Retaining walls over 4 feet (measured from footing bottom to top) require a building permit and engineered drawings in Provo, Orem, and unincorporated Utah County. Walls with surcharge loads need permits at any height.
Utah County and its cities adopt the International Residential Code through Utah Code §15A-2-103. IRC Section R105.2 exempts retaining walls 4 feet or less (bottom of footing to top) from permits unless they support a surcharge. Provo Code §15.04 and Orem Code §16-3 require a building permit and plans stamped by a Utah-licensed professional engineer for walls exceeding 4 feet or any wall retaining a driveway, pool, structure, or slope. The Wasatch Front's expansive clay soils and steep benches above Provo, Orem, and Alpine make proper drainage (gravel backfill, weep holes or French drain) essential; failed walls have caused significant damage in Alpine and Cedar Hills. Setbacks under the Utah County Land Use Ordinance §5-3 typically require walls over 4 feet to sit at least 3 feet from property lines. Rockery walls in canyon areas (Provo Canyon) may require geotechnical review.
Unpermitted walls: stop-work order, retroactive engineering review at owner expense, potential demolition. Provo fines $200-$1,000 plus double permit fees. Failure causing off-site damage can trigger civil liability under Utah's lateral-support doctrine.
Provo, UT
Provo City Code §8.02.100 defines excessive barking as continuous noise for 10 minutes or intermittent barking for 30 minutes or more disturbing any person, ...
Provo, UT
Provo's noise ordinance Chapter 9.06 permits construction noise during daytime hours. Exemptions for special construction projects may be obtained by permit ...
Provo, UT
Provo regulates noise under City Code Chapter 9.06 using decibel limits. The residential daytime maximum is 85 dBA. Quiet hours of 10 PM–7 AM are the general...
Provo, UT
Provo City Code Chapter 14.37 governs off-street parking. For one-family dwellings with ADUs, driveway parking in the front yard is allowed if it leads to re...
Provo, UT
Provo City Code Chapter 9.31 requires all vehicles to have current registration and move at least 400 feet every 72 hours. Parking near fire hydrants (15 ft)...
Provo, UT
Provo City Code Chapter 9.31 governs commercial vehicle parking in residential zones. All vehicles require current registration. Commercial vehicles parked o...
See how Provo's retaining walls rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.