West Jordan, UT Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

West Jordan's grading standards, codified at City Code title 8, chapter 10, treat retaining walls as part of the natural-grade limits that apply to every lot in the city. Section 8-10-1(C) caps how much the original grade of a lot can be raised or lowered for construction: four feet at any point, unless a retaining wall is used to reduce the steepness of a manmade slope, in which case the grade may be changed up to six feet, or more than six feet if the site is terraced, so long as the wall or terracing complies with subsection G.

Subsection G, 'Terracing and Retaining Walls,' sets the actual construction standards. A retaining wall built to support a steep slope cannot exceed six feet in height measured from finished grade. If a site uses terracing instead of a single tall wall, the code allows only two tiers: the flat terrace between two four-foot walls must be at least three feet wide, and any wall taller than four feet has to sit at least five horizontal feet from the next retaining wall. Every terrace created between walls must be permanently landscaped or revegetated, not left as bare dirt.

The walls themselves must be faced with stone or earth-colored materials that match the surrounding natural landscape, ruling out unfinished concrete block or mismatched facing. Because retaining wall construction almost always involves grading or excavation, section 8-10-1(A) requires a Land Disturbance Permit from the city before work starts, whether the wall is for a building site, a road, or a driveway. These grading standards trace to 2001 Code section 89-4-504, were amended in the 2009 Code, and were most recently updated by Ordinance 19-48, effective at noon on January 6, 2020.