Fort Lauderdale regulates retaining walls under the ULDR and the Florida Building Code. Retaining walls over 4 feet in height require building permits with sealed engineering drawings. The city's flat topography and high water table create unique foundation challenges.
Retaining walls in Fort Lauderdale are regulated under the ULDR Section 47-19.5 (which governs fences, walls, and hedges) and the Florida Building Code. Walls over 4 feet in height from the lowest grade to the top of the wall require building permits with sealed engineering drawings from a Florida-licensed professional engineer. Fort Lauderdale's flat topography means retaining walls are less common than in hilly areas, but they are used along waterfront properties to manage grade changes at sea walls and bulkheads. All retaining walls must comply with HVHZ wind-load requirements. Walls along waterways may also require Broward County Environmental Licensing approval.
Unpermitted retaining walls may result in code enforcement action including mandatory removal. Walls that fail during storms may create liability for the property owner. Contact Building Services at 954-828-5929.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Section 17-7(1) bars amplified sound from residential property that is plainly audible for one minute or longer at 25 feet from the property line (10 p.m.-7 ...
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Section 17-7(4) makes it unlawful to operate construction, repair, alteration, or demolition equipment Monday through Saturday before 8:00 a.m. or after 7:00...
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Fort Lauderdale Code Section 17-8(7) expressly exempts 'all noises coming from the normal operations of an aircraft' from the city noise ordinance. Aircraft ...
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Fort Lauderdale Code Chapter 17 (Noise Control) caps residential outdoor sound at 60 dBA / 70 dBC from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and 50 dBA / 60 dBC from 10:00...
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Fort Lauderdale addresses abandoned vehicles under Chapter 26 (Traffic and Parking) and Chapter 18 (Nuisances). Vehicles left unattended on public property f...
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Fort Lauderdale sets no flat numeric limit on household dogs or cats, but Sec. 6-34 defines four or more dogs or cats over four months of age as a 'kennel,' ...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Broward County.
See how other cities in Broward County handle retaining walls.
See how Fort Lauderdale'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.