Monroe walls, slabs, and right-of-way permits
Monroe’s building guidance says no building permit is needed for a retaining wall no taller than 4 feet, measured from the footing upward to the wall’s top surface, when the wall carries no extra load such as a fence or soil sloping down to its top. Otherwise a building permit is needed. A residential deck or walking surface that rises above 30 inches at any point also needs one.
Driveways and walks sitting at or under 30 inches over adjacent grade are exempt when no basement or story sits below them and they are not part of an accessible route. The street side is a separate track. The Engineering Department issues right-of-way permits, while the city’s right-of-way guidance names driveway approach and sidewalk work, plus new storm sewer connections, among common permit items.
Stormwater runs on its own rules. The site plan items for existing development point to the 2019 Ecology manual, and new construction of one detached single-family home on one legally created lot is exempt from site plan review. Grading has separate guidance, and we confirm its triggers with the Permit Division before any dig.
Nearby, we also build in Snohomish, Lake Stevens, Duvall, and Carnation, and we serve the rest of western Washington.