Layton, UT Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Layton Municipal Code § 19.16.080.4 states: 'A building permit is required for all retaining walls four feet in height or greater (measured from the bottom of the foundation to the top of the wall) and must be designed by a licensed professional engineer in the state of Utah.' That measurement rule matters because it starts at the footing, not at finished grade, so a wall that looks shorter than four feet above ground can still cross the threshold once its foundation depth is counted. Section 19.16.080.10 reiterates the same rule from the construction-permitting side, requiring a building permit for 'retaining walls over four feet.' Where a retaining wall sits on a property line and holds back a cut below or fill above natural grade, § 19.16.080.12 allows it to be topped by a fence or wall of the height that would otherwise be permitted at that location as if the retaining wall did not exist, so the retaining wall and any fence on top of it are evaluated together against the applicable height limit.

Section 19.16.080.2.c separately addresses grade differential situations along a sloped or stepped property line, allowing a fence or screening device up to the maximum height permitted on either side of the line where a retaining wall creates that differential. Any masonry wall the Land Use Authority requires over four feet must additionally be certified structurally sound by a Utah-licensed engineer under § 19.16.080.4.a.