Retaining wall permit checklist — Burlington, Vermont
Assembled from Burlington’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?
Burlington requires a permit for a retaining wall.
The retaining wall setback provisions do not apply to retaining walls acting as seawalls and constructed along, and parallel to, the banks of any river, stream, or brook, or constructed in whole or in part below the 102' elevation along the Lake Champlain Shoreline.
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Sources
- retaining wall — permit rules, retaining wall — fee schedule ↗verified August 2026
Other permits Burlington 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 Burlington before you build.