An official resource for retaining wall engineering regulations and industry expertise to inform and assist property owners on retaining wall replacement and retaining wall construction.
Learn how retaining wall regulations require engineering plans, topographical surveys, site plans and building permits are acquired and why they are beneficial to property owners.
Learn about the most popular types of retaining walls as well as the requisite construction steps for each. This knowledge is intended to help property owners ask relevant questions when interviewing local retaining wall companies.
Locate a reputable retaining wall contractor with structural and civil engineers and a regulation compliance team approved by each state, county and city.
Retaining Wall Regulations
Sometimes considered a cumbersome overreach, regulations act as safeguards to protect consumers physically, financially, and legally by ensuring retaining walls are safe, sound, and suitable for the site.
- Structural Safety
Retaining walls maintain soil stability and prevent erosion or landslides. If they are not properly designed or built, they can collapse, causing injury, death, or property damage. Regulations ensure that walls are engineered to handle the pressure from soil, water, and environmental conditions.
- Code Compliance
Regulations ensure that retaining walls comply with local building codes, which reflect best practices, updated safety standards, and geotechnical considerations. Compliance protects the homeowner from liability and costly legal or insurance issues.
- Professional Oversight
Permits require that a licensed engineer inspects the wall, ensuring expertise is applied. This reduces the risk of poor workmanship or shortcuts that could lead to failure.
- Property Protection
Improperly built retaining walls can lead to water drainage issues, flooding, or shifting soil, which can damage both the owner’s and neighboring properties. Regulations ensure proper drainage and grading are addressed during construction avoiding liability issues that would otherwise arise.
- Legal and Financial Protection
Without proper permits, homeowners may face fines, be required to remove or rebuild the wall, or encounter issues when selling the property. A permitted and engineered wall adds to the long-term value and insurability of the property.
- Environmental Impact
Large retaining walls can disrupt natural drainage, harm vegetation, or affect nearby ecosystems. Regulations help minimize these effects.
Add Functional Space to Your Property
The purpose of a retaining wall is to create a level, stabile, functional space from ground otherwise too sloped to be usable. This functional area can be used for large structures like shopping centers or homes, or small structures such as a driveway extension, patio, play area for children, or an outdoor swimming pool.
Stop Soil Erosion
An engineered retaining wall with an effective drainage system is a perfect solution for both residential and commercial property owners experiencing mild to severe soil erosion.
Engineered Walls
A structural engineering plan is crucial to the short and long-term success of a retaining wall over four feet in height. The plan should be filed at your designated courthouse or city hall. Once approved, your licensed retaining wall contractor will obtain and post the permit before work begins.
More sophisticated projects are designed by a professional retaining wall contractor working with a structural and/or civil engineer. Find local professionals by clicking your state above.
What is a Retaining Wall Contractor?
A retaining wall contractor specializes in the planning and construction of industrial, commercial or residential retaining walls. Retaining wall contractors employ structural engineers approved by the appropriate municipality to plan, conduct site inspections and certify the retaining wall.
When constructed upon a slope, swimming pools, for instance, often require a retaining wall for support. To ensure the load weight and bearing capacities of the support wall are within the limits to support the swimming pool above it, a retaining wall contractor should be involved in and be responsible for the entire project, as its success is dependent upon the retaining wall support structure. A swimming pool contractor does not have the necessary retaining wall specifications training and geotechnical experience required to build a retaining wall guaranteed to support the swimming pool load and bearing built into the sloped earth. In this example, the retaining wall contractor and his structural engineer will work together under the close supervision of a city or county inspector. However, it remains the property owner’s responsibility to verify this occurs.
Be aware that contractors sometimes purchase the engineering plans simply to obtain approval of the building permit and have no intention of following through with inspections. Absent these required engineering site visits and city or county inspection approval stamps, the permit can not be officially closed, nor will the structure be certified. In such cases, there is no legal recourse for the property owner should the swimming pool begin to shift, crack, leak or slide down the hill.
Picture of the Week
Retaining Wall Engineering Regulations for Cities and Counties
Locating reliable information on retaining wall engineering regulations for cities and counties within your state is now always available! Please take a moment and perform the due diligence that leads to intelligent decisions on hiring retaining wall companies.
This month’s featured project.
Is Modular Block the Best Choice for Retaining Walls?
While the initial cost for modular retaining wall block seems cheap when compared to more durable retaining wall materials, modular block has higher risks of failure and reduced visual appeal.
Designed to reduce hydrostatic pressure, modular retaining wall block is porous which allows moisture to pass through the block. Unfortunately, staining occurs as moisture passes through the block with each rainfall. Even worse, when the wet block gets little or no direct sunlight, modular block may even breed mildew or mold. For these reasons, modular block retaining walls are best used in low visibility areas.