Retaining wall permit checklist — Tempe, Arizona
Assembled from Tempe’s own published permit rules. Every line below is quoted from a city document and linked to it. Nothing here is generated, estimated, or inferred from another jurisdiction.
Do you need a permit?
Tempe requires a permit for a retaining wall.
The Tempe Administrative Code as currently codified (City Code Sec. 8-105, 105.2) exempts a retaining wall standing 4 feet or less, measured from footing base to wall top, provided it does not support a surcharge or impound Class I, II or III-A liquids. The Building Safety Division's Inspection Requirements sheet states the threshold differently: it requires a building permit and inspections when a wall exceeds 4 feet measured from footing base to wall top, retains more than 3 feet of earth, supports a surcharge, or impounds a flammable liquid.
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Sources
- retaining wall — permit rules ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Tempe publishes rules for
Listed because the city publishes a separate rule for each type — not because this project necessarily triggers one. Whether it does depends on your scope of work.
- Deck permit checklist
- Fence permit checklist
- Shed permit checklist
- Water heater permit checklist
- Re-roof permit checklist
- Electrical work permit checklist
- General building work permit checklist
BuildSpec is a reference, not the authority having jurisdiction. Confirm requirements with Tempe before you build.