Massachusetts regulates retaining walls statewide through the State Building Code 780 CMR, requiring permits and engineering for walls retaining more than four feet of unbalanced fill or surcharged loads.
Under 780 CMR Chapter 18 and the Massachusetts Residential Code, retaining walls over 4 feet measured from bottom of footing to top of wall, or any wall supporting a surcharge, require building permits and engineered design by a registered professional. The State Building Code applies uniformly under MGL c. 143 s. 95, though municipalities may add zoning setback requirements. Wall design must address lateral earth pressure, surcharge, and drainage.
Stop work orders, permit revocation, fines up to $1,000 per day under MGL c. 143 s. 94, mandatory removal of unsafe walls.
Bourne, MA
Bourne follows Massachusetts state law (MGL Chapter 48, Section 13) — open-air fires require a permit from the Bourne Fire Chief and may only be set between ...
Barnstable County, MA
Massachusetts is the only U.S. state with a complete ban on consumer fireworks. Under MGL Chapter 148, Section 39, no person may sell, possess, or use any fi...
Barnstable County, MA
Barnstable County (Cape Cod) does NOT issue short-term rental permits or licenses. Under the Massachusetts Constitution, the Home Rule Amendment (Article 89)...
Barnstable County, MA
Barnstable County (Cape Cod) is a low-lying coastal peninsula with extensive Atlantic, Cape Cod Bay, and Nantucket/Vineyard Sound exposure to V/VE wave-actio...
Barnstable County, MA
Barnstable County (Cape Cod) does not enforce its own pool barrier ordinance; pool fencing across the county's 15 towns (Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatha...
Barnstable County, MA
Barnstable County does not regulate accessory dwelling units (ADUs) at the county level. Massachusetts is a home-rule state under Article 89 of the Massachus...
See how Bourne's retaining walls rules stack up against other locations.
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