Retaining Wall - Buildings

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Inspection Units

Specialty Units


Retaining Wall

Owners of properties with a retaining wall that faces a public right-of-way and has any portion of the wall extending ten feet or higher must have their retaining wall inspected every five years by a Qualified Retaining Wall Inspector (QRWI) and a condition assessment report of the inspection must be submitted to the Department by the QRWI within 60 days of completing the inspection.

To be qualified as a QRWI, a licensed structural engineer must apply to the Department’s Retaining Wall Unit. See NYC Construction Codes §28-305.1 and RCNY §103-09 for more information. View the current list of active QRWIs.

Industry Notices

Civil Penalties for Failure to File Retaining Wall Report

Retaining Wall Report Filing Process

Inspection Cycle

The current inspection cycle (Cycle 3) runs from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2028.

Staggered Sub-Cycles

Cycles are staggered into five (5) sub-cycles. For retaining walls in the:

Bronx
January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024

Manhattan
January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025

Staten Island
January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026

Queens
January 1, 2027 to December 31, 2027

Brooklyn
January 1, 2028 to December 31, 2028

Fees

Initial filing: $355.00

Amended filing: $130.00

Application for extension of time to complete repairs: $260.00

Civil Penalties

Late filing: $250.00 per month

Failure to file: $1,000 per year

Failure to correct an unsafe condition: $1,000 per month (prorated daily)

Retaining Wall Ratings

All retaining walls must be given one of four ratings by the QRWI:

Safe

Safe with Minor Repairs or Maintenance

Safe with Repairs and/or Engineering Monitoring

Unsafe

Steps for Compliance

Identify if the retaining wall must be inspected. If you have an entire retaining wall or part of a retaining wall on your property and it is ten feet or higher at any point on your property and faces a public right-of-way, you must have the wall inspected by a QRWI, and an assessment report must be submitted by the QRWI to the Department. Owners that share a retaining wall with one or more neighbors may hire one QRWI to inspect the wall.

QRWI conducts inspection. The QRWI conducts the inspection of the retaining wall and determines the rating of the wall.

QRWI submits condition assessment report and filing fees. Within 60 days after completing the assessment the QRWI must submit a report to the Department that meets, at a minimum, the criteria listed in 1 RCNY §103-09. The filing fees are payable by each property owner the report is submitted for, meaning a wall with multiple owners may have one report submitted for all of the owners but the filing fees must be paid by each individual owner.

Additional Compliance Information

Notification & Correction of Unsafe Conditions

Submittal Requirements

More Information

List of Active QRWIs

QRWI Certification

Retaining Wall Forms

Retaining Wall Presentations

Retaining Wall FAQs

Retaining Wall Inspections Map