate, block-size comparison, and a downloadable PDF report.

Estimates only — always add for waste and confirm block dimensions on the product spec sheet. Walls taller than 4 ft (or per local code) usually require a permit and an engineer. Good drainage and a compacted base are essential.
1 Wall dimensions
ft
ft
0.5 ft5 ft10 ft
%
0%10%20%
2 Block size
Standard ≈ 12″ × 4″ face · Medium ≈ 16″ × 6″ · Large ≈ 18″ × 8″
in
in
in
3 Base, drainage & caps
in
0 in6 in12 in
in
0 in12 in24 in
4 Pricing (edit for your area)
$
$
$
$
RETAINING WALL BLOCKS NEEDED
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Enter dimensions to calculate
Courses · face area · estimated cost below
Project headline figures
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Estimated materials cost
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Total gravel (base + drainage)
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Estimated cost by material
Wall face area—
Blocks per row—
Number of courses—
Base blocks (before waste)—
+ Waste allowance—
= Wall blocks—
Capstones—
Base gravel—
Drainage gravel—
Adhesive tubes—
Estimated total cost—
Shopping list at a glance
Wall blocks —
Capstones —
Gravel (cu yd) —
Gravel (tons) —
Adhesive tubes —
Face area (sq ft) —
Build guidance
Bury bottom course —
Base trench width —
Recommended setback —
Rules of thumb: bury the bottom course (~1″ per 1 ft of height, min one course), keep a slight backward batter/setback, and compact the base in lifts. Follow your block manufacturer's specs.
Visualizations
Blocks by wall height
Cost breakdown