Paramus regulates retaining walls by exposed height: walls under 4 feet need a zoning permit, while 4-foot and taller walls require a construction permit with engineering. Setbacks scale with wall height.
Paramus reviews retaining walls based on exposed height measured from footing bottom to wall top. Walls under 4 feet generally require a zoning or sitework permit, while walls 4 feet or taller (or any wall with a surcharge load) require a full construction permit with engineered drawings. Side and rear yard walls up to 3 feet of exposed height must be set back at least 2 feet from property lines, and walls over 3 feet must be set back at least 5 feet. Any fence atop or adjacent to a retaining wall combined cannot exceed 10 feet measured from the wall's lowest point to the fence's top, and the fence cannot protrude beyond the wall face.
Building a wall without the proper permit may result in stop-work orders, mandatory removal, and fines. Engineered walls built without sealed plans can be ordered demolished.
Paramus, NJ
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Bergen County.
See how other cities in Bergen County handle retaining walls.
See how Paramus's retaining walls rules stack up against other locations.
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