Building Code Glossary
Wall, Retaining: Building Code Definition
How the IRC 2009 define wall, retaining, where the wording differs, and which chapters depend on the term.
On this page
Last updated September 7, 2026 · Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The [ICC code library](https://codes.iccsafe.org/codes) publishes the current model text and the [ICC adoption maps](https://www.iccsafe.org/advocacy/code-adoption-maps/) show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Direct answer
Wall, retaining is a defined term in the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009, in Definitions. The code's own words are: “A wall not laterally supported at the top, that resists lateral soil load and other imposed loads.” No other I-Code in this corpus defines it, so the IRC 2009 definition is the one to work from. The term is used in 11 chapters of this corpus, most often in Soils and Foundations (IBC 2009), Foundations (IRC 2009), Structural Design (IBC 2009). These pages transcribe the 2009 model text; verify the definition against the edition and amendments your authority having jurisdiction has adopted. Record the jurisdiction, the adopted edition, the application date and any local amendment that rewrites the definition before you use it on a live project, because a term redefined by amendment changes every requirement that depends on it.
Content and cited inputs reviewed by Scott Barrington, Harth founder and architectural technology specialist · Published 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-09-07.
What does this term mean?
Wall, Retaining — IRC 2009, Definitions:
A wall not laterally supported at the top, that resists lateral soil load and other imposed loads.
What must be verified before using this guidance?
Wall, Retaining is defined once in this corpus, in the Definitions chapter of the International Residential Code (IRC) 2009:
A wall not laterally supported at the top, that resists lateral soil load and other imposed loads.
Where wall, retaining is used in the code
The term appears in 11 chapters of the 2009 I-Codes hosted here. The chapters that lean on it hardest are the ones to read next.
| Chapter | Code | Mentions |
|---|---|---|
| Soils and Foundations | IBC 2009 | 20 |
| Foundations | IRC 2009 | 7 |
| Structural Design | IBC 2009 | 4 |
| Scope and Administration | IBC 2009 | 2 |
| Use and Occupancy Classification | IBC 2009 | 2 |
| Wood | IBC 2009 | 2 |
| Definitions | IFC 2009 | 2 |
| Concrete | IBC 2009 | 1 |
| Masonry | IBC 2009 | 1 |
| Definitions | IRC 2009 | 1 |
| Scope and Administration | IRC 2009 | 1 |
The term in use
How the code actually writes about wall, retaining, quoted from the 2009 text hosted here:
Where a retaining wall is constructed at the toe of the slope, the height of the slope shall be measured from the top of the wall to the top of the slope.
wall foundation divided by the net lateral force applied to the retaining wall.
— IBC 2009, Soils and Foundations
The terms wall, retaining is built out of
The definition above leans on 1 other defined term. Each carries its own code definition, and a local amendment to any of them changes what wall, retaining covers:
- Loads — IBC 2009: Forces or other actions that result from the weight of building materials, occupants and their possessions, environmental effects, differential movement and restrained dimensional changes.
Wall, Retaining: what to open, and in what order
Every row is a document this term depends on. The ICC code library and the ICC adoption maps cover the middle rows.
| Check | Where | Confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Read the definition in the adopted IRC | Definitions | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Soils and Foundations (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Foundations (IRC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Structural Design (IBC 2009) | |
| Re-check the requirement that uses it | Scope and Administration (IBC 2009) | |
| Confirm the dependent definition | Loads | |
| Local amendment to any of the above | Jurisdiction's amendment list |
A research aid, not a code determination. The authority having jurisdiction decides which edition and which amendments apply.
Where can you explore related guidance?
- Explore all glossary guidance
- Loads: Building Code Definition
- Building: Building Code Definition
- Construction Documents: Building Code Definition
- Registered Design Professional: Building Code Definition
Sources and method
Definitions quoted from the 2009 International Codes as transcribed in this site's building-codes collection, with the source chapter linked for each quotation. Usage counts are computed over the chapters hosted here, one copy per code. The ICC code library publishes the current model text and the ICC adoption maps show which edition a jurisdiction has adopted; those sources control.
Source links
Frequently asked questions
What is the code definition of wall, retaining?
The International Residential Code (IRC) 2009 defines it in Definitions as: “A wall not laterally supported at the top, that resists lateral soil load and other imposed loads.” The 2009 model text is reproduced here; the definition that binds your project is the one in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted, as amended locally.
Which parts of the code depend on wall, retaining?
In this corpus the term is used across 11 chapters, led by Soils and Foundations in the IBC 2009. Those are the sections whose scope moves if the definition is amended locally, so read them together with Chapter 2 rather than on their own.
What does IRC mean in building code?
Building is a separate defined term. The IBC 2009 defines it as: “Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.” That is not the same as wall, retaining, which the IRC 2009 defines as “A wall not laterally supported at the top, that resists lateral soil load and other imposed loads.” — read both before applying either, and confirm the wording in the edition your jurisdiction has adopted.
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