Dallas, TX Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Sec. 620 of the Dallas Development Code governs retaining walls built on private property that sit along a public right-of-way or easement, requiring them to be constructed of reinforced concrete or other materials determined to be sufficiently durable by the director, and requiring the retaining wall design itself to be approved by the director of transportation and public works to ensure site conditions are adequately addressed by the design. The same section flags that engineer certification and building permits may be required by other applicable regulations, meaning a wall of real height typically needs both a stamped engineering plan and a Chapter 53 building permit before construction, on top of the director's design approval.

Separately, Sec. 602 defines a retaining wall as a wall designed to hold in place earthen or similar materials and to prevent the material from sliding away or eroding, and expressly exempts retaining walls from the fence setback rule that otherwise keeps a solid fence panel five feet back from the front lot line in single family districts, so a qualifying retaining wall can sit closer to the front property line than an equivalent fence could. For walls built on public property itself rather than a private lot, Sec. 43-59 requires city council approval before any buttress, step, projection, retaining wall, or fence is constructed there at all.