The Lake County UDO treats walls like fences for height and location, but requires walls to be opaque and built of durable masonry materials. Where grade changes, wall height is measured from the point of highest elevation.
Under the Lake County UDO, walls used to meet UDO requirements must be opaque and constructed of brick, stone, cast stone, formed concrete, or similar durable, low-maintenance materials. Walls follow the same district height caps as fences (6 feet interior side/rear and 3.5 feet in street yards in residential districts; 8 feet in business/industrial). For grade changes, the height of fences and walls is measured from the point of highest elevation between the screened area and the adjacent street or property. Walls in drainage easements must leave stormwater clearance. Structural retaining walls also fall under Lake County building code review; consult the Building Department for engineering and permit thresholds.
A wall exceeding height limits, obstructing a drainage easement, or built without required review is a nuisance per se; citation penalties reach $2,500 (first) and $7,500 (subsequent) under IC 36-1-3-8, plus possible injunction and removal costs.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Lake County, IN
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Lake County, IN
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Lake County, IN
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Lake County, IN
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Lake County, IN
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See how Lake County's retaining walls rules stack up against other locations.
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