Harrisburg, PA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Section 7-307.9(G) of the Harrisburg Codified Ordinances separates engineered retaining walls from ordinary walls.

Engineered retaining walls: Under § 7-307.9(G)(1), engineered retaining walls necessary to hold back slopes are exempt from setback regulations and the regulations of the Code, and are permitted by right as needed in all districts. The zoning glossary in § 7-333.2 echoes this: it defines a wall as a man-made barrier constructed principally of masonry, concrete, cinder block, or similar materials, and says the term does not include engineering retaining walls, which are permitted uses as needed in all districts. The section prints no separate height cap for an engineered retaining wall.

Ordinary walls: A wall has a maximum height of three feet within the required front yard in an RL or RM District (§ 7-307.9(G)(2)). That is lower than the four-foot cap that § 7-307.9(C)(1) sets for a fence or wall in a residential front yard, and § 7-305.7(B) says the most restrictive requirement upon a structure applies where requirements differ. Elsewhere in a residential district a fence or wall has a six-foot maximum, and the other district caps in § 7-307.9 apply by district.

Location: No wall can be built within the existing public right-of-way. A wall can be built on a lot line but cannot sit in front of required plantings that form part of a buffer yard or planting strip (§ 7-307.9(G)(3)). A wall attached to a building is regulated as part of that building (§ 7-307.9(G)(4)).

Permits: A building permit is required for all permanent fences and walls (§ 7-307.9(A)(1)). A wall in a municipal historic district needs a certificate of appropriateness under Chapter 7-317, and a wall in a special flood hazard area needs a floodplain special exception permit under Chapter 7-315. A wall that cannot meet the standards needs a special exception permit under Chapter 7-323.