Portsmouth, VA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Portsmouth's zoning code doesn't set a separate retaining-wall height table; instead it folds a retaining wall into the same fence-height rule as any other wall. Sec. 2-305(D)(3) states that fence and wall heights are measured from finished grade on the highest point of the fence or wall, and then adds the specific retaining-wall rule: if a fence is constructed on top of a retaining or other wall, the combined height of the fence and wall shall not exceed the maximum height that would apply to a fence or wall alone.

In practice, that means a property owner cannot use a retaining wall to gain extra fence height. 2-305 caps a residential side yard fence at 6 feet, a 3-foot retaining wall topped with a fence can add no more than 3 feet of fence, for the same 6-foot combined total, rather than 6 feet of retaining wall plus 6 feet of fence on top of it. Because retaining walls fall under the same section's applicability clause, Sec. 2-305(B)(2), constructing a wall that will support a fence still requires the same Zoning Permit as any other fence or wall project, reviewed for compliance with the height standards before the permit issues under (B)(3).