--- title: "Are Gabions Cheaper Than a Retaining Wall?" date: 2022-11-07 author: "Pawan Khatri" url: https://oceangeosynthetics.com/are-gabions-cheaper-than-a-retaining-wall/ --- November 7, 2022 | [Gabion Box](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/gabions/), [Insights](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/category/insights/) # Are Gabions Cheaper Than a Retaining Wall? ![](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Gabion-300x214.png) [Gabion walls](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/products/gabions/) are gravity [retaining walls](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/solution/retaining-walls-soil-reinforcement/) built from wire mesh boxes filled with stone, gravel or other hard, inorganic material. The filled boxes are laced together and stacked so that their combined weight holds back the soil behind them. Because the stone fill is porous, water drains straight through the wall instead of building up behind it, and the mesh holds the fill in place on slopes and banks prone to erosion. You will see gabion walls along roads, riverbanks and shorelines, and in gardens and residential landscaping. ## Table of Contents ## **Benefits of using Gabion Walls** - They usually cost less than a conventional RCC retaining wall of the same height, because they need no concrete, reinforcement steel or formwork, and the fill can often be quarried locally. - Empty gabion units are light and fold flat, so they are easy to transport to remote or hilly sites and are filled where they will stand. - They use no cement, so their embodied carbon is generally lower than that of a concrete wall, and vegetation can grow into the fill over time. - They are flexible: a gabion wall tolerates differential settlement by deforming slightly instead of cracking, and it can be built quickly with simple tools and unskilled labour. - They drain freely, so hydrostatic pressure does not build up behind the wall and weep holes are not needed. - With galvanised or PVC-coated wire, they last for decades and cope with weather, erosion and ground movement, including seismic shaking, better than rigid walls. See our page on [gabion walls](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/gabion-walls/) for more on how they are designed and built. ## **Are Gabion Walls Inexpensive? Really?** Usually, yes, but the cost depends on the fill you use and the size of the project. Larger walls cost more in absolute terms because they need more stone, more machinery and more labour to fill and place the units. The choice of fill makes the biggest difference. Locally available quarry stone or river boulders keep the price down; dressed or decorative stone brought in from elsewhere raises it. Against RCC or masonry retaining walls of similar height, gabions usually work out cheaper, and they are faster to install. Many landscape projects also choose them for the look of the stone face. ## **How much do the Gabion Walls actually Cost?** The total cost has three main parts: the gabion units (wire diameter, mesh size, coating), the stone fill, and labour for assembly, filling and lacing. On most jobs the stone and labour are the larger share, so the cost of the wall rises and falls with the cost of the stone. The mesh is not negligible, though: heavier wire and PVC coating for wet or corrosive sites cost more than plain galvanised mesh. As a rough guide, figures of $10-15 per square foot of wall face are often quoted for simple gabion walls. Treat that as indicative only: prices in India depend on the local stone rate, transport and wall height, so get a quote for your own site. Small garden walls and [residential landscaping](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/gabion-walls-in-landscaping/) projects cost less again, since they need fewer units and can often be filled by hand. ## **When a gabion wall is the cheaper choice** A gabion wall is most likely to beat a concrete wall on cost when suitable stone is available near the site, when the ground is soft or likely to settle, and when the wall has to drain water from the slope behind it. Where stone must be hauled a long way, or the wall is tall enough to need a full engineering design, compare quotes for both options before deciding. Cost is one part of the choice. Our [guide to when a retaining wall needs geogrid](https://oceangeosynthetics.com/when-to-use-geogrid-in-retaining-wall/) sets out the height, load and slope conditions that call for reinforcement, and where a gabion or gravity wall is still the better fit. ## **FAQs** ### What are gabions used for? Gabions are used for slope stabilization, riverbank protection, retaining walls, noise barriers, coastal protection, and landscaping purposes. ### What are the advantages of using gabions?  Gabions offer benefits such as flexibility, permeability, durability, ease of installation, cost-effectiveness, and aesthetic appeal. ### How are gabions constructed?  Gabions are typically constructed by assembling wire mesh panels into a box-like structure and filling them with stones or rocks. 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