Baltimore County requires a building permit for all retaining walls over three feet high. Walls four feet or higher also require a Retaining Wall Data Sheet. Apply through Permits, Approvals and Inspections.
Per the Baltimore County Permits, Approvals and Inspections retaining-wall permit page, a building permit is required for all retaining walls over three feet. For residential projects a Retaining Wall Letter signed by the owner must accompany the application; commercial submissions need site plans at a maximum scale of one inch equals 100 feet (engineer's scale). If the retaining wall is four feet or higher, a Retaining Wall Data Sheet must also be provided. Plans must be reviewed and approved before a permit is issued, and approved permits and plans must be available on site for inspection.
Constructing a regulated retaining wall without the required permit is a violation subject to correction/stop-work notices and required after-the-fact permitting or removal.
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