In unincorporated Ada County, any retaining wall with a total vertical height of four feet or more, including its footing, must be designed in accordance with the Ada County Building Code. Shorter walls that also serve as fences follow the six-foot fence-height standard.
Ada County Code Title 8 grading and stabilization standards require that all retaining walls with a total vertical height of four feet (4') or more, including footing, be designed in accord with the regulations of the Ada County Building Code (engineered design and building permit). Retaining walls are also listed among features allowed to project into required yards under Section 8-3-2. A wall element that acts as a fence, wall, or screen is still subject to the six-foot fence-height limit of Section 8-3-6(E). Design review and permitting run through Ada County Development Services.
Building a four-foot-or-taller retaining wall without engineered plans and a permit is a code violation; Development Services can require corrective engineering or removal.
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