Livonia, MI Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Section 7.26 of the Livonia Zoning Ordinance, adopted under Ordinance No. 3160 and last amended April 18, 2022, lists which structures may sit inside a required yard setback without triggering a variance. Subsection (1)(D) singles out landscaping, garden and retaining walls: any such wall that rises three feet or less above finished grade may be located in the setback area on any lot in the city. The three-foot cap is a bright line. A retaining wall built to hold back a grade change of more than three feet does not qualify for the encroachment exception and must instead be set back the full distance required for the district, the same as a garage or an addition to the house.

The same section covers other yard encroachments for comparison: open decks and porches may project up to six feet into a front setback and ten feet into a rear setback, and chimneys, eaves and cornices may project up to twenty-four inches into any setback. Subsection (1)(E) separately routes general walls, fences and protective barriers to Chapter 44 of Title 15 of the Livonia Code of Ordinances for their own standards, keeping retaining wall height distinct from decorative fence height.

Because retaining walls are common on Livonia's sloped rear yards and walkout-basement lots, homeowners planning a wall taller than three feet should expect the City's Inspection Department to measure it against the applicable district's setback line during building permit review, not against the shorter three-foot allowance. A wall that both retains soil and exceeds three feet in height inside a setback is treated as a nonconforming encroachment unless the applicant obtains site plan or variance relief through the normal zoning process.