Snohomish retaining wall permit types
Snohomish’s Title 14 code requires a retaining wall permit for every retaining wall. The state building code exempts a wall four feet or less in height from the building permit unless it supports a surcharge or impounds Class I, II, or III-A liquids, but that exemption does not waive the city’s permit. Under SMC 14.110.070, a wall four feet or less takes a Type 1 permit only when it needs neither structural calculations nor a drainage system. A series of such walls moves to Type 2 when the slope taken from the base of the lowest wall to the top of the highest exceeds 1.5 feet horizontal to 1.0 foot vertical. A Type 2 permit covers walls above four feet and requires a geotechnical report, structural calculations, and a drainage system behind the wall. The Planning Director decides both types administratively, and appeals go to the Hearing Examiner. Except where the code provides otherwise, a private wall may not sit in city right-of-way or extend into a neighboring lot.
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