Beaverton, OR Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Retaining walls. Statewide, retaining walls that provide safeguards for the users of the buildings, support a regulated building or retain material that, if not restrained, could impact a regulated building shall require a building permit. A municipality may adopt an ordinance to regulate other retaining walls, provided that the threshold established for requiring a permit does not include retaining walls 4 feet (1219 mm) or less in height, when measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall except where the retaining wall supports ascending slopes exceeding 3:1 or where the retaining wall supports a nonsoil surcharge. A local height threshold greater than 4 feet (1219 mm) is allowed.

3. [Intentionally omitted]

4. [Intentionally omitted] See ICC Pool and Spa Code R101.2.3 Matters not available for local regulation under the statutory authority of the state building code. While the following matters may be included in the published national model code, they may not be regulated by the local municipality under the authority of the state building code. Any references to these matters in this code have been retained for the convenience of the reader.