Under the 2022 California Building Code as adopted by San Leandro in SLMC Title 7 Chapter 7-5 (Building Code), a building permit is required for any retaining wall over 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, or for any wall of any height that supports a surcharge (such as a slope or driveway above the wall).
The 4-foot exemption follows CBC Section 105.2 as adopted locally by SLMC 7-5-100. Walls 4 feet or less without a surcharge can be built without a permit, but must still comply with zoning setback and fence-height combinations (SLMC Zoning Code Article 6). Walls over 6 feet in total height including any fence on top require engineering calculations and a structural permit. Walls in mapped landslide or geotechnical hazard areas, on slopes steeper than 1:3, or that retain a slope adjacent to a building foundation may require a soils report regardless of height. Walls in the Coastal/Shoreline zone or in a Special Flood Hazard Area may have additional review under SLMC 7-9 (Floodplain).
Constructing a regulated retaining wall without a permit is a violation of SLMC 7-5 and may trigger an after-the-fact permit at double fees plus administrative citations starting at $100 under SLMC Title 1. The City may also order removal or stamped engineering analysis at the owner's expense.
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