Concrete Retaining Walls in Port Orchard, WA

Retaining walls in Port Orchard: what to know

Begin with height, measured from the footing’s base to the crest, as POMC 20.200.012(2) sets out. Four feet or less, free of any surcharge and with no Class I, Class II, or Class III-A liquid impounded behind it, keeps the wall outside the building permit. Loads on the ground behind the wall go on the record before the design is settled, because a surcharge is what moves a wall out of the exemption.

Water behind the wall needs a planned route. The drain should discharge inside the property line, never onto the street, a sidewalk, or a neighboring lot. On a sloping site we also check the discharge against the ground below, so the drain does not overload a bank that is already unstable.

Permits and rules in Port Orchard

We confirm each wall’s height, load, and position against the public right-of-way before we quote. A wall that reaches the right-of-way gets its own review, which we confirm with the city. We also confirm the drain outlet for your parcel, so the wall and the drain are settled as one design.

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 crest
Record any surcharge or liquid load that bears on the wall
Confirm the wall sits clear of the public right-of-way
Settle the drain outlet inside the parcel before footing work

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 Port Orchard

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

Questions from Port Orchard homeowners

How tall can a Port Orchard wall be without a permit?

Under POMC 20.200.012(2), a wall four feet or lower can go without a building permit when nothing surcharges it and it impounds no Class I, Class II, or Class III-A liquid. Anything taller leaves that exemption, so we settle which permit path your address follows before the design is locked.

Does material behind a Port Orchard wall alter the permit path?

It can. A surcharge removes the wall from the four-foot exemption, so we record any slope, structure, or added load behind it before the permit path is set.

Where does the drain behind a Port Orchard wall discharge?

Inside the property line, clear of the street and the neighboring lot. A drain aimed at the public right-of-way is a separate question, which we confirm with the city before we connect anything.