Salt Lake City, UT Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Max height (no engineer)
- 4 feet above established grade
- Trigger for wall requirement
- Cuts/fills over 2 feet
- Terrace spacing (4-ft walls)
- 3 feet horizontal minimum
- Terrace spacing (6-ft walls)
- 5 feet horizontal minimum
- Engineer required
- Any wall over 4 feet tall
Summary
In Salt Lake City's Foothills Protection and FR-1/FR-2/FR-3 districts, retaining walls cap at 4 feet above established grade, and any wall taller than that needs a state-licensed structural engineer's stamp tied to a geotechnical report.
No retaining wall may exceed four feet (4') in height above the established grade except as provided in subsections P6a, P6b and P6c of this section. In a terrace of retaining walls, each four foot (4') vertical retaining wall must be separated by a minimum of three (3) horizontal feet, and any six foot (6') retaining wall must be separated from any other retaining wall by a minimum of five (5) horizontal feet. The horizontal area between terraced retaining walls shall be landscaped with vegetation. All retaining walls, in excess of four feet (4') in height shall be approved by an engineer licensed by the State, and the engineer's approval shall be consistent with the provisions of a geotechnical report. The Zoning Administrator may require an engineer's approval for retaining walls less than four feet (4') that there are sufficient risk factors, such as slope, soil stability, or proximity to structures on abutting property.
9. Roads And Driveways: To ensure that private roads and driveways minimize impact on the natural landscape, plans for the design and improvement of roads and driveways shall be subject to review and approval by the City Engineer and Fire Department as a condition of building permit issuance. Design standards and guidelines for private roads and driveways shall include the following:
a. Driveways which serve more than one parcel are encouraged as a method of reducing unnecessary grading, paving, and site disturbance. The drive
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 40-26, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
City zoning ties retaining wall design to grade changes: any cut or fill over 2 feet in the Foothills Protection and FR-1, FR-2, FR-3 districts must be shored with a retaining wall, and no single wall may rise above 4 feet without following the terracing rules. A terraced series of 4-foot walls needs 3 feet of horizontal separation (5 feet for 6-foot walls), and the space between terraces must be landscaped. Any wall over 4 feet requires a Utah-licensed structural engineer's approval consistent with a geotechnical report; the Zoning Administrator can demand the same engineering sign-off on shorter walls where slope, soil stability, or nearby structures raise the risk.
Violations & Fines
Building or stacking a retaining wall over 4 feet without an engineer's stamp, or terracing walls closer than the required horizontal separation, is a zoning violation the Zoning Administrator can require to be redesigned or removed before further grading or building permits are issued.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a retaining wall be without an engineer in Salt Lake City?
Do terraced retaining walls need spacing between them?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake City
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Retaining Walls in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle retaining walls.