Jefferson Parish, LA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum thickness
- 6 inches, reinforced concrete or masonry
- Engineer stamp trigger
- Required above 12 inches in height
- Height above grade
- 2 to 6 inches above adjacent grade
- Wood exception
- Only where grade difference is 6 inches or less
- Who decides
- Code Official determines if wall is required
Summary
Jefferson Parish requires a retaining wall wherever a lot sits high enough above its neighbor that a swale or sub-surface drain cannot handle the run-off, and the Code Official decides when that threshold is crossed. Concrete or masonry walls must run at least six inches thick, and any wall taller than twelve inches above the lowest adjacent grade needs a design professional's stamped plans before the Department of Building Permits will approve it.
If the Code Official determines the difference in lot elevation to be too great for a swale, sub-surface drainage or other approved alternative, or combination thereof, a retaining wall shall be required as necessary to prevent run-off from the higher lot flowing onto the lower lot. Such retaining wall shall be constructed of reinforced concrete or masonry, be a minimum of six (6) inches in thickness, and shall be constructed in such a manner as to effectively withstand the soil and water pressures exerted against it. The retaining wall shall extend a minimum of two (2) inches above the highest adjacent grade (including sod), and a maximum of six (6) inches above the highest adjacent grade (including sod). Retaining walls that meet either of the following conditions shall be designed and stamped by a design professional: (1) Retaining walls which are more than twelve (12) inches in height above the lowest adjacent grade. (2) Retaining walls which extend below the lower adjacent grade a depth less than its height above the lower adjacent grade. Exception: Retaining walls of pressure treated wood... may be accepted where a difference in elevation is not greater than six (6) inches.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
The rule sits in the parish's lot-grade chapter, not the zoning code: Division 4 of Chapter 8-2, Lot Grade and Building Elevation Regulations, governs runoff between neighboring lots of different heights. When a lot is higher than the one next to it, the property owner must arrange for the runoff to stay off the lower lot, first by swale or sub-surface drainage. Only when the Code Official determines the elevation difference is too great for those alternatives does a retaining wall become mandatory. The parish specifies the materials: reinforced concrete or masonry construction, a minimum of six inches thick, built to withstand the soil and water pressure against it.
The wall's exposed height is capped too: it must extend at least two inches, but no more than six inches, above the highest adjacent grade including sod, and it must extend below the lowest adjacent grade to a depth equal to its height. Once a wall rises more than twelve inches above the lowest adjacent grade, or extends below grade a shallower depth than its above-grade height, the applicant needs stamped, sealed plans from a design professional before the Department of Building Permits will issue anything.
There is one carve-out: pressure-treated wood rated for ground contact can substitute for concrete or masonry, but only where the grade difference is six inches or less, and even that wood wall still needs to be designed and stamped by a Louisiana-registered architect or engineer. Retaining walls fall under the same general building-code enforcement as every other structure in Chapter 8: the Code Official issues a written violation notice citing the specific infraction before any penalty attaches.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 8's general violations section, Sec. 8-1-107, applies: building or altering a retaining wall without the required design-professional stamp, or without following the Code Official's drainage determination, is a violation of the chapter. The Code Official must issue a written notice specifically citing the infraction before penalties apply, and unpermitted work can hold up final building inspection until the wall is corrected or properly engineered.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every change in yard elevation in Jefferson Parish require a retaining wall?
When does a Jefferson Parish retaining wall need an engineer's stamp?
Can I build a wood retaining wall in Jefferson Parish?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jefferson Parish
Compare Jefferson Parish to another location·View the Louisiana fence regulations overview
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