Sandoval County, NM Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Retaining walls fall under the same Building Permit checklist as fencing, foundations, and new construction in Section 15(G)(2) of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, but the county holds them to a stricter bar. Section 15(G)(2)(f) requires, for any retaining wall project, a building permit application filed with the Zoning Officer, a site plan, and a wall/foundation plan stamped by a New Mexico Registered Engineer or Architect, regardless of the wall's height; unlike the fencing rule, which only kicks in above six feet, there is no height floor before the retaining-wall permit and engineering-stamp requirement applies.

The ordinance's definitions section separately describes "Fences," "Screen walls," or "Retaining walls" as self-standing structures built to provide semi-privacy, security, or bank retention between grade separations, distinguishing retaining walls from ordinary decorative walls by their structural, grade-holding function. Because the Zoning Officer reviews all Section 15(G) submittals for compliance before issuing a permit, an incomplete application, one missing the stamped engineering plan, will not be accepted. Sign permit applications for freestanding structures exceeding 20 feet also require a similarly stamped engineer's design under the sign regulations, showing the county applies the same structural-safety standard to any tall, freestanding built feature on a property, retaining wall or otherwise.