Temecula, CA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

The Temecula Municipal Code defines a retaining wall in Section 18.03.020 as "a wall designed to resist the lateral displacement of soil or other materials." That definition sits inside Title 18, the city's grading and encroachment title, which controls any wall tied to a cut, fill or slope on private property. Section 18.15.060, Setbacks, requires every setback near a graded slope or drainage structure to follow the standards in the city's Engineering and Construction Manual, based on the recommendation of a civil or geotechnical engineer and subject to the city engineer's approval. The same section gives property owners a practical option: a retaining wall can be used to reduce the setback distance the city would otherwise require, once the city engineer signs off on the design.

Because a retaining wall usually involves excavation for footings, it typically falls under the grading permit process in Chapter 18.06. Section 18.06.060(A) exempts only shallow excavation for footings from a grading permit, and specifically states that exemption does not cover "any excavation having an unsupported height greater than two feet after the completion of such structure," meaning taller walls trigger permit and plan-check review. Section 18.24.020(A) confirms that "separate permits and fees shall apply to retaining walls or major drainage structures," so a retaining wall is billed and reviewed apart from the rest of a grading or building permit. Plans must be prepared to Engineering and Construction Manual standards and are checked by the city engineer's office before work begins.