Concrete Retaining Walls in Lake Tapps, WA

Retaining walls in Lake Tapps: what to know

Before height or footings, a lakeside wall raises one question: does it hold back a yard, or the lake? A wall that holds back the shore itself is generally a bulkhead, a separate category: the county puts every bulkhead under shoreline rules, and Cascade requires a license. This page covers upland walls: a driveway cut, a terrace on the slope, the edge of a planting bed.

Setbacks come next. The county’s code sets a 50-foot setback for Lake Tapps, measured from the 543-foot full-pool line. Where Cascade’s dikes run behind a lot, its policy says new retaining walls are generally not allowed on them.

Permits and rules in Lake Tapps

Pierce County requires a building permit and plans from a Washington engineer for a wall over 4 feet from footing bottom to top, or over 2 feet if it supports a surcharge such as a driveway. Even a shorter wall can need one when a surcharge sits within a 45-degree angle of its footing. Moving 50 cubic yards or more, or working near a drainage course, can add a site development permit. We confirm current requirements for your parcel before we quote.

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

How we approach it

Measure from the footing bottom and note any driveway or house above
Place the wall against the 543-foot line and the shoreline setback
Bring in a Washington engineer when height or surcharge requires one
Drain behind the wall to a place the water can legally go

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 Tapps

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

Questions from Lake Tapps homeowners

At what height does a retaining wall on a sloped Lake Tapps lot need an engineer?

In Pierce County, a wall over 4 feet from footing bottom to top needs a permit and engineered plans, and one carrying a driveway or building load can need them above 2 feet. Shorter walls near the shore or on steep ground can still draw review.

Is a wall between my Lake Tapps yard and the water a retaining wall or a bulkhead?

A wall that holds back the shore itself is generally a bulkhead. The county regulates every bulkhead under shoreline rules, and Cascade requires a license. Bulkhead questions go to the county and Cascade first; the walls on this page are upland ones.

Can I put a new retaining wall on a Cascade dike next to my Lake Tapps lot?

Cascade’s policy says new retaining walls are generally not allowed on its dikes, with exceptions possible only at Dikes 3, 10, and 11. Elsewhere on its land, permission is still required. We sort out whose ground is whose first.