In unincorporated Pierce County, retaining walls may be built within required setbacks to a maximum height of 6 feet under zoning. A building permit is required once a wall exceeds 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top, or whenever it supports a surcharge.
PCC 18A.15.040.B.2.d treats retaining walls like fences for setback purposes, allowing them within required yards up to 6 feet. Separately, the county's adopted building code in PCC 17C.30.040 exempts only retaining walls not over 4 feet high (measured bottom of footing to top of wall) unless they support a surcharge such as a driveway or slope load. A fence placed on top of a retaining wall or berm is measured from the high side of that structure. Taller or surcharge-loaded walls need an engineered building permit.
Constructing a retaining wall over 4 feet, or any surcharge-loaded wall, without a permit is a violation. Enforcement can require engineering, correction, or removal, and unpermitted walls can complicate property sales.
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