Penn Hills, PA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Engineering trigger
- slope steeper than 1H:1V
- Design requirement
- licensed PA professional engineer seal
- Approval
- Municipal Engineer sign-off required
- Governing chapter
- Grading, Excavation and Fill
- Related rule
- echoed in SALDO § 1250.09
Summary
Any Penn Hills retaining wall supporting an excavation steeper than 1-to-1 must be engineered and sealed by a professional engineer and approved by the Municipal Engineer before it's built.
No excavation shall be made with a cut face steeper in slope than two horizontal to one vertical, except under one or more of the following conditions:... In no event shall the slope be steeper than one horizontal to one vertical unless a retaining wall or other approved support, designed by and bearing the seal of a professional engineer and approved by the Municipal Engineer, is provided to support the face of the excavation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4434863; v5 updated 2025-07-21; through 07-21-2025).
Full Breakdown
Section 1424.09(c) of the Municipality's Grading, Excavation and Fill chapter sets the engineering trigger for retaining walls in Penn Hills, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. An excavation cannot have a cut face steeper than one-horizontal-to-one-vertical unless a retaining wall or other approved support is provided; that support must be designed by, and bear the seal of, a professional engineer, and the Municipal Engineer must approve it before the excavation proceeds. The same standard is echoed in the Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance at § 1250.09(k)(3). This is separate from the Zoning Code's 8-foot fence and wall height permit trigger.
Violations & Fines
Excavating a steep slope without an engineer-sealed, Municipal-Engineer-approved retaining wall is a grading permit violation; the Municipal Engineer can order the work stopped and the permit revoked or its bond forfeited.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Penn Hills retaining wall need an engineer?
Is this the same rule as the 8-foot fence permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Penn Hills
Compare Penn Hills to another location·View the Pennsylvania fence regulations overview
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Retaining Walls in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Allegheny County handle retaining walls.