Bothell’s wall, driveway, and stormwater sources
The retaining wall handout requires a permit for any wall over four feet, or any wall supporting a surcharge, and offers three design routes: the standard rockery detail, a prescriptive IRC or IBC method, or a design stamped by an engineer or architect. The handout does not state how height is measured. The building exemption list measures from the footing bottom to the wall top.
A driveway permit comes from the public works director under the city code. A right-of-way invasion permit covers driveway approaches and sidewalk work, and the right-of-way page gives no decision time and no issuing office, so both are confirmed with staff. Sidewalk repair is listed as city crew work, and frontage duty is not stated.
The stormwater references disagree. Section 12.64.302 cites a City of Bothell Storm Water Design Manual with no year and lists driveways and patios as hard surface, while section 18.05.090 cites the King County Surface Water Design Manual. Neither gives a square-foot trigger, and a soils report applies to Type II grading moving more than 500 cubic yards.
Nearby, we also build in Kenmore, Woodinville, Kirkland, and Lake Forest Park, and we serve the rest of western Washington.