Santa Clara County requires building permits for retaining walls over 3 feet tall measured from bottom of footing to top. Hillside and foothill properties often need geotechnical reports and engineered plans.
Retaining walls in unincorporated Santa Clara County are regulated under the California Building Code as adopted by County ordinance. A building permit is required when the wall exceeds 3 feet in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, or when a wall of any height supports a surcharge such as a driveway, parking area, or structure. Engineered drawings stamped by a licensed civil or structural engineer are required for taller walls and any wall in geotechnical hazard zones. Foothill properties in the Santa Cruz Mountains, Diablo Range foothills, and areas mapped for landslide susceptibility typically require a geotechnical report addressing slope stability, drainage, and soil bearing capacity. Tiered walls separated by less than twice the lower wall height are treated as a single wall for height calculations. Walls must include adequate drainage such as weep holes or perforated drain pipe, and must respect property line setbacks and grading permits.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
San Jose, CA
San Jose Municipal Code Title 7 (Animal Care and Control) requires dogs in public places, city parks, and trails to be on a leash no longer than six feet, re...
San Jose, CA
San Jose imposes no general restriction on year-round lawn ornaments, statuary, or religious displays on private residential property. The sign code (SJMC Ch...
San Jose, CA
San Jose has no city ordinance specifically regulating residential inflatable holiday displays. Size, height, and motor noise are not restricted by the munic...
San Jose, CA
San Jose has no ordinance limiting the duration, brightness, or hours of residential holiday lighting. The general nuisance provisions in SJMC Title 6 and th...
San Jose, CA
A built-in outdoor kitchen in San Jose typically requires multiple permits: a building permit for any structural roof or counter exceeding the patio cover ex...
San Jose, CA
San Jose does not have a dedicated ordinance for backyard smokers, pellet grills, or wood-fired ovens. Use is governed by the multifamily balcony restriction...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
See how other cities in Santa Clara County handle retaining walls.
See how San Jose's retaining walls rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.