Concrete Retaining Walls in Lake Forest Park, WA

Retaining walls in Lake Forest Park: what to know

The help topic measures a wall by its overall height and names no measuring point, so the section shows both the footing depth and the wall’s top, and staff confirm where the height is taken. Loads are logged as carefully as height. A slope, a driveway, or a house behind the wall changes how the wall is read, so each such load is plotted on the site plan at its distance from the face.

Water collected behind the wall is routed to an outlet that serves only this lot, away from a neighbor’s yard, a creek bank, or the foundation. Drainage that leaves the site or ties into the city’s stormwater network is a major clearing and grading item, so that outlet is confirmed before the design is set.

Permits and rules in Lake Forest Park

Before quoting, we check whether the overall height passes four feet, since that line sets the building permit and the sealed design. A wall over four feet goes forward with a building permit application and a structural design sealed by a professional engineer holding a Washington license. Footings bring in the clearing and grading application, and the 2023 ordinance is confirmed for any wall close to the line.

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

How we approach it

Record the overall height and confirm the measuring point
Log every surcharge with its distance from the face
Show the drain layer and outlet on the section
Commission sealed structural design above four feet

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 Lake Forest Park

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

Questions from Lake Forest Park homeowners

Does Lake Forest Park’s wall checklist set a permit line?

Yes. Help Topic 1.3 says a permit is needed for walls over four feet in overall height. The checklist does not state a measuring point, and the 2023 ordinance is confirmed with staff for any wall near that line.

Is a bank behind a Lake Forest Park wall a surcharge the city reviews?

The help topic does not address surcharge, so a bank or a building behind the wall is a load we bring to staff before the design is fixed. A wall of four feet or less with a load behind it may still need that review.

Do Lake Forest Park walls need an engineer’s sealed design?

Walls over four feet do. The help topic calls for sealed, signed originals from a professional engineer holding a Washington license, and a soils report from a geotechnical engineer may be needed where geologic hazards or steep slopes exist.