Macomb County does not zone private land, so retaining-wall permits and height rules come from your township, city, or village and the Michigan Building Code they enforce. Confirm requirements with your local building department before you build.
There is no countywide Macomb retaining-wall ordinance because zoning and building enforcement occur at the municipal level under Michigan's Zoning Enabling Act (MCL 125.3101 et seq.). Michigan communities administer the state-adopted Michigan Residential Code, which typically requires a permit and engineered design for retaining walls that hold back more than about four feet of soil, or for any wall carrying a surcharge such as a driveway or slope. Lower landscape walls are often exempt. Because each municipality adds its own setbacks and drainage rules, a wall that is permit-exempt in one community may need review in another. A boundary wall can also count toward the local fence-height limit, so check both building and zoning rules locally.
An unpermitted or undersized retaining wall can bring a municipal stop-work order, after-the-fact permit and engineering costs, civil-infraction fines, and an order to rebuild or remove the wall.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Macomb County, MI
Animal hoarding is treated as cruelty and neglect under Michigan law and is investigated by Macomb County Animal Control. Failing to provide adequate care je...
Macomb County, MI
Macomb County's Best Practices bar confining or keeping wild animals without municipality approval, and permitted exceptions are limited to accredited zoos a...
Macomb County, MI
Macomb County government does not regulate backyard composting. Michigan law encourages composting as an alternative to landfilling yard waste, and nuisance ...
Macomb County, MI
Macomb County government does not regulate artificial turf on residential property. Whether synthetic lawn is allowed, and any setback, drainage, or coverage...
Macomb County, MI
Macomb County government does not restrict planting native species, and Michigan's noxious-weed law expressly protects milkweed. The County and MSU Extension...
Macomb County, MI
Macomb County government does not restrict residential rainwater harvesting. Michigan has no statewide ban on rain barrels or cisterns, and the County encour...
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