Retaining Walls

It may be desirable to build a new retaining wall where none previously existed or rebuild a retaining wall that is deficient. Any wall more than three feet high will require a permit in all of the jurisdictions around the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. This requirement has arisen because of the numerous residential retaining wall failures that have occurred. Retaining walls have frequently been constructed primarily as landscaping features without adequate engineering. With proper engineering there are a wide range of alternatives for wall materials and appearance that will perform properly.

Retaining walls constructed on steep slopes generally require more engineering and are more expensive to construct.