Cobb County, GA Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)
Key Facts
- Height within 5 ft of line
- 6 feet max
- Height increase rate
- +5 ft per 5 ft setback
- Tiered wall spacing
- At least 5 feet apart
- Interpolation
- Not permitted
Summary
Cobb County caps residential retaining wall height at six feet when built within five feet of the property line, letting height grow five feet for every additional five feet of setback.
When retaining walls are constructed on residential lots, excluding subdivisions or other residential developments that are under active construction and have not yet been accepted for maintenance by Cobb County, the exposed portion of a retaining wall, as measured from the adjacent property owners side of the wall, cannot exceed six feet in height when constructed within five feet of the property line. The height of a retaining wall can increase an additional five feet in height, as measured from the adjacent property owners side of the exposed wall, per each additional five feet that the retaining wall is off of the property line, provided that a landscape buffer is provided and approved by county staff.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53).
Full Breakdown
On residential lots (excluding subdivisions still under active construction), Cobb County's zoning code caps the exposed face of a retaining wall at six feet when it's built within five feet of the property line. The allowed height rises five feet for each additional five feet the wall sits back from the line, provided a county-approved landscape buffer is included; five-foot increments cannot be interpolated. Tiered retaining walls must be spaced at least five feet apart, measured top-of-lower-wall to bottom-of-upper-wall.
Violations & Fines
Retaining walls exceeding the height allowed for their distance from the property line, or tiered walls spaced less than five feet apart, violate the zoning ordinance and are subject to enforcement requiring modification.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall can a retaining wall be near my Cobb County property line?
Can I split the difference between the five-foot height increments?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cobb County
Compare Cobb County to another location·View the Georgia fence regulations overview
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