Retaining wall permit checklist — Aurora, Illinois
Assembled from Aurora’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?
Aurora requires a permit for a retaining wall.
Amended section R105.2 of the City's residential code exempts a retaining wall up to 4 feet tall, with height taken from the footing's base up to the wall's top, provided the wall does not support a surcharge. The same section exempts projects where, in the opinion of the building official, the material costs are under $750, or where the material plus labor costs are less than $1,500, unless the building official determines a permit is necessary to cure a code violation citation.
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Sources
- retaining wall — permit rules ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Aurora 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 Aurora before you build.