Greene County, MO Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Height trigger
- Over 4 feet
- Standard cited
- 1987 BOCA Code § 1223.5
- Permit needed
- County grading permit required
- Enforcing agency
- Resource Management Department
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine per day
Summary
In unincorporated Greene County, any retaining wall built under a grading permit that exceeds four feet requires safety guards meeting the 1987 BOCA Code: the rule doesn't reach Springfield or the county's other incorporated cities.
b. Retaining walls that exceed a height of four (4) feet shall require the construction of safety guards as identified in the 1987 BOCA Codes, Section 1223.5.
c. Permanent safety guards will be constructed in accordance with Section 827.0 of the 1987 BOCA Codes.
2. Grading plans for sites shall provide for sediment or debris basins, silt traps or filters, staked straw bales, or a combination of these measures to remove sediment from runoff waters.
a. Temporary siltation control measures shall be designed to assure that sediment is not transported from the site by a storm event of a ten (10) year frequency (5.7 inches in 24 hours.).
b. The design shall be approved by the Resource Management Department.
c. Temporary siltation control measures (structural) shall be maintained until vegetative cover is established at a sufficient density to provide erosion control on the site.
3. Where natural vegetation is removed during grading, vegetation shall be reestablished in such a density as to prevent erosion.
a. Permanent type grasses shall be established as soon as possible or during the next seeding period after grading has been completed. (Refer to Appendix A.)
4. When grading operations are completed or suspended for more than thirty (30) days between permanent grass seeding periods, temporary cover shall be provided according to Resource Management Department recommendation. (Refer to Appendix A.)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Greene County's Sediment and Erosion Control Regulation requires a grading permit from the Resource Management Department before any non-agricultural excavation, grading, or filling in the unincorporated county. Under that permit's principles and standards, retaining walls exceeding four feet in height must include safety guards built to the 1987 BOCA Code, Section 1223.5, with permanent guards constructed per BOCA Section 827.0. The rule sits inside the grading-permit process, not a stand-alone wall permit. It governs only unincorporated land. Springfield, Republic, Willard, Strafford, Ash Grove, and Battlefield each administer their own building and zoning codes and are not covered here.
Violations & Fines
Violating any zoning provision, including the retaining-wall safety-guard requirement, is a misdemeanor under Article XXV, Section 5: up to a $1,000 fine, with each day of noncompliance counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply inside Springfield city limits?
What height triggers the safety-guard requirement?
Is there a separate retaining-wall permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greene County
Compare Greene County to another location·View the Missouri fence regulations overview
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