Meridian Retaining Walls helps Star homeowners find local contractors for retaining walls on new sloped lots in Star, Idaho. The city’s development code says finish grade within 3 feet of a lot line must match the neighboring lot and be no steeper than 2 to 1, or a permanent retaining wall must be built.
If you’ve got a new home with a slope the builder left behind, or a step in grade at the property line, that’s the rule to know. The regional planning agency says the city has grown 131 percent since the 2020 census. Call us with the wall’s length and height, the grade on each side of the lot line and a few photos of the slope.
- Permit line
- Over 4 ft from the bottom of the footing
- First review, small residential
- 2 to 4 weeks
- Each correction
- 3 to 4 weeks more
- Hillside starts at
- 10 percent slope
Retaining wall services on new Star lots
Lot-line retaining walls on new Star lots
For a yard that steps up or down within 3 feet of the neighbor’s. The city’s lot-line grading rule can make a permanent wall mandatory there, and retaining wall installation covers new walls.
Hillside lot retaining walls
For ground sloping 10 percent or more, which Star treats as hillside needing a grading permit. Plan the wall and the grading together. Tiered retaining walls are one way to split the height.
Retaining walls four feet and taller
For a tall wall holding a builder’s cut. The city’s July 21, 2026 code revisions want the wall permit in hand before the grading permit. Stamped calculations are covered under engineered retaining walls.
New lot in Star with a grade to deal with?
Tell us the length, the height and what the wall holds back.
How long does a retaining wall permit take in Star?
Star puts out its review times for small residential work. The last row adds them up for one round of corrections. It counts review time only.
| Stage | What the city states | Weeks of review so far |
|---|---|---|
| First review | 2 to 4 weeks for small residential work | 2 to 4 |
| Each round of corrections | 3 to 4 weeks added | Add 3 to 4 per round |
| Paid expediting | None | No change |
| Submittal with one round of corrections | 2 to 4 weeks plus 3 to 4 weeks | 5 to 8 |
Source: City of Star building FAQ, October 2026.
The city won’t take money to move faster. The only weeks you can save are the ones a correction would add, so get the submittal right the first time.
The Star lot-line grading rule that can make a retaining wall mandatory
This rule doesn’t permit a wall. It can require one.
Within 3 feet of a lot line, the development code wants your finish grade to match the neighboring lot and to be no steeper than 2 to 1. Miss either one and a permanent retaining wall is required. So measure the strip beside the fence before anything else on the lot.
The same revisions also set the order: where a wall is four feet in height or greater, its permit comes before the grading permit. Both points come from the city’s redline dated July 21, 2026, so confirm the wording with the Building Department before paying for a design.
Good to know Star’s two documents don’t word the height the same way. The building FAQ says a permit is needed for retaining walls over 4 feet from the bottom of the footing. The code revisions say “four feet in height and greater”. A wall of exactly four feet falls between the two, so ask which reading the department applies to yours.
Hillside lots in Star: the 10 percent and 25 percent slope lines
| What | Star’s figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hillside | A slope of 10 percent or more, which needs a grading permit | Development code revisions, July 21, 2026 |
| No building | Slopes over 25 percent | Development code revisions, July 21, 2026 |
| Grading application | Any site disturbing more than 500 cubic yards | Development code revisions, July 21, 2026 |
| Flood hazard area | A development permit before filling, grading or excavating in a Special Flood Hazard Area | Flood plain development page |
| Design criteria | 24 inch frost depth and a 20 psf ground snow load | Adopted codes and design criteria page |
| Geotechnical report | Required for lateral loads | Adopted codes and design criteria page |
That last row is worth a phone call. Ask the Building Department which walls count as carrying lateral loads for this purpose. Get the answer before you compare quotes, so they all price the same paperwork.
What do Star’s permit fees add to retaining wall cost?
Two figures on the city’s fee information page matter for a wall. The miscellaneous building permit submittal fee is $23.50. A re-inspection is $65, which is the one to avoid.
You request inspections through the Building Department’s online portal, and only there, by 4:00 pm on the business day before. The department is at 10769 W. State St., phone 208-286-7247, extension 9011. Ask there what the permit itself comes to for a wall of your value, then have that put on its own line in the quote.
For what the wall itself costs by type and size, the retaining wall cost page has the published ranges. Ready with a length and a height? Call the number at the top of the page.
Call (208) 445-1999 to talk it throughor request a quote online
What to look for in a Star retaining wall quote before it goes to review
- Height from the bottom of the footing That’s where Star measures, so the buried part of the wall is in the count. If the design sits near 4 feet, ask the Building Department how it measures before the drawings are final.
- Stamped calculations, where they apply Star’s submittal sheet asks for them where applicable. Idaho’s adopted residential code requires engineered design once a wall retains more than 48 inches of unbalanced fill, or is more than 24 inches tall and resists loads besides soil.
- A site plan with easements and fences The same submittal sheet, revised February 2026, wants both drawn.
- The grade at the lot line Both sides, within 3 feet, with the slope written as a ratio.
- The slope as a percent Hillside starts at 10. Has anyone measured it?
- Cubic yards moved Past 500, you need a grading application.
Star retaining wall questions
Who builds retaining walls in Star, Idaho?
Independent local contractors. We can help you look for one who takes work in Star. We take inquiries for lot-line walls, hillside walls and walls four feet and taller on Star lots. Call with the wall’s length and height, plus the slope it holds.
Does a 4 foot retaining wall need a permit in Star?
Probably, once the buried part is counted. The building FAQ sets the line at over 4 feet from the bottom of the footing, and one block manufacturer’s embedment guidelines put at least 6 inches of block below ground. A wall standing 4 feet above the grass on that buried course measures 4 feet 6 inches, which is over the line. The code revisions’ “four feet in height and greater” points the same direction. The retaining wall permits page shows how the measurement works.
Can I pay to speed up a wall permit review in Star?
No. The city’s FAQ says there’s no paid expediting. Small residential review runs 2 to 4 weeks, plus 3 to 4 for each correction.
How much does a retaining wall cost per square foot?
It depends on the wall type. Typical ranges are set out by material on the retaining wall cost page. Rules and fees in other parts of the valley are on the Treasure Valley areas page.
Don't see your question? Call (208) 445-1999.
Sources and review date
Reviewed October 2026. Sources: City of Star building FAQ, Building Department, fee, design criteria and flood plain pages, residential submittal requirements and development code revisions; regional planning agency population release; Idaho residential code; block manufacturer embedment guidelines.