In unincorporated Snohomish County, a retaining wall up to four feet high (measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall) is exempt from a building permit unless it supports a surcharge. Walls over four feet, or supporting extra load, need a permit.
SCC 30.50.103(1)(c) exempts retaining walls not over four feet in height, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless the wall supports a surcharge or impounds Class I, II, or IIIA liquids. Walls taller than four feet, or any wall carrying a surcharge such as a slope or driveway load above it, require an engineered building permit through Planning and Development Services. Where a fence is built on top of a retaining wall, SCC 30.28.040(2) requires fence height to be measured on the uphill side, so a fence atop a wall cannot use the wall to gain extra effective height on the downhill face.
Constructing an over-height or surcharge-loaded retaining wall without a permit is a code violation; PDS may require engineering, permitting, or removal.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Marysville, WA
Marysville does not have a commercial airport. Paine Field (PAE) in Everett is approximately 20 miles to the south. Aircraft noise is regulated federally by ...
Marysville, WA
Barking dogs that cause a public nuisance are subject to MMC Ch. 6.76. Noise originating from property that is a public nuisance is unlawful. Animal control ...
Marysville, WA
Under MMC Ch. 6.76 (Ord. 3204, 2022), construction noise is prohibited before 7 a.m. and after 9 p.m. Construction is defined broadly to include site prepara...
Marysville, WA
Marysville noise is regulated by MMC Ch. 6.76, which adopts WAC 173-60 Environmental Designation for Noise Abatement (EDNA) standards. Noise limits for resid...
Marysville, WA
The Community Service Unit (CSU) investigates abandoned vehicles on public property and enforces junk vehicle codes on private property. For impounded vehicl...
Marysville, WA
Street parking in Marysville is regulated by the Community Service Unit (CSU), which enforces state and MMC parking laws. The CSU addresses parking violation...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Snohomish County.
See how Marysville's retaining walls rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.