Waco, TX Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Sec. 28-212 sits in Division 3, 'Requirements and Standards for Site Development,' which applies whenever a development plan is required under Sec. 28-172, meaning a site-work permit, a permit for constructing or substantially altering a parking lot, a building permit, or a certificate of occupancy for a building; single-family dwellings are exempt from that development-plan trigger. Under subsection (a), a site's existing topographic pattern, including overall rise, fall and slope direction, must be maintained unless modification is necessary to improve a buildable area or provide a specific aesthetic enhancement.

Subsection (b) is the operative retaining-wall rule: retaining walls and other structural elements, if required, must be designed by a registered professional engineer rather than built off a generic table. Subsections (c) and (d) tie into that requirement: stormwater direction and volume must be engineered to minimize adverse effects on surrounding property and avoid ponding on-site or on adjacent land, the grading and drainage plans must clearly show the effect of proposed changes on drainage flow in the vicinity, and the plans must also comply with the city's separate stormwater management regulations.

Because Sec. 28-212 falls under development-plan review, a retaining wall tied to site grading is reviewed alongside the rest of a development plan submitted with a site-work permit, building permit, or certificate-of-occupancy application, and the building official can require revisions or withhold approval until the grading and drainage standards, including the engineer-design requirement, are met.