Sanford, FL Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Chapter 46, Division 7 of the Sanford City Code, 'Other Development,' covers retaining walls, sidewalks and driveways that place fill inside a regulated floodway. Section 46-483 requires such walls to meet the limitations of § 46-364, which bars any development or land-disturbing activity involving fill or regrading in the regulatory floodway unless a floodway encroachment analysis demonstrates no increase in the base flood elevation; that analysis must be signed and sealed by a Florida-licensed engineer under § 46-123(1). As other development within the floodway, a retaining wall must also be located and constructed to minimize flood damage, anchored to resist flotation, collapse or lateral movement from hydrostatic loads, built of flood damage-resistant materials, and keep any mechanical, plumbing or electrical components above the design flood elevation or built to ASCE 24 (§46-481).

Before construction begins, the owner or agent must obtain a floodplain development permit from the floodplain administrator, which becomes invalid unless work starts within 180 days of issuance or is suspended for 180 days, though extensions of up to 180 days may be granted for justifiable cause (§§46-91, 46-96). This floodway-specific standard governs retaining walls only where fill is placed within a mapped regulatory floodway; it sits within the same floodplain management ordinance, adopted by Ord. No. 2015-4360, that regulates fences, roads and watercourse crossings in the same locations.