Redondo Beach requires a building permit for retaining walls over four feet from footing to top, and a lot-line retaining wall may be topped by a fence only to the height a fence would otherwise be allowed there.
Retaining walls four feet or less in height, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, are exempt from a building permit per the Building Division, unless they support a surcharge or impound Class I, II, or III-A liquids; taller walls require a permit and engineering. Under zoning Section 10-2.1524, where a retaining wall protects a cut below the natural or finished grade and sits on the line separating lots, the wall may be topped by a fence, wall, or hedge of the same height that would otherwise be permitted at that location as if no retaining wall existed, preventing stacking to gain extra height.
Constructing an over-height or unpermitted retaining wall can result in stop-work orders, required permits and inspections, and removal of any non-conforming fence added on top.
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