Concrete Retaining Walls in Shoreline, WA

Retaining walls in Shoreline: what to know

The footing depth goes on the first drawing, and the wall’s height is measured from that footing to its top edge. Loads deserve the same care. Sloped backfill, an adjacent structure, a driveway, a road, or a parking area behind the wall are all listed as surcharge examples in the 2008 handout. That handout is dated, so each example is checked against current code for the address rather than taken as settled.

Drainage is designed with the wall rather than added later. Water goes to an outlet that will not wet a neighbor, the sidewalk, or the foundation above, and drain material and backfill are drawn on the section. Where fill or excavation reaches 500 cubic yards, the city’s clearing and grading checklist calls for a geotechnical or soils report, so that report is scheduled with the design.

Permits and rules in Shoreline

Each wall beyond the exemption is read for height and loads, then checked against current code for the address. Liquid loads behind a residential wall are not settled in the sources we read, so we confirm that point before quoting. Where the city asks for engineered drawings, a Washington-registered engineer prepares them, and that work is lined up before the layout is fixed. The outlet is reviewed in the same pass.

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

How we approach it

Note the footing depth on the first drawing
Mark each surcharge with its distance from the face
Show the outlet in plan so the route can be traced
Line up sealed engineering before the layout is fixed

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 Shoreline

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

Questions from Shoreline homeowners

How tall can a Shoreline retaining wall stand without a permit?

The planning handout exempts residential walls not over four feet in height that do not support a surcharge. Height is read from the footing, so a wall that looks four feet from the top may not qualify. We check current code for the address before quoting the wall.

Does a hillside behind a Shoreline wall alter its review?

It can. Sloped backfill is named as a surcharge in the planning handout, so a slope pressing on the wall can take it out of the exemption even at four feet or less. We confirm the slope and the loads for the address before the design is issued.

Do Shoreline retaining walls need sealed plans?

Engineered drawings are prepared by a Washington-registered engineer when the city asks for them. We line up that work before the layout is fixed, so the schedule is not held later, and whether a particular wall needs them is confirmed with the city.