Lee's Summit exempts retaining walls 4 feet and under from permits, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top. Taller walls, or any wall carrying a surcharge, require a building permit and engineered plans.
Under Lee's Summit's adopted 2018 building code, retaining walls that are not over 4 feet in height, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, do not require a permit unless they support a surcharge or impound Class I, II, or III-A liquids. Walls above that threshold, or shorter walls loaded by a driveway, structure, or slope above them, need a building permit and engineered plans stamped by a licensed professional engineer. Drainage behind the wall must be addressed in the design, and setback and easement rules apply near property lines.
Building an over-height or surcharged wall without a permit can bring a stop-work order, required engineering review, fines, and in some cases removal or reconstruction.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Lee's Summit does not regulate residential holiday decorations and requires no permit for them. Any holiday-related yard signs follow the city's temporary-si...
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Lee's Summit treats garage-sale signs as temporary signs. Stake signs are limited to 3 square feet each and 12 square feet total per property, must sit on pr...
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Lee's Summit allows political and other noncommercial signs on private property with no permit. Under the Unified Development Ordinance, temporary stake sign...
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Lee's Summit runs no general rental-registration or landlord-licensing program for long-term residential rentals. There is no citywide rental permit or per-u...
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Lee's Summit has no just-cause eviction law; state law governs. Landlords may end a month-to-month tenancy with one month's written notice under RSMo 441.060...
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Lee's Summit has no rent control and cannot enact one. Missouri's RSMo 441.043 preempts local rent regulation, so landlords charge market rents and may raise...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Jackson County.
See how Lee's Summit's retaining walls rules stack up against other locations.
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