North Las Vegas, NV Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Freestanding wall max
- 6 ft, must be decorative
- Fence-atop-wall combined max
- 12 ft total
- Landscape buffer trigger
- 5 ft buffer required over 9 ft combined
- Near sidewalk (within 4 ft)
- Wall capped at 3 ft
- Engineering required
- Wall must support fence load, §17.24.070.A.2.c.v(B)
- Permit exemption
- Only walls ≤2 ft, §15.72.140.D.5
Summary
North Las Vegas caps freestanding retaining walls at six feet and requires them to be decorative, while a fence or screen wall built on top of a retaining wall can't push the combined height past twelve feet. Combination walls over nine feet also need a five-foot landscaped buffer behind the sidewalk, and the retaining wall itself must be engineered to carry the added load.
v.Fences and/or screen walls may be located atop retaining walls provided:(A)The overall height of any combination fence/screen wall and retaining wall shall not exceed twelve (12) feet. Any wall greater than nine feet in overall height shall be separated from the back-of-sidewalk by a minimum five feet of landscaping; and(B)The retaining wall is appropriately engineered to support said fence or screen wall. ... C.Retaining Walls.1.Where retaining walls are used, they shall not exceed six feet in height and shall be decorative. In instances where the topographic conditions justify additional retaining walls, providing there is a minimum planting area of five feet between the walls.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 146 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
1 sets the baseline: retaining walls "shall not exceed six feet in height and shall be decorative," with taller walls allowed only where topography justifies it and a five-foot planting area separates stacked walls. v then governs the common case of a fence sitting atop a retaining wall, capping "the overall height of any combination fence/screen wall and retaining wall" at twelve feet and requiring five feet of landscaping behind the sidewalk once the combined structure passes nine feet. The retaining wall portion must be "appropriately engineered to support said fence or screen wall", meaning a structural calculation, not just a masonry estimate, is expected as part of the building permit submittal.
Separately, walls within four feet of a public sidewalk are held to three feet regardless of the twelve-foot allowance elsewhere, and every exposed retaining wall must match the design of any adjoining screen wall. 5 exempts only the smallest retaining walls, two feet or under, measured from the footing, from needing a building permit at all; anything above that height, including any wall carrying a fence, must go through the Building Official for permit review before construction starts. Property owners who want to exceed these height caps must apply for a variance through the Planning Commission rather than build first and ask later.
Violations & Fines
Retaining walls or combination fence/wall structures built beyond the six-foot or twelve-foot caps without a Planning Commission variance are a Title 17 zoning violation. Under Section 17.28.200, the Director issues a written correction order, and continued noncompliance is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day the wall remains uncorrected charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a retaining wall be in North Las Vegas without special approval?
Can I put a fence on top of my retaining wall?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Las Vegas
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Retaining Walls in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Clark County handle retaining walls.