Tamarac, FL Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- grading or construction near a preserved tree
- Required protection
- retaining walls and drywells for grade changes
- Shallow fill rule
- sloped to root level, not piled over roots
- Fence/wall footers
- must stop and bridge around major roots
- No general limit
- no citywide retaining-wall height cap in this section
Summary
Tamarac's Land Development Code does not set a blanket retaining wall height limit, but it does require builders to use retaining walls and drywells wherever grading near a preserved tree would otherwise change the grade enough to harm it.
(1)General Requirements: Any person engaged in construction or land clearing shall:(a)Clear vegetation within the drip line of trees designated for preservation only by hand or with the use of light rubber-wheeled equipment, which will not damage tree roots; said equipment shall be a maximum of 48 inches wide, tire to tire, with a maximum weight of 3,500 pounds.(b)Utilize retaining walls and drywells to protect any tree to be preserved from severe grade changes. ... (c)Retaining walls and dry wells shall be utilized where needed to protect trees from severe grade changes.(d)For shallow fills, all fill material shall be gently sloped down to the level of the tree roots leaving the tree in a depression larger than the spread of its crown.
Full Breakdown
Section 10-4.4(G)(1) sets construction and land clearing standards for any tree designated for preservation under a tree removal license. Subsection (a) limits clearing within a preserved tree's drip line to hand work or light rubber-wheeled equipment no more than 48 inches wide and 3,500 pounds. Subsection (b) requires builders to utilize retaining walls and drywells to protect any tree to be preserved from severe grade changes. Section 10-4.4(Q)(1), the Code's broader Tree Preservation standards, repeats the requirement in subsection (c): retaining walls and dry wells shall be utilized where needed to protect trees from severe grade changes.
Subsection (d) adds that for shallow fills, all fill material must be gently sloped down to the level of the tree roots, leaving the tree in a depression larger than the spread of its crown, rather than burying the root flare. Section 10-4.4(Q)(2)(d) separately requires that fences and walls installed near existing trees avoid conflicting with root systems, with post-holes and trenches dug by hand near trees and masonry wall footers stopped and bridged where they hit major roots. None of these sections set a general height limit or building-permit threshold for retaining walls unconnected to tree preservation; the requirement is specifically triggered by grading or construction near a tree marked for preservation.
Violations & Fines
Grading or building near a preserved tree without the required retaining wall or drywell protection is a Land Development Code violation under section 10-5.5(B), enforced by the Code Compliance Division and Special Magistrate under Chapter 2 of the City Code. The Chief Building Official can issue a Stop Work Order on the grading or construction, and damage to a tree designated for preservation triggers remedial pruning or replacement obligations under section 10-4.4(F)(9), on top of misdemeanor and civil-fine exposure under section 10-5.5(D).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tamarac require a retaining wall around trees I'm keeping during construction?
Does Tamarac set a general height limit for retaining walls?
What if fill dirt is added near a tree I'm preserving?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tamarac
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Retaining Walls in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Broward County handle retaining walls.