Lawton, OK Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Section 6-1-1-107(A)(1)(a)(4) requires a building permit for construction of a retaining wall, but exempts retaining walls built of interlocking blocks or other landscaping material that are 30 inches or less in height and that do not include a concrete footing. Once a wall exceeds that threshold, or uses a footing, the general permit application process in Section 6-1-1-107(B) applies: duplicate scaled plans showing the wall's location and dimensions must be submitted to the building official for approval. The provision sets a second, stricter threshold for engineering: any retaining wall greater than 48 inches in height, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, must be designed by a professional engineer licensed by the State of Oklahoma.

75. A retaining wall permit follows the standard expiration rule in Section 6-1-1-108, generally 180 days unless it is part of new construction, in which case it runs one year, and continuing work past expiration requires a new application under Section 6-1-1-108(E).