Brunswick County, NC Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

UDO Section 6.10.6, titled "Retaining Walls," states in full that retaining walls up to four feet in height may be located within required yards. This sits inside Article 6.10, Fences and Walls, whose general provisions in Section 6.10.2 also govern retaining walls as a type of "wall": Section 6.10.2.C bars any fence or wall from altering or impeding the natural flow of water in a stream, creek, drainage swale or ditch, Section 6.10.2.E bars any wall or fence built after May 1, 2007 from encroaching on an adjoining property line, and Section 6.10.2.G calls for fences and walls to be designed to prevent damage to the structure and nearby buildings during hurricane events.

Section 6.10.2.H resolves an apparent conflict with Section 4.14.4.E.1.xvi, which separately lists "retaining walls no more than six feet in height" among items that are not considered obstructions in a required yard: it provides that additional wall requirements found elsewhere in the Ordinance apply, but that a specific height requirement, like Section 6.10.6's four-foot cap, takes priority over the more general yard-obstruction listing. Under Section 6.10.7, a retaining wall that becomes a hazard through neglect, disrepair or poor construction is deemed a nuisance, and the Planning Director can require the owner to repair, replace or demolish it. These rules apply only in the unincorporated county, not inside Leland, Southport, Oak Island or Brunswick County's other incorporated towns.