Pomona, CA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Max retaining wall height
- 10 feet citywide
- Landscaping trigger
- Walls over 8 feet
- Minimum spacing between stacked walls
- 3 feet horizontally
- Height measured
- Top of wall to lowest adjacent grade
- Public agency walls
- Exempt from Sec. 620.G
- Governing section
- Sec. 620.G
Summary
No retaining wall in Pomona may exceed 10 feet in height under Zoning and Development Code Sec. 620.G, and any wall taller than 8 feet must be landscaped per the Code's planting and fence standards. Stacked retaining walls on the same lot need at least 3 feet of horizontal spacing between them.
620.G. Retaining Walls A freestanding continuous structure, as viewed from the top, intended to support earth, which is not attached to a building. ... 1. No retaining wall can exceed 10 feet in height. 2. Where multiple retaining walls are located on one lot, they must meet the following standards: i. Retaining walls must be spaced at least three feet apart horizontally, ii. No retaining wall located in a frontage yard can exceed the frontage yard fence and wall type's maximum height... b. Landscaping Retaining walls that exceed 8 feet in height must be landscaped in accordance with any planting standard in Sec. 620.F. Planting Standards and fence and wall standard in Sec. 620.E. Fence and Wall Standards.
Full Breakdown
Sec. G defines a retaining wall as a freestanding continuous structure intended to support earth, which is not attached to a building, and applies the same height cap to every retaining wall in the city regardless of zoning district: 10 feet, measured from the top of the wall to the lowest adjacent ground elevation under Sec. 4. Where a lot has more than one retaining wall, whether or not they're structurally connected, each wall must be spaced at least 3 feet apart horizontally, and a retaining wall built within a frontage yard can't exceed the maximum height set for that lot's assigned frontage yard fence and wall type under Subpart 3B, unless it instead qualifies under the taller Sec.
b side/rear yard standard. Once a retaining wall passes 8 feet, it triggers a landscaping requirement: it must be planted in accordance with both the general planting standards of Sec. F and the fence and wall standards of Sec. E. Two narrow exceptions exist. Sec. a exempts retaining walls built by a public agency. Sec. b exempts a retaining wall built to comply with a Building and Safety Division order to repair an unsafe or substandard condition, so an emergency stabilization wall ordered by the City isn't capped at 10 feet or subject to the landscaping trigger.
Violations & Fines
A retaining wall built over the 10-foot cap, or without the required landscaping above 8 feet, is enforced like any other Zoning Code violation under the City Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-7: an infraction (up to $500 for repeat violations within a year) or, at the City Attorney's discretion, a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, with each day the oversized wall remains a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a retaining wall be on my Pomona property?
Does a tall retaining wall need landscaping?
Can I build two retaining walls close together to step down a slope?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pomona
California rules heatmap·Compare Pomona to another location·View the California fence regulations overview
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Retaining Walls in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle retaining walls.