Apple Valley, MN Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

The wall standard sits in § 153.60, Environmental Protection, inside Chapter 153, Subdivision Control, of the Apple Valley Code of Ordinances (Ord. 293, passed 4-21-83). Its reach is specific. Division (B) says no subdivision or plat shall be approved that fails to meet the listed standards, and division (B)(3) says no development is permitted on land having a slope before alteration in excess of 12% unless the applicant proves the conditions are met. The retaining wall criteria are one of those conditions, so they apply to plat review in the City of Apple Valley, Dakota County, Minnesota, on steeper ground. The section does not set a stand-alone height limit for a homeowner's wall on an existing lot outside a subdivision.

Division (B)(3)(c) covers all structures other than buildings and roadway surfaces, including retaining walls, and gives three design criteria. First, retaining walls or terrace contours shall not exceed 30 inches in height unless approved by the city. Second, construction shall be of a matter approved by the city. Third, the minimum space between terraces and retaining walls shall be ten feet. The two companion conditions in (B)(3)(a) and (b) require that the foundation and underlying material of any structure be adequate for the slope conditions and soil type, and that adequate controls exist uphill so no structures or roads are affected by mud, uprooted trees or other materials.

A wall built under a building permit is also caught by § 150.07, Completion of Exterior Work, which lists retaining walls among exterior structures and sets a completion deadline counted from permit issuance: for single-family residential property, retaining walls 180 days, or the timeframe set by the Building Official at issuance, whichever is greater. Erosion and runoff conditions in (B)(5) through (B)(7) also bear on wall placement: development must not increase the storm water runoff rate beyond the city's comprehensive storm sewer plan, and must minimize removal of vegetation and alteration of the natural topography. Under § 153.50 the City Council can approve deviations or grant a specific variance.