Concrete Retaining Walls in Orting, WA

Retaining walls in Orting: what to know

Wall height is taken from the footing’s bottom edge up to the wall’s top, the same measure the state guideline uses. The allowance stops applying once a surcharge leans on the wall or once the wall impounds a Class I, II, or III-A liquid. The text we read does not define surcharge, so a sloped bank or a driveway behind the wall is raised with the city before the design is set.

Wall drains need a discharge the parcel can accept. Orting’s exemption section says exempt work still may not create illicit discharges, including spills of oil or hazardous substances, so each outlet is placed on the lot where the flow can soak in or move off without reaching a walk or a neighbor’s yard. We settle that point on the plan before footing work starts.

Permits and rules in Orting

We measure each wall, classify its loads, and check the result against WAC 51-16-080 before quoting. Above four feet, or with a surcharge, the wall leaves the exemption, so we confirm with the building department which permit track applies to yours. Where the wall adds new development to a lot, we also check the stormwater review under section 9-5A-7 before the design is final.

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’s base up to the wall’s top edge
Classify each bank, driveway, or liquid load on the wall
Confirm the permit track for any wall over four feet
Fix the drain outlet on the lot before footings are placed

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 Orting

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

Questions from Orting homeowners

What height of Orting retaining wall skips the building permit?

The state exemption guideline, WAC 51-16-080, reaches walls four feet high or less, measured from the footing’s base to the top, unless a surcharge presses on them or they impound Class I, II, or III-A liquids. A taller wall falls outside that reach, so we confirm its permit track with the city before design.

Does a bank above an Orting wall change the answer?

It can. The exemption does not apply to a wall supporting a surcharge, and the text we read does not define the term, so we ask the city how a sloped bank or a driveway behind the wall is treated.

Where should drainage from an Orting wall go?

To a point on your own lot that can accept it, not onto a walk or a neighbor’s frontage. Because exempt work still has to avoid illicit discharges, we confirm the outlet before the footing is poured.