Goodyear, AZ Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit exemption
- None; every retaining wall needs a building permit
- Governing code
- 2024 International Building Code as amended by Goodyear
- Deleted exemption
- IBC § 105.2 item 4 (walls under 4 feet)
- Enforcing office
- Building Official, Development Services Department
- Misdemeanor fine
- $50-$2,500 individual; $400-$20,000 enterprise
- Alternative penalty
- Civil sanction in City Court, same fine range
- Contrast exemption
- Fences under 6 feet remain permit-exempt
Summary
Every retaining wall in Goodyear needs a building permit, regardless of height. The city deleted the International Building Code's standard exemption for walls under four feet, so even a low garden retaining wall triggers plan review under City Code § 9-1-1.
Section [A] 105.2 “Work exempt from permit,” under subsection “Building,” is amended as follows, item 4 concerning retaining walls that are not over four (4) feet in height is hereby deleted in its entirety.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 26-1648, passed April 27, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Under the city's 2024 International Building Code adoption, Chapter 1's list of work exempt from permit ordinarily lets an owner skip a permit for a retaining wall up to four feet tall. " The result is that a permit application, submitted to the Building Official in the Development Services Department, is required for a retaining wall of any height, whether it is a two-foot planter wall along a driveway or an eight-foot slope retention structure. 8 mm) high" exempt from permit, and one-story accessory buildings under 120 square feet on commercial lots or 200 square feet on residential lots (item 1) and like-for-like residential reroofing (item 14) stay off the permit list too.
Retaining walls got no such carve-out. A permit submittal for a retaining wall goes through the same review track as other building work under § 9-1-1(A): plan review, a valuation-based fee set from the ICC Building Valuation Data table, and inspection before the wall is considered complete. The Building Official, defined under the amended IBC § 202 as the city officer charged with administering and enforcing the technical codes, reviews and approves the permit. A homeowner who builds a low garden retaining wall without pulling a permit is still in violation even though the wall would have been exempt under the unamended IBC, because Goodyear's local amendment removed the height threshold rather than just lowering it.
Violations & Fines
Building without a required permit is enforced under Goodyear City Code § 9-1-3, which classifies violations of Article 9-1 (the Technical Codes) as a misdemeanor: a fine of $50 to $2,500 for an individual, or $400 to $20,000 for an "Enterprise," plus up to six months in jail. The city may instead pursue the same unpermitted wall as a civil code violation in City Court at the enforcing official's discretion, carrying the same dollar range as a civil sanction, and each day the unpermitted wall stands is a separate offense under § 9-1-4.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a short retaining wall in my Goodyear backyard need a permit?
What building code applies to retaining walls in Goodyear?
What happens if I build a retaining wall without a permit in Goodyear?
Are fences held to the same permit rule as retaining walls in Goodyear?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Goodyear
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