Under the Washington State Building Code adopted by Spokane County, a retaining wall is exempt from a building permit only if it is not over 4 feet high measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, and does not support a surcharge or impound hazardous
Spokane County adopts the Washington State Building Code (via SCC Title 3). WAC 51-16-080 exempts a retaining wall from a building permit when it is not over 4 feet in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless it supports a surcharge or impounds Class I, II, or III-A liquids. So a retaining wall over 4 feet in that measured height, or any wall retaining a slope/surcharge, requires a building permit and engineering. Walls retaining 4 feet or more of unbalanced backfill must also be laterally supported at top and bottom before backfilling. Confirm with Spokane County Building and Planning.
Building an over-height retaining wall without a permit can trigger a stop-work order, after-the-fact permitting and engineering, and correction of any non-compliant wall.
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