Retaining Walls

Retaining walls that are monolithically placed and structurally tied to a house or building foundation wall do not require a separate wall permit if said walls are shown on the plans for which a building permit was issued. All other retaining walls over 4' high require a permit if they were not shown and permitted on a Land Disturbance Permit (LDP). Walls 4' - 6' high can be permitted upon execution of the attached Owner Certification/Indemnification for Retaining Walls 4' - 6' High. All walls over 6' high and any walls 4' - 6' high for which an owner is not prepared to execute the Owner Certification/Indemnification form shall require execution of the attached Engineer Certification/Indemnification for Retaining Walls permit.

Please note that the latter form requires both an engineer's certification and an owner's certification/indemnification. All permitted walls require the submittal of design plans and details adequate to convey the design intent, the specified materials and the dimensions of the completed construction sufficient to allow field inspection and sign-off of the final product. The attached Checklist for Retaining Wall Permit Drawings shall be completed (initial all items performed) by the applicant to verify the adequacy of the submittal for issuance of the permit.

Please come prepared with the required certification/indemnification forms, your completed checklist, the design plans and details, and a fully executed Building Permit Application, paying particular attention to Part 4 of the form on the second page, which deals with the height above grade, material and the location on the lot for the retaining wall. A separate permit form and fee is required for each wall.

Checklist for Retaining Wall Permit Drawings

Engineer Certification/Indemnification

Owner Certification/Indemnification

Engineer Certificate for as-Builts Detention Facility