Madison County, AL Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

2 of the 2018 International Residential Code lists retaining walls among the work exempt from a building permit, but ties the exemption to a specific measurement and a load condition. " That means a 3-foot decorative wall still needs a permit if it holds back a driveway, parking area, or other surcharge load behind it, even though it is well under the 4-foot threshold. 1. 9 triples that fee for anyone who builds first and applies later. Because Madison County has no zoning code, the 4-foot, footing-to-top-of-wall line in this permit exemption is the county's only stated numeric threshold for retaining wall construction in the unincorporated area; there is no separate setback or engineering ordinance layered on top of it beyond what the amended IRC itself requires.