Concrete Retaining Walls in Kenmore, WA

Retaining walls in Kenmore: what to know

The state list we retrieved leaves a retaining wall out of permit when its height, measured from footing base to wall top, stays at four feet or less, provided no surcharge bears on it and no Class I, II, or III-A liquid is impounded. That text amends a 1991 edition, so the edition Kenmore adopted controls, and we confirm its wording before a wall is classed as exempt. A wall above that height, or one carrying a surcharge, is not exempt, and its permit route is confirmed with the permit technician.

The single-family addition and alteration checklist lists retaining walls as a site plan item, so each wall appears on the drawing with its height, its footing depth, and any load it carries. We record each possible surcharge as well: a slope above the wall, a driveway behind it, or a structure above it all go on the drawing as possible loads.

Permits and rules in Kenmore

Before quoting, we confirm the state-list track for each wall with the permit technician, and we ask the building official for the design route of any wall above four feet or carrying a surcharge. We measure height from the footing base, record each load, and note whether the wall sits near a driveway or structure before the design is fixed. The answers are filed to the job so the estimate shows which walls are settled.

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

How we approach it

Measure height from the footing base to the wall top
Record each surcharge and liquid load on the drawing
Ask the building official for the design route above four feet
Show every wall on the site plan the checklist calls for

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 Kenmore

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

Questions from Kenmore homeowners

Do short Kenmore retaining walls need a permit at all?

Under the state list we retrieved, a wall no taller than four feet from footing base to top is excused from permit, unless it carries a surcharge or holds back Class I, II, or III-A liquids. We confirm the edition wording before relying on that exemption.

How tall can a Kenmore retaining wall be without an engineer?

The sources we read state no Kenmore height rule for an engineered design. We ask the building official which route applies to your wall height and loads, and we put that answer in writing before the footing is set.

Does a slope above a Kenmore wall change the review?

It can. Under the state text we retrieved, a surcharge takes a wall out of the exempt group regardless of height, so any slope, driveway, or structure pressing on the wall is logged as a possible surcharge on the drawing.