Indiana Engineering and Permit Requirements

Section R404.4 of the 2020 Indiana Residential Code 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 in accordance with accepted engineering practice 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. This section shall not apply to foundation walls supporting buildings.

Any wall over 4-ft or any wall over 2-ft supporting a surcharge requires engineering. DIY Retaining Wall provides engineering services in Indiana.

The frost depth varies between 24 and 36 inches throughout the state. Concrete walls with a poured concrete footing must extend to the frost depth, while SRW walls do not need embedment that exceeds the frost depth.