Knox County's Zoning Ordinance sets no general residential retaining-wall height, but structural walls fall under the county's building-permit requirement, and grading that affects drainage may require a separate grading permit from the county hydrologist.
There is no district-wide maximum retaining-wall height in the Knox County Zoning Ordinance for ordinary residential lots. However, Section 6.10.01 requires a written building permit before erecting or structurally altering any structure, which Code Administration applies to engineered retaining walls under the adopted building codes. Land-disturbing work tied to a wall may trigger the Section 6.11 grading permit from the county hydrologist. Retaining walls in a required front yard must also respect the 3½-foot front-yard vision rule and the corner visibility triangle (Sec. 3.20.04). Confirm engineering and permit thresholds with Knox County Code Administration before construction.
Building a wall without a required permit, or one that obstructs a visibility triangle, violates the code and carries a $10-$500 civil penalty under Section 6.20.02, each day a separate offense.
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Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN
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