Evanston requires a building permit for retaining walls over 4 feet in height (measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall). Walls over 4 feet require engineered plans stamped by a licensed structural engineer. Smaller retaining walls may be built without a permit but must meet setback requirements.
Under Evanston's Building Code, retaining walls exceeding 4 feet in height require a building permit and structural engineering plans stamped by an Illinois-licensed professional engineer. The height is measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall. Retaining walls must be set back at least 2 feet from property lines unless adjacent to the public right-of-way. Drainage behind the wall must be addressed in the design to prevent water damage to neighboring properties. Walls under 4 feet generally do not require a permit but must comply with setback and drainage requirements. Multiple terraced walls designed to circumvent the 4-foot permit threshold may be treated as a single wall. Contact Community Development at (847) 448-4311 for permit applications.
Unpermitted retaining walls over 4 feet face fines of $100 to $500 and may require demolition if they cannot be retroactively approved. Walls that fail structurally or cause drainage damage to neighboring properties may trigger additional enforcement action.
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