Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code sets the statewide permit threshold and engineering standards for retaining walls regardless of municipality.
Under the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (Act 45 of 1999, 35 P.S. 7210.101 et seq.) and 34 Pa. Code Chapter 403, retaining walls over 4 feet in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, or any wall supporting a surcharge, require a building permit and engineered design under the International Building and Residential Codes. This threshold applies in all Pennsylvania municipalities that enforce the UCC. Walls under 4 feet without surcharge are exempt from permit, though local zoning and stormwater rules may still apply.
Pennsylvania UCC violations carry fines up to $1,000 per offense under 35 P.S. 7210.903, plus stop-work orders and required removal or reconstruction. Failed walls causing damage may trigger civil liability and insurance claims.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Erie, PA
Erie does not set a fixed numeric limit on the number of dogs or cats a household may keep, relying instead on nuisance and restraint provisions; Pennsylvani...
Erie, PA
Erie's local wildlife-feeding enforcement runs through Article 505 nuisance provisions of the Codified Ordinances and property-maintenance rules against accu...
Erie, PA
Erie addresses animal hoarding through two overlapping frameworks: (1) Article 505 of the Codified Ordinances, which prohibits keeping animals that constitut...
Erie, PA
Erie's Codified Ordinances Article 505 addresses dangerous and wild animals through general nuisance and restraint provisions, and the Zoning Ordinance does ...
Erie, PA
Erie's Codified Ordinances do not contain an express urban-beekeeping framework, and bees are not listed as a permitted accessory use in residential zones un...
Erie, PA
Erie has no breed-specific ban; Pennsylvania state law expressly prohibits any local ordinance from prohibiting or limiting a specific breed of dog, so the C...
See how Erie'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 If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.