What is the estimated cost to finish, replace, or remove remaining Trump wall sections as of 2025?
Executive summary
Estimates for finishing, replacing, or removing remaining Trump-era border wall sections vary widely: historic federal spending tied to the wall reached about $15 billion by 2021 [1], independent DHS and analyst estimates put full construction costs between roughly $12 billion and $31 billion [2] [3] [4], and more recent reporting cites per‑mile figures in the low tens of millions — roughly $25–28 million per mile in 2024–2025 state and advocacy reporting [5] [6]. Available sources do not provide a single authoritative 2025 price to “finish, replace, or remove” remaining sections; estimates depend on scope (miles to build or take down), design, legal/land costs and contract change orders [7] [2].
1. What “finish,” “replace,” and “remove” mean in dollar terms
“Finish” can mean building new barrier miles to meet a particular design and length; DHS’s internal 2017 planning estimate for an expanded program was $21.6 billion for roughly 1,250 miles [4]. “Replace” often referred to upgrading or swapping older fence for new steel bollard systems, a set of projects that federal spending through 2021 added up to about $15 billion [1]. “Remove” is less commonly costed in the public record; sources note deconstruction of ad‑hoc barriers (like container walls) happened at the state level and could trigger litigation and federal demands for remediation [8], but explicit removal price tags are not provided in the materials reviewed — not found in current reporting.
2. Historic spending and how it skews cost comparisons
By early 2021 roughly $15 billion had been spent across agencies on wall construction and related work — much of it replacement of preexisting barriers rather than entirely new miles [1]. That baseline matters: any “finish” price is added to money already outlaid, and critics say contracting practices and change orders drove costs higher than initial contract awards, inflating per‑mile averages [7].
3. Official, internal and independent cost estimates diverge
The Trump campaign repeatedly cited $12 billion; a DHS internal report in 2017 estimated $21.6 billion for a defined expansion [4] [2]. Outside consultants and industry analysts produced still higher ranges: a 2017 Gleeds estimate suggested costs could reach about $31 billion if built to 1,000 miles under certain assumptions [3]. Brookings and other analysts warned that DHS’s $21.6 billion figure may be an underestimate once land acquisition, roads, professional fees and environmental compliance are fully counted [2].
4. Per‑mile figures surfacing in 2024–2025 coverage
Reporting in 2024–2025 frames more recent build activity with per‑mile figures: Texas state efforts and subsequent federal contracts were characterized in press reports at roughly $28 million per mile and other observers cite about $25 million per mile as a plausible working figure [6] [5]. Those per‑mile numbers vary by terrain, design (bollard vs. solid wall), and whether land acquisition, mitigation and legal costs are included.
5. Cost escalation drivers: contracts, change orders and legal fights
ProPublica’s 2023 reporting documents billions in supplemental agreements and change orders that raised project costs and produced per‑mile prices “about five times more” than earlier fences built under prior administrations; at least $2.9 billion in modifications alone were identified in that review [7]. Experts quoted there said limited competition and no‑bid addenda contributed to higher prices [7]. Those dynamics mean new cost estimates must factor in contractor practices and potential litigation.
6. Political context and recent funding developments
By mid‑2025 federal policy and budgeting shifted the calculus: reporting indicates new federal funding packages and administrative waivers enabled resumed construction and new appropriations tied to the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that proponents said included large sums for wall completion [8]. The White House’s September 2025 statement claims new funding and existing balances will fund hundreds of miles [9]; these political choices change the likely federal outlays but do not produce a single neutral price figure in the sources provided.
7. Bottom line for readers seeking a 2025 price tag
There is no single authoritative 2025 number in the documents supplied. Reasonable ranges from reviewed sources: historic cumulative federal spending ~ $15 billion [1]; official internal DHS planning ~ $21.6 billion for a large expansion [4]; independent estimates and consultant modelling have placed a full program from roughly $12 billion up to $31 billion depending on assumptions [2] [3]. Recent reporting cites per‑mile build costs in the $25–28 million range for work underway in 2024–2025 [5] [6]. Which estimate applies depends entirely on the scope (how many miles to build, replace or remove), legal costs and contracting choices [7].
Limitations: available sources do not provide a consolidated 2025 government audit or single contractor bid that nails down total costs for finishing, replacing, or removing remaining sections (not found in current reporting). Different sources carry differing agendas — advocacy groups, federal reports and industry estimates emphasize different cost components — so readers should treat any single figure as contingent on definitions and assumptions [7] [2] [3].