Howell, NJ Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Retaining walls in Howell Township are regulated by § 134-7, within Chapter 134, Engineering Approvals and Permits. Before any digging, excavation or soil movement for a wall, the owner submits a plot plan application to the Township Engineer under § 134-7(A)(2), and the wall must also satisfy § 188-31 and Chapter 269, Soil Removal/Filling. Any wall that alters the natural flow of stormwater runoff on the property or an adjacent property requires a permit from the Township Engineer.

Height drives the engineering. Under § 134-7(B)(1), proposed grades are shown at the top and bottom of the wall, and height is measured from the top of the wall down to the proposed surface at the base. A masonry, concrete, timber or other wall, or a segmental block wall, needs documentation: for block the applicant submits the manufacturer name, specifications and details of the blocks and geotextile fabric, and for the other types a New Jersey licensed professional engineer provides an actual wall design with details and calculations. Any wall over 30 inches high, or a series of walls on the same slope whose heights sum to over 30 inches, requires that engineered design. Drainage weep holes with rodent screens along the exterior are required in all walls over 30 inches high, and such walls need a guard under Section 1013 of the International Building Code, New Jersey Edition. Every wall needs a cross-section detail, even under 30 inches, and the Township Engineer can request structural calculations at any height. No stormwater may spill over the wall, so a lower swale area behind it collects water and redirects it.

A wall or series of walls with a total height of 48 inches or higher, or a shorter wall with a negative impact on a foundation, requires a permit from the Construction Code Official. Setbacks under § 134-7(C): not within five feet of the property line, a base no steeper than a four-to-one slope from the property line, and at least 10 feet from any swale. The owner then requests a final inspection and a certificate of approval, and a certificate of occupancy is required if the total height is 48 inches or higher.