Yellowstone County, MT Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- Zoning Code § 27-1203.C.1(i)
- Requires
- wall location, size, and material shown
- No height limit
- not set in the Zoning Code text
- Reviewed by
- zoning coordinator with the landscape plan
- Note
- building-code permit may still apply separately
Summary
Yellowstone County's Zoning Code sets no height limit for retaining walls, but Section 27-1203.C.1(i) requires any proposed retaining wall's location, size, and construction material to be shown on the landscape plan submitted for a zoning compliance permit.
(h) Location of walls, fences, screening, and refuse storage areas.
(i) Location of any proposed retaining walls, indicating size and material to be used in the construction of the wall.
Full Breakdown
Yellowstone County's Zoning Code treats a retaining wall as an item to disclose on a landscape plan rather than a structure with its own height limit or standalone permit in Article 27-1200. C, which lists the information a landscape plan must contain, requires plans to show the location of walls, fences, screening, and refuse storage areas, and separately the location of any proposed retaining walls, indicating size and material to be used in the construction of the wall. That requirement applies whenever Section 27-1202 triggers a required landscape plan for the property, such as new construction or an expansion of an existing structure in unincorporated Yellowstone County.
D before issuing a zoning compliance permit. The Zoning Code text supplied for this entity does not set a maximum retaining-wall height, an engineering-certification threshold, or a separate retaining-wall permit process; any such requirement, if one exists, would come from the county's building code or road and subdivision standards, which sit outside this zoning ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Building a retaining wall that was not shown, or was shown inaccurately, on an approved landscape plan can be treated as a departure from the approved plan and is enforceable the same way as any other Zoning Code violation: under Section 27-1704.G, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to the state statutory limit or up to six months in jail, with each day of the discrepancy a separate offense, and the zoning coordinator can require the plan be corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Yellowstone County limit how tall a retaining wall can be?
Do I need a separate permit just for a retaining wall?
Who checks the retaining wall information on my landscape plan?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yellowstone County
Compare Yellowstone County to another location·View the Montana fence regulations overview
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