Folsom, CA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Grading-permit exemption cap
- 5 feet unsupported excavation height
- Requires prior approval
- Valid building permit
- Hillside cut/fill height cap
- 15 feet without PW approval
- Enforcing department
- Public works department
- Hillside wall diagram threshold
- Over 10 feet on grading plan
Summary
Folsom lets you excavate for a retaining wall's footing without a separate grading permit only if the work is covered by a valid building permit and the unsupported excavation stays 5 feet or shallower. Go taller, and the public works department's grading rules under Chapter 14.29 kick in.
A grading permit is not required for the following: 1. Excavation below finished grade for basements and footings of a building, retaining wall, swimming pool, or other structure authorized by a valid building permit. This shall not exempt any fill made with the material from such excavation nor exempt any excavation having an unsupported height greater than five feet after the completion of such structures;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 1369, passed April 28, 2026).
Full Breakdown
29, the Grading Ordinance, governs excavation and fill citywide, and it is administered by the public works department. 170(A)(1) exempts excavation below finished grade for the basements and footings of a building, retaining wall, swimming pool or other structure from needing a separate grading permit, but only when the work is authorized by a valid building permit; the exemption explicitly does not cover any excavation with an unsupported height greater than 5 feet once the structure is complete. That means a retaining wall footing cut deeper than 5 feet without lateral support triggers full grading-permit review even if a building permit already covers the wall itself.
160, which must cover the full cost of plan review, approvals, inspections and compliance certification. 160(A) caps cut and fill slope heights at 15 feet unless the public works department specifically approves more, and where retaining walls are used to reduce that cut or fill height, the wall material must be selected to blend with the site's natural conditions. 170(A)(1). 170 only ever addresses whether a second, separate grading permit is also required for the excavation.
Violations & Fines
Grading or excavating without the required permit when the unsupported height exceeds 5 feet is enforceable directly by the public works department under Chapter 14.29's suspension, revocation and penalty provisions (Sections 14.29.400 through 14.29.430), which authorize inspection holds and permit suspension until corrections are made. In hillside areas, the public works department can also require full-time, applicant-funded monitoring of grading operations under Section 14.33.150(G) if a wall or slope is not built to the approved plan, and unpermitted hillside grading can be referred to the planning commission for remedial action alongside any building code enforcement on the wall itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build a retaining wall in Folsom?
Is there a height limit on retaining walls used on a graded slope in Folsom?
Who enforces Folsom's retaining wall and grading rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Folsom
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