The McHenry County UDO sets no separate height cap for retaining walls, but a 'fence or wall' must sit entirely within your lot lines. Structural retaining walls are reviewed under the adopted building code, and grading near water may trigger a stormwater permit.
The UDO fence provisions (§ 16.56.050H.1.b) expressly apply to a 'fence or wall,' requiring the whole structure and its footings to be within your boundaries and out of the public right-of-way. The UDO does not fix a numeric height limit for retaining walls; instead, structural retaining walls are permitted and inspected under McHenry County's adopted building codes (Title 15), and taller walls typically need engineered plans. Because retaining walls change grade and drainage, work in or near a floodplain, wetland, or regulated area can require review under the county Stormwater Management Ordinance. Cities such as Crystal Lake apply their own engineering standards.
A retaining wall built without required building-code review, or one that encroaches over a lot line or alters drainage onto a neighbor, can draw a correction order, after-the-fact permitting, or removal.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Crystal Lake collects yard waste and food-scrap compost weekly at the curb from April 1 through November 30. Leaves and grass must go in biodegradable paper ...
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Crystal Lake and McHenry County have no ordinance specifically banning or approving residential artificial turf. Installations must still meet Unified Develo...
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Illinois' Homeowners' Native Landscaping Act bars community associations from banning native-species plantings that are kept free of weeds and don't encroach...
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Neither Crystal Lake nor McHenry County prohibits residential rain barrels or rainwater collection, and Illinois has no statewide ban. The McHenry County Sto...
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Crystal Lake uses a color-coded water-conservation system. During a declared 'Yellow' condition, odd-numbered addresses water on odd dates and even addresses...
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Crystal Lake Chapter 526 lists noxious weeds - burdock, ragweed, thistle, poison ivy, wild mustard and others - plus any unmanaged vegetation as nuisance gre...
See how McHenry County's retaining walls rules stack up against other locations.
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