Abington, PA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Section 3311.0 of the Abington Township Code, added to the adopted Building Construction Code by Section 62-2(Q), covers retaining walls under the heading "Retaining walls." Section 3311.1 requires the person causing an excavation to erect a retaining wall, at that person's own expense and on that person's own land, whenever the adjoining grade is not higher than the legal level; the wall must be built to a height sufficient to retain the adjoining earth, properly coped, and fitted with a guardrail or fence not less than four feet in height.

The section goes further for larger cuts and fills: any permanent land fill or excavation that exceeds three feet in height or depth along a property boundary line requires a retaining wall of approved construction designed by a registered civil engineer or architect, unless the owner instead maintains a 1:1 natural slope entirely within the boundaries of the excavated or filled property. Materials are limited to approved masonry, reinforced concrete, steel sheet piling or other approved material within accepted engineering stresses, and the design needs sign-off from both the Township Engineer and the Building Inspector, in conformance with the Township's Subdivision Ordinance.

The code carves out a narrow exemption from the permit process: a retaining wall under three feet in height, built entirely within the interior of a property and not encroaching within five feet of a boundary line, does not require a permit, though the five-foot rule in Section 3311.2 still requires one for anything closer to the line regardless of height.