Concrete Retaining Walls in Arlington, WA

Retaining walls in Arlington: what to know

Height runs from the underside of the footing to the top edge of the wall, the reading the handout uses. The footing’s depth is recorded on the first drawing alongside the wall top, so height is never estimated from grade. Surcharges are logged with equal care: fill placed behind the wall, a slope above it, a driveway nearby, or a building close behind the top edge, each with its distance from the face.

The outlet is planned together with the wall, not added afterward. The city’s wall handout does not state drainage, liquid, or setback rules, so the outlet is confirmed with staff for each site. Outlets sit where they will not wet a neighbor or undermine the footing, and the section shows the backfill.

Permits and rules in Arlington

Walls over four feet are sent for permit with their drawings. Shorter walls with a surcharge follow the same route. We confirm a shorter wall with no surcharge and no liquid load against the exemption list before quoting. Drainage and liquid loads are not stated in the handout, so those points stay open until staff reply.

Rules change and vary by parcel, so we confirm the current requirements with the city before we start.

How we approach it

Read height from footing bottom to wall top
Note each surcharge and its offset from the face
Confirm wall drainage with staff for each site
Show backfill and the outlet on the wall section

For the full process, see our Retaining Walls page.

Building in the cold months? See our guide to winter concrete pours.

Our retaining walls work, serving Arlington

Examples of our work. We build retaining walls in Arlington and the cities around it. See all of our work

Questions from Arlington homeowners

How tall can an Arlington retaining wall be without a permit?

A wall four feet or less, read from the underside of the footing to the top, can go without a permit when it carries no surcharge and holds no liquid of the listed classes. Anything over four feet needs one, so the footing depth is confirmed before the height is set.

Does a driveway behind an Arlington wall alter the result?

It can. The handout treats any added load bearing on or against the wall, such as fill, as a surcharge. A surcharge brings a permit requirement even for a wall four feet or less. We measure the distance and the load before confirming.

Who confirms drainage for an Arlington retaining wall?

The city’s wall handout does not state drainage rules, so we ask city staff for each site and show the reply on the drawing. Until it arrives, the outlet stays marked open in the estimate.