Placer County, CA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

48, treats retaining walls as a permit trigger in their own right, separate from general grading. 030 as additional loading above and behind the wall from sources like vehicles, buildings, snow, sloped backfill, stockpiles, or construction staging, regardless of the wall's height). 070(D) carves out the exemption on the other side: retaining walls four feet or less in height, measured the same way, and not subject to a surcharge, may be built without a grading permit, though the exemption from a permit is not permission to violate any other article provision.

060 places retaining wall review inside the same grading-permit package as swimming pool fill (over four feet of fill) and private vehicular bridges, and the county can also require inspections during installation of any retaining wall over four feet under the permit's construction-monitoring provisions. 020's setback text specifically carves fences and retaining walls out of that appendix, meaning retaining wall placement is controlled through the grading article rather than a zoning setback table. 060 notes that a residential grading permit issued by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency can serve as evidence of conformity with county grading standards, but if the project includes a retaining wall over four feet or any wall subject to surcharge, a separate county grading permit is still required in addition to any TRPA approval.