In Santa Rosa County, a retaining wall that holds back more than 48 inches of unbalanced fill, or one over 24 inches that resists lateral loads beyond soil, must be engineered to accepted standards for stability against overturning, sliding and water uplift.
LDC section 5.02.02.A.9 requires retaining walls that are not laterally supported at the top and retain more than 48 inches of unbalanced fill, or retaining walls exceeding 24 inches in height that resist lateral loads in addition to soil, to be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice. The design must ensure stability against overturning, sliding and water uplift. Such walls typically require a building permit and engineered plans. Smaller garden walls below these thresholds are treated like ordinary walls and fences.
An engineered retaining wall built without required design or permit is a building-code and code-enforcement violation; the county may require corrective engineering or removal.
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