Salem, OR Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

050(a)(4) draws a bright line based on location rather than a single citywide maximum: a retaining wall built at the property line abutting a street cannot exceed four feet, while a retaining wall set back from that street line may exceed four feet with no stated cap in this subsection. 050(b) requires every fence, wall, hedge, or retaining wall to meet the vision clearance standards of SRC chapter 805 regardless of height. 005(a)(2)(A)(vii), so a homeowner does not need a land-use application to build one.

That exemption is only from site plan review, however; retaining walls remain accessory structures subject to the Building Official's jurisdiction under the Building Code, and taller or structurally significant walls commonly trigger a separate building permit and engineering review outside the land-use process. 550 requires accessory structures, which the code lists as including walls, to be erected in a skilled manner and kept free of deterioration, and it places accessory structures covered by the Building Code under the Building Official's jurisdiction.