Troup County, GA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Sec. 4.5, Fences and retaining walls, opens with regulations that apply to all zoning districts in unincorporated Troup County, including AG and AG-R: retaining walls, like fences, must be maintained in good repair, may step down a slope only if their supports remain vertical and plumb, and must have their supports face inward toward the property being retained rather than the neighbor's side. Height is measured from the grade plane, the same rule used for fences. A more specific construction standard applies in the SU-R, SU-VL, and UR-VL districts: Sec.

4.5(3)(c) requires those retaining walls to be built of decorative concrete modular block or faced with stone, brick, or textured cement masonry, a facing requirement the ordinance does not extend by name to AG, AG-R, LR, LC, HC, LI, or HI. Setback placement is governed separately in Sec. 4.3, Encroachments into required yards: a retaining wall, grouped with cornices, eaves, chimneys, and fencing, may project up to 3 feet into a required front, side, or rear yard setback, provided it stays at least 3 feet off the property line itself.

Where a retaining wall doubles as a landscape buffer feature, Appendix C's buffer standards separately allow retaining walls inside a required buffer to protect natural grade for trees and shrubs, so long as the wall does not block utility elements running through the buffer. The Community Development Director administers both the general Sec. 4.5 standards and the Sec. 4.3 encroachment allowance.