Concrete Retaining Walls in Spanaway, WA

Retaining walls in Spanaway: what to know

A Spanaway wall is more often two to four feet than tall. Pierce County exempts walls up to 4 feet with no surcharge, but a wall over 2 feet that supports a surcharge needs a permit. Even a wall of 4 feet or less loses its exemption if the load sits within a 45-degree zone off the bottom of the footing.

Drainage is where Spanaway differs from till country. The soil is gravelly and takes water readily, but the county requires every wall to be properly drained, and the pipe at the base needs a working outlet. Near the lake, shallow groundwater feeds Spanaway Lake itself, so a footing close to the shore can sit in wetter ground than the street side of the same lot.

Permits and rules in Spanaway

Pierce County Planning and Public Works issues the permit. Its retaining wall bulletin sets the line at 4 feet from the bottom of the footing to the top, or over 2 feet when the wall carries a surcharge, and permitted walls need plans by a Washington-registered engineer. A wall at the water’s edge is a bulkhead, which the county regulates under its shoreline rules at any size. We check current requirements, and any critical area on your parcel, before we quote.

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 bottom of the footing, not the grade you see
Map what sits behind the wall: driveway, shed, slab, or septic lines
Route the wall drain to a legal outlet that can soak in
Settle the engineer and permit path before we price the wall

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 Spanaway

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

Questions from Spanaway homeowners

Is a 3 foot retaining wall in Spanaway exempt from a permit?

Only if it carries no load. Pierce County exempts walls up to 4 feet with no surcharge, but a wall over 2 feet that supports a driveway, building, or similar load needs a permit and engineered plans.

I live on Spanaway Lake. Can you build a wall at the shoreline?

A wall at the water’s edge is a bulkhead, regulated under the county’s shoreline rules at any size, and taller ones need a building permit and environmental review. We pull the county’s requirements first and tell you early if the work is realistic.

Why does a wall here need a drain if Spanaway soil is so gravelly?

Gravel moves water well, but a wall is still a barrier, and heavy rain or high winter groundwater can load it. The county requires proper drainage on every wall, and a working outlet keeps pressure off the stem.