Unlike ordinary fences, retaining walls require a permit within Durham City and County limits. Grading near property boundaries is separately regulated by the UDO's grading-setback rules.
The joint City-County UDO exempts standard fences from permitting but expressly requires a permit for retaining walls, which involve structural and drainage concerns. Grading tied to walls must respect UDO Sec. 7.9 grading setbacks: mass-grading projects keep a minimum 10-foot undisturbed setback from exterior boundaries, and non-mass-grading keeps a minimum 5-foot setback except along street frontage. Engineered walls of significant height may require sealed drawings under the North Carolina building code.
Constructing a retaining wall without the required permit, or grading inside the required setback, can prompt stop-work orders, civil penalties, and a required revegetation plan under UDO 9.5.3B.2.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
durham-county-nc
Backyard composting is legal in Durham and the city offers a curbside food-waste program. Compost piles must be maintained so they do not harbor rodents or p...
durham-county-nc
Durham has no ordinance banning artificial turf in residential yards. It counts toward impervious-surface and lot-coverage limits under the UDO, and cannot b...
durham-county-nc
Durham lies in the Neuse River and Falls Lake watersheds, where state and UDO riparian buffer rules require a 50-foot protected buffer of native vegetation a...
durham-county-nc
Rain barrels and cisterns are legal and encouraged in Durham; no county ordinance bans collecting rooftop rainwater. Durham has historically offered subsidiz...
durham-county-nc
Durham enforces a year-round odd/even irrigation ordinance and can impose tighter water-shortage stages. As of June 2026 Durham is in Stage 2, which bans spr...
durham-county-nc
Durham declares dense weeds, vines, briars and undergrowth a public nuisance when they harbor pests or sit near buildings. Overgrowth over 12 inches high mus...
See how Durham County's retaining walls rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.