Retaining walls over 4 feet tall (measured from bottom of footing to top) or with surcharge require engineered plans and a building permit in Albuquerque per the 2018 IRC and IDO.
Under Albuquerque's adoption of the 2018 International Residential Code and IDO, retaining walls measuring over 4 feet from the bottom of the footing to the top, or any retaining wall supporting a surcharge (sloped backfill, driveway, or adjacent structure), require a building permit and engineered drawings stamped by a New Mexico-licensed professional engineer. Walls under 4 feet without surcharge are exempt but must still comply with IDO setback rules (3 feet from side/rear property lines in most residential zones) and drainage rules. In the Sandia foothills and Northeast Heights where slopes are significant, engineered walls are the norm. Walls affecting drainage to adjoining properties or public ROW require hydrology review. Tiered walls with less than 2H separation are treated as one wall for height calculation.
Unpermitted retaining walls over 4 ft are a code violation with fines $200-$2,000, stop-work orders, and potential required removal or retrofitting at owner expense.
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