Retaining wall permit checklist — Richmond, Virginia
Assembled from Richmond’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?
Richmond requires a permit for a retaining wall.
Retaining walls supporting less than 3 feet of unbalanced fill do not require a building permit, unless the wall is constructed to impound Class I, II or III-A liquids or supports a surcharge other than ordinary unbalanced fill. Concrete or masonry walls not exceeding 6 feet in height above finished grade are also exempt; ornamental column caps are not counted toward that height and may extend above it. Zoning regulations may still apply to an exempt wall.
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Sources
- retaining wall — fee schedule ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Richmond 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
- 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 Richmond before you build.