Stearns County, MN Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

B and D, and requires either a minor or major permit before a wall goes in. The ordinance defines wall height as measured from the ground surface to the top of the wall, excluding any below-grade wall components, and defines cumulative height as the combined height of any wall or series of walls needed to retain a single slope. A Minor Shoreland Alteration Permit covers smaller walls: those four feet or less in cumulative height where a documented erosion problem exists, walls not visible from the shore due to topography or vegetation, approved replacement walls, ornamental or terracing walls of four feet or less confined to one area no larger than 25% of lot width and no more than 75 feet wide, and walls sited outside the applicable lake or river class setback.

Walls proposed on bluffs or steep slopes within the shore impact zone, or any wall exceeding those minor-permit thresholds, need a Major Shoreland Alteration Permit issued by the County Board, granted only where there is a demonstrated need, a design consistent with the area's existing uses, and no aesthetic intrusion on the land or shoreline. Critically, no wall may exceed four feet in height without a plan signed by a Minnesota licensed professional engineer. The Department may also require inspections during grading, vegetation removal, and installation of stormwater and erosion controls, and can demand a financial guarantee of 125% of grading and erosion-control costs on major permits.