Do I need a Permit for retaining wall
construction?
The reason of every retaining wall permit
should be to safeguard what you appreciate most – your family
and your home. Defective retaining wall installations may cause
property damage, flood damage and structural instability. But
permits and inspections help safeguard your loved ones from
these potentially deadly mistakes. Permits also help you stay
away from costly repairs later on and preserve your biggest
financial investment – the house. When selling the house, you
might be required to fully disclose all remodeling work and
whether or not permits were obtained. With permits and
inspections, you will probably have a smoother closing process,
free of last- minute problems, inspections and repair work if
the house isn’t up to code. So insist on
permits.
Retaining
walls ought to be avoided if possible. If a retaining wall is
needed, please note that in most cities:
When the
retaining wall construction is above. 6m(24”) need a Building
Permit.
If the
retaining wall exceeds 1. 22m(4’) tall, then the drawings
submitted with the Building Permit application must be prepared
and sealed by a Professional Engineer.
Most
Building Code requires a protective barrier for instance a
railing or fence if there is a difference in elevation to the
adjacent surfaces over. 6m(24”) . The railing needs to be a
minimum of. 9m(36”) in height to prevent accidental falls from
one level to the other. If the difference in elevation between
the two surfaces exceeds 1. 8m(5. 9’) , the protective barrier
needs to be at least 1. 07m(42”) in height.
Retaining
wall construction is not permitted on city property or utility
rights- of- way. City property includes road rights- of- way
and also the adjoining boulevard in addition to municipal and
environmental reserves.
A retaining
wall and its foundation must not encroach onto City property,
your neighbor’s property or onto a utility right- of-
way.
Retaining
wall construction can change established lot grades which can
hinder established lot drainage. The Land Use Bylaw forbids
directing surface drainage onto you neighbor’s property.
Corrective measures could be necessary at your
expense.
While a
properly constructed retaining walls is more unlikely to
fail(for example collapse, crack, or topple) there is still a
possibility that failure may happen. The failure will affect
your investment and may cause costly repairs which you the
owner are responsible to pay for.
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