Retaining Wall
Engineered walls designed to stabilize soil, earth on steep or unstable slopes.
Required Permit Applications and Forms
| Requirement | More Information | Link(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Critical Area | Retaining Walls within the Critical Area require a Critical Area Worksheet. The law identifies "Critical Area" as all lands within 1,000 ft. of the mean high water line of tidal waters, or the landward edge of tidal wetlands, and all waters on (and lands under) the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. |
Critical Area Worksheet |
| Architectural Review | Properties located in a Town Center or a Rural Commercial Zoning District require Architectural Review prior to permit issuance. See the Calvert County Zoning Ordinance (CCZO), Article 25-9: Architectural Design Requirements for applicability. | CCZO Article 25-9 |
| Building Permit | Retaining Walls greater than 3ft (36”) must meet the established setbacks, require a building permit and an engineered plan. | Building permit, setback requirements |
| Grading Permit | Retaining Walls with disturbances 5,000 sq. ft. or greater AND/OR cut and fill volume total exceeding 100 cubic yards require a Grading permit.
NOTE: Grading permits will require mitigation of stormwater in accordance with MDE. A Declaration of Restrictive Covenants (DoRC) form will be required for county inspection of stormwater devices. |
Grading permit |
| Historic Permit | Retaining Walls where the property is a designated Calvert County Historic District require a Historic Area Work permit. | Historic Area Work permit, HAWP Instructions |
| Environmental Health Department Review | Properties served by well and/or septic will require an Environmental Health (EH) Department review. Please see item 8 on the attached Building Permit FAQ page for a general list of setback requirements. Percolation testing and/or a Sanitary Construction permit application may be necessary contingent on the property and the proposal. Please note that by submitting a building permit application our office is granted permission to conduct site visit(s) as necessary at our discretion to facilitate the review of the project. If the proposed structure is external, please stake it out onsite to avoid delays in review time. If you need assistance locating the well and/or septic systems, you may fill out a Public Information Request Form to obtain the property's file. |
- Building Permit FAQ |
Plan Submittal Requirements
The following information must be submitted with applicable permit application(s):
- Building Permit plan requirements
- Construction plans: Signed and sealed architectural drawings, prepared by a Maryland licensed architect, with MEPs (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) prepared by a Maryland licensed professional engineer.
Fees
- Application fee of $25 due at permit application package submittal
- Permit fees due after review prior to issuance of permit
Licensing
If the applicant is contracting a builder, they need a Licensed Contractor. If they are building it themselves, they do not need a Licensed Contractor. Check to see if an individual or business is licensed before they do business for you.
- You can search for active licensees on the MHIC Department of Labor public query website.
Other Potential Requirements
| Requirement | More Information | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Beach Approval Application | IF the property is located in the town limits of Chesapeake Beach or North Beach, a Beach Application Approval is required to be submitted with the Building Permit Package. | Chesapeake Beach North Beach |
| Property Owner's Association / Home Owner's Association Approval | IF the property has a Property Owner's Association (POA) or Home Owner's Association (HOA), POA/HOA approval may be required prior to construction. Property owners should consult their POA/HOA. | N/A |
| Agricultural Preservation Approval | IF the property is located in an Agricultural Preservation District, Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board approval may be required prior to permit issuance.
Use this interactive map to see if you are in the Agricultural Preservation District. |
Agricultural Preservation Advisory Board website |
| County Road Access Bond | IF the project is proposing a new entrance onto a county road, a Residential Road Access Bond may be required. The refundable bond is $600. | N/A |
| Forest Conservation/Forest Stand | IF clearing of the property is on a lot more than 40,000 sq. ft. in size, a Forest Conservation Worksheet (FC), Forest Stand Delineation (FS), and Forest Conservation Plan are required. An exemption may waive these requirements. | FC Worksheet & FS Delineation |
| Notice of Intent to MDE | IF clearing of the property is greater than one acre or involves environmental features governed by MDE, a Notice of Intent filed with the MD Department of the Environment is required. | MD Dept. of the Environment |