Defects, Safety, Standards

Typical Defects Typical defects that home inspectors should report include:

deterioration, rot, insect damage (usually wood walls),
spalling and efflorescence (masonry and concrete walls, usually an indication of water management problems),
rotation (wall leaning out from the retained material),
bowing (part of the wall protrudes out from the rest of the wall),
cracking (usually masonry and concrete walls),
sliding (parts or all of the wall move laterally),
lack of visible reinforcement (no tiebacks in wood walls),
support undercut (soil eroded under wall or footing),
too tall for material used (usually garden block and wood walls),
lack of visible weep holes, weep holes are blocked, no gravel and filter fabric has been installed to facilitate drainage through weep holes,
components are loose or are not secured in place.

Safety Issues Retaining walls rarely present safety issues; however, a retaining wall with a walking surface on one side and a drop of more than 30 inches on the other side may be a reportable fall hazard, regardless of whether a guard is required.

Standards (1) manufacturer’s instructions for garden block and other precast and manufactured retaining wall systems; (2) IRC 2018 R404.4 (retaining walls); (3) American Wood Protection Association Standard U1-16 specifications for preservative treated wood; (4) local and state governments and homeowner associations may have regulations about issues such as retaining wall design, construction, and location.