Retaining walls over 4 feet in height (measured from bottom of footing to top of wall) require a BSEED building permit and engineered drawings.
Under Michigan Building Code Section 1807 adopted via Detroit Chapter 9, retaining walls over 4 feet must be designed by a licensed professional engineer or architect. Permit fees scale with wall area and typically run $150 to $400 plus engineering costs. Walls within the public right-of-way or affecting drainage require additional DPW review. Boston-Edison, Grosse Pointe border streets, and riverfront properties commonly require retaining walls due to slope and are held to strict engineering review.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Detroit code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
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