Registry
Site & Exterior
Retaining wall
Wall retaining earth (landscape blocks, CMU, poured).
partialHB 803: ambiguousreviewed never
Who can pull the permit
- CGCCertified General Contractor
- CBCCertified Building Contractor
- CRCCertified Residential Contractor
- SPEC-CONCRETEConcrete Forming & Placing (county specialty)
- OWNER-BUILDEROwner-occupied 1–2 family (FS 489.103(7))
Decision — first matching row wins
| # | When | Permit | Type | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (height_ft > 4 OR surcharge is yes) | yes | Building — Retaining Wall | FBC §105.2 exempts only walls ≤ 4 ft (footing to top) that do not support a surcharge or impound liquids. |
| 2 | otherwise | conditional | Possibly exempt — confirm local rule | Under 4 ft with no surcharge is exempt under FBC §105.2 — but drainage/fill rules may still apply locally. Reviewer to confirm. |
Inputs the rule needs
- height_ftHeight from bottom of footing to top (ft)required
- surchargeSupports a surcharge (driveway, structure, slope above)?
Documents (base)
- Owner authorization / signed permit application (owner or agent signature, notarized where the authority requires)
- Site plan / survey showing property lines, setbacks, easements, septic and the proposed work
- Engineered wall detail if > 4 ft or surcharged
- Contractor registration current with the county (license, GL insurance, workers' comp or exemption on file)