Retaining wall permit checklist — Virginia Beach, Virginia
Assembled from Virginia Beach’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?
Virginia Beach requires a permit for a retaining wall.
Under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, which is the building code enforced in Virginia Beach, application for a permit and any related inspections are not required for retaining walls supporting less than three feet of unbalanced fill that are not built to impound Class I, II or III-A liquids and do not support a surcharge other than ordinary unbalanced fill. Concrete or masonry walls are also exempt provided they do not exceed six feet in height above the finished grade, with ornamental column caps not counted toward that six-foot measurement. Where an owner or an owner's agent asks that a permit be issued for exempt work, the permit is issued and any related inspections are required. Application for a permit may still be required by the building official for exempted items located in a special flood hazard area.
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Sources
- retaining wall — permit rules, retaining wall — fee schedule ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach before you build.