Stafford Township, NJ Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Section 130-72 (Grading, topsoil and seeding) holds the retaining wall rule. Subsection G says sites requiring cuts or fills shall be designed with retaining walls and protective tile or masonry rings so that a minimum amount of trees will have to be removed to meet existing grades. Subsection H covers walls in slope-control areas: treated timber or logs, reinforced concrete, other reinforced masonry or other construction acceptable to the Engineer, adequately designed and detailed on the final plat to carry all earth pressures, including any surcharges, and constructed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation.

Subsection L applies the section to all subdivisions, site plans and all individual dwelling unit site disturbances, so a single-lot grading job is covered. Section 130-72 prints no maximum wall height and no permit threshold. If, in the opinion of the Township Engineer, the requirements of the section cannot be met, subsection M requires a certification from a licensed engineer setting forth an acceptable drainage and grading plan before a certificate of occupancy is issued.

The same section requires grading that protects trees, with barriers such as four-foot-high snow fence or silt fence along the drip line, and bars construction or regrading that creates or aggravates water stagnation, siltation or drainage problems on adjacent properties (§ 130-72F). Two other chapters touch walls. Retaining walls, sidewalks and driveways that involve placement of fill in floodways must meet § 114-36A of the flood hazard regulations and N.J.A.C. 7:13 (§ 114-79). Under the Property Maintenance chapter, § 158-1.1C, accessory structures including fences, bulkheads, retaining walls and other walls must be maintained structurally sound and in good repair.