Forsyth County, GA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Forsyth County's retaining-wall rule sits in UDC section 16-4.13(b). Retaining walls and non-integral wing walls are permitted in the setback regardless of height, but any such wall over six feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top, requires a permit and must be engineered. Forsyth's six-foot threshold is more permissive than the four-foot trigger common in many jurisdictions. Terraced walls separated by more than the height of the tallest section count as separate walls. Drainage behind the wall is critical in north Georgia's red clay, and a wall that redirects stormwater onto a neighbor creates civil liability.