Salinas, CA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Floodway retaining walls
- Must meet Sec. 9-06.48 limits + Ch. 18 grading
- Floodway encroachment
- Prohibited absent engineer certification
- Certification standard
- No increase in base flood elevation
- FEMA step
- CLOMR required for approved encroachments
- Non-floodway walls
- Group U structure over threshold height
- Violation penalty
- Misdemeanor under Sec. 9-06.09
Summary
A retaining wall in a Salinas floodway that involves placing fill must meet the same floodway limitations as sidewalks and driveways, plus the site-grading requirements of Chapter 18 of the adopted building code. Floodways are the fastest, most hazardous part of a special flood hazard area, and the city bars any encroachment there unless an engineer certifies it will not raise the base flood elevation.
Retaining walls and sidewalks and driveways that involve placement of fill in floodways shall meet the limitations of Section 9-06.48 of these regulations and the requirements for site grading in Chapter 18 of the building code.
Full Breakdown
Sec. ' Floodways sit inside the mapped special flood hazard areas established at Sec. ' Because of that hazard, Sec. ' Outside floodways, a retaining wall taller than what the zoning code treats as incidental yard construction is separately classified as a 'Utility and Miscellaneous Group U' structure under the building code (Sec. 37), the same category applied to fences over 6 feet, carports, and sheds, which subjects it to the adopted 2025 California Building Code's structural and permitting requirements administered from the Permit Center at 65 West Alisal Street.
Any fill placed to support the wall must also be 'designed to be stable under conditions of flooding including rapid rise and rapid drawdown of floodwaters, prolonged inundation, and protection against flood-related erosion and scour' under Sec. 40.
Violations & Fines
Placing fill or building a retaining wall in a floodway without the required engineering certification and CLOMR is an unpermitted encroachment barred outright by Sec. 9-06.49, and any floodway development performed without an issued permit is a violation under Sec. 9-06.52, punishable as a misdemeanor under Sec. 9-06.09. The Floodplain Administrator may issue a stop-work order under Sec. 9-06.53, and continued work after that notice draws further penalties under Sec. 9-06.54.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a retaining wall in a Salinas floodway?
What building code chapter governs retaining wall grading in Salinas?
Is a retaining wall treated like a fence under Salinas building rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salinas
California rules heatmap·Compare Salinas to another location·View the California fence regulations overview
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