Littleton, CO Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required above
- 4 vertical feet of cut/fill or 7 feet tall
- Exempt walls
- 4 ft cut/fill or less and 7 ft height or less
- Contractor license needed
- Class D21 Retaining Wall
- Maintenance duty
- Safe, structurally sound, no blight or disrepair
- Governing section
- Littleton City Code § 4-1-5(B)(6)
Summary
Littleton requires a building permit for a retaining wall once it holds back more than 4 vertical feet of cut or unbalanced fill, or stands over 7 feet tall measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall. Smaller walls are exempt, but every retaining wall in the city must still be kept safe and structurally sound.
6. Section [A] 105.2 Work exempt from permit. Building: 4., is hereby amended to read as follows: 105.2 Work exempt from permit. Building: 4. Retaining walls intended to support a cut or unbalanced fill no greater than 4 vertical feet (1219 mm), are not greater than 7 feet (2134 mm) in height measured from the bottom of footing to top of wall, and are not intended to impound Class I, II or IIIA liquids.
Full Breakdown
The city amends the 2024 International Building Code's permit-exemption table in Littleton City Code § 4-1-5(B)(6). As adopted locally, a retaining wall is exempt from a building permit only if it supports a cut or unbalanced fill of 4 vertical feet or less, is no taller than 7 feet from the bottom of its footing to the top of the wall, and is not intended to impound Class I, II or IIIA liquids. Cross that threshold on height or on the amount of soil retained, or build a wall meant to hold back flammable or combustible liquids, and a permit under the 2024 IBC is required before work starts.
Separately, § 4-1-11 imposes an ongoing maintenance duty: it defines a retaining wall as a self-standing structure designed to provide bank retention between grade separations, and requires that every fence, screen wall and retaining wall in the city stay safe, structurally sound and free of hazard, blight or disrepair, listing leaning, missing material, holes, rot, crumbling, cracking, peeling paint, rust or graffiti as examples of a violation. Anyone contracted to build a retaining wall in Littleton also needs the right trade license: § 3-16-4(A)(4)(t) creates a Class D21 Retaining Wall contractor license specifically for that scope of work, separate from the general contractor classes.
Because permit review, inspection and licensing all run through the Building Division, a homeowner planning a wall near the 4-foot cut/fill or 7-foot height line should confirm the measurement method, footing to top of wall, before assuming an exemption applies.
Violations & Fines
Building a retaining wall that exceeds the exemption thresholds without a permit, or letting one fall into disrepair, violates Littleton City Code Title 4, Chapter 1. Section 4-1-8 makes it unlawful to violate any provision of the codes adopted in § 4-1-1, punishable under the general penalty in § 1-4-1: a fine of up to $2,650, imprisonment of up to 364 days, or both, with every day the violation continues counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a retaining wall in Littleton?
How is retaining wall height measured for the permit exemption?
Who can legally build a retaining wall for me in Littleton?
What if my retaining wall is already leaning or cracking?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Littleton
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Retaining Walls in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Arapahoe County handle retaining walls.