Greenville, NC Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Section 9-1-100(B) of the Greenville City Code sets minimum standards for safe and sanitary maintenance of open areas on a residential lot. Paragraph (1) requires fences and all accessory buildings or structures, including sheds, storage buildings and detached carports and garages, to be maintained in a safe and substantial condition and kept in good repair. Paragraph (2) applies the same underlying safety principle specifically to retaining walls: a retaining wall or any other wall supporting system must not present a physical hazard and must be structurally safe and supported properly.

Unlike the zoning code's dimensional tables for buildings, this provision does not set a numeric height threshold or a separate permit trigger for retaining walls; it is a maintenance and safety standard enforced through the Minimum Housing Code's inspection and hearing process rather than a building-permit review. A retaining wall that is leaning, crumbling, or failing to hold back soil or grade so that it endangers people or adjoining property can be cited under this section the same way a structurally unsafe dwelling is cited, and the Code Enforcement Supervisor can order the owner to repair or otherwise remediate the hazard using the same procedure that applies to deteriorated or dilapidated structures elsewhere in Chapter 1.