In unincorporated Santa Barbara County, a retaining wall that retains earth only and is not over four feet (footing to top) and needs no grading permit is exempt from a Coastal Development or Land Use Permit, unless it is near a coastal bluff, beach or sensitive habitat. Statewide, retaining walls over 4 feet need a building permit.
LUDC Section 35.30.070.C.4 provides a retaining-wall exemption: a retaining wall that retains earth only, that is not over four feet in height measured from the bottom of a footing to the top of the wall, and that does not require a Grading Permit under County Code Chapter 14, is exempt from Coastal Development Permit or Land Use Permit requirements - except when located within 300 feet of the edge of a coastal bluff or the inland extent of any beach, or within an Environmentally Sensitive Habitat area in the Coastal Zone. Walls exceeding four feet, supporting a surcharge, or triggering the Grading Code require permits. The County also limits the visual impact of taller walls in scenic and hillside contexts: in certain hillside/ridgeline and scenic-corridor provisions, the visible portion of a retaining wall above finished grade shall not exceed a height of six feet, and walls should be colored and textured (earth tones, split faces) to blend with the surroundings. Separately, the California Residential Code requires a building permit for any retaining wall over four feet measured from the bottom of the footing to the top, or any wall supporting a surcharge. Because a wall combined with a fence on top can change how total height is measured and reviewed, confirm both the LUDC and building-permit requirements with Santa Barbara County Planning & Development before construction.
Constructing a retaining wall over four feet, one supporting a surcharge, or one near a coastal bluff/beach/sensitive habitat without the required grading, building, Land Use or Coastal Development Permit can lead to stop-work orders, code-enforcement penalties, and required redesign or removal.
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