Georgia Retaining Wall Engineering and Permit Requirements
DIY Retaining Wall offers engineering services in Georgia.
Note, many municipalities refer to retaining wall designs to be sealed by a “Georgia Registered Structural Engineer”, however, what they mean is a licensed professional engineer (PE) with a structural focus. In Georgia, only structures defined as “designated structures” by the Georgia PELS Board require a Structural Engineer (PE), and this excludes retaining walls.
The Georgia State Minimum Standard states:
Retaining walls that are not laterally supported at the top and that retain in excess of 24 inches of unbalanced fill shall be designed to ensure stability against overturning, sliding, excessive foundation pressure and water uplift. Retaining walls shall be designed for a safety factor of 1.5 against lateral sliding and overturning.
The IRC 2018 R404.4 states:
Retaining walls that are not laterally supported at the top and that retain in excess of 48 inches of unbalanced fill, or retaining walls exceeding 24 inches in height that resist lateral loads in addition to soil , shall be designed by accepted engineering practice to ensure stability against overturning.
Below is a table showing additional permitting and engineering requirements for some counties and cities in Georgia. Note, just because the city or county does not require engineering does not mean you should forgo consulting with an engineer. Any wall greater than 4-ft (or 2-ft with a surcharge) requires a design by an engineer or prescribed engineering publication. Check out this post for all the other scenarios where an engineer is recommended. In addition, most Georgia municipalities have banned the use of timber and railroad ties for all engineered retaining walls.
County or City | Requires Permitting | Requires Engineering | Other Notes |
Acworth | 4 Ft. or supporting surcharge | 4 Ft. or supporting surcharge | No slopes greater than 3:1; no wood |
Alpharetta | 4 Ft. or supporting surcharge | 4 Ft. or supporting surcharge | Wood allowed |
Atlanta | Mandatory for all heights | 4 Ft. | Must use engineering publications for heights less than 4 ft. |
Baldwin | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. or slopes >3:1 or surcharge | |
Bartow County | 3 Ft. or 2 Ft. w/ surcharge | 3 Ft. or 2 Ft. w/ surcharge | Requires a Structural Retaining Wall Certificate. |
Butts County | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Canton | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Cherokee County | 3 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Cobb County | 2.5 Ft. | 2.5 Ft. | A Photo ID of business owner and copy of Business License required for contractors. |
Columbia County | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Dawson County | 4 Ft. | 6 Ft. | Has adopted the IBC. |
Dawsonville | 6 Ft. | 6 Ft. | |
Decatur | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
DeKalb County | Mandatory for all heights | 4 Ft. & tiered walls | Wood walls only allowed for heights <4 ft. Review checklist. |
Duluth | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Dunwoody | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Effingham County | Mandatory for all heights | Mandatory for all heights | Requires zoning approval for all heights |
Floyd County | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Forsyth County | 6 Ft. | 6 Ft. | |
Fulton County | 4 Ft. | 6 Ft. | For 4′-6′, an Owner Certification/Indemnification is required |
Greene County | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Gwinnett County | 4 Ft. | Requires a Structural Retaining Wall Certificate. | |
Habersham County | N/A | 4 Ft. | |
Hall County | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Haralson County | N/A | 4 Ft. | |
Heard County | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Jackson County | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Johns Creek | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Lumpkin County | 5 Ft. | 6 Ft. | Other Requirements: maximum slope of 3:1 before a retaining wall is required; no smooth faced block or concrete |
Marietta | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | Requires Contractor form. |
Milton | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft.* | *Walls between 4-6 ft. can have a Wall Indemnification Agreement with published engineering literature in lieu of engineering. See additional info |
Norcross | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Roswell | 6 Ft. | 6 Ft. | Unified Development Code: Walls required where slopes would otherwise exceed 2:1; Property Owner Indemnification ; permit |
Sandy Springs | 4 Ft. | 6 Ft. | Permit |
Smyrna | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
South Fulton | 4 Ft. | 6 Ft. | |
Sugar Hill | Mandatory for all heights | 4 Ft. | Other requirements |
Suwanee | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. | |
Woodstock | 4 Ft. | 4 Ft. |