Winter Haven, FL Fence Regulations: Retaining Walls (2026)

Section 21-68 of the Unified Land Development Code treats retaining walls as a distinct category from ordinary fences and walls, even though it houses the rules for all three together. Section 21-68(g) sets a flat five-foot minimum setback from the property line for every retaining wall in the City, regardless of zoning district, height, or whether the wall also functions as a decorative subdivision screening feature. That setback applies on top of the general maintenance duty in Section 21-68(f): a property owner must keep any fence, wall or retaining wall in its original designed condition, replacing missing boards, pickets, posts or gates in a timely manner with matching material, type, quality and finish.

Critically, Section 21-68(f) makes repairs to a retaining wall a permitted activity in its own right: repairs to any wall of any height, any fence over six feet, and all retaining walls all require a City building permit, not just the original installation. Retaining walls are also named among the uses exempt from the height table and material standards that apply to ordinary fences and walls under Section 21-68(c)(6), since their engineering purpose, holding back soil or grade, differs from a screening or security fence.

Where a decorative subdivision screening wall doubles as a retaining structure, the five-foot setback for retaining walls under Section 21-68(g) matches the five-foot setback Section 21-68(h)(3) sets for single-family subdivision screening walls generally, so the two standards line up rather than conflict.