Environmental Rules in Chesapeake, VA (2026)
5 verified environmental rules for Chesapeake, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Chesapeake bills every developed property a stormwater utility fee to fund its drainage system: $11.35 a month per Equivalent Residential Unit (2,112 square feet of impervious surface), with nonresidential parcels charged in multiples of that rate based on their own impervious area. City Code Sec. 26-372 sets the rate; Sec. 26-370 through 26-377 govern billing, credits and appeals.
Chesapeake Stormwater Utility Fee
Some RestrictionsChesapeake City Code Sec. 26-372(c)-(d)
(c)The monthly utility fee for residential shall be the ERU rate of $11.35 per month for one ERU until modified by city council.(d)The monthly utility fee for nonresidential shall be the ERU rate of $11.35 per month for one ERU, multiplied by the numerical factor obtained by dividing the total impervious area of a nonresidential property by one ERU (2,112 square feet).
Erosion Control
Chesapeake bars land disturbance until the city approves an erosion and sediment control plan and issues a land-disturbing permit. City Code Sec. 26-346(a) makes plan approval and permitting a precondition to grading, clearing or construction citywide, with numeric disturbance thresholds under Sec. 26-344 and 26-347 triggering the requirement.
Chesapeake Land-Disturbing Permit Rule
Some RestrictionsChesapeake City Code Sec. 26-346(a)
(a)Except as provided herein, no person may engage in land-disturbing activity as defined by section 26-343 until such person has submitted to the director an erosion and sediment control plan for such land-disturbing activity and until that plan has been reviewed and approved by the administrator or designee. The administrator shall review submitted erosion and sediment control plans and grant...
Flood Zones
Any development inside a Chesapeake floodplain, from a new house to fill dirt, needs a permit from the floodplain administrator before work starts. The city maps two overlay districts, the special floodplain (AE zone) and the approximated floodplain (A or A99 zone), under Chesapeake City Code Sec. 26-86 et seq.
Chesapeake Floodplain Development Permits
Significant RestrictionsChesapeake City Code Sec. 26-87, Sec. 26-98
Sec. 26-87. - Applicability. These provisions shall apply to all privately and publicly owned lands within the jurisdiction of the city and identified as being floodprone. ... Sec. 26-98. - Permit and application requirements/filling. (a)Permit requirement. All uses, activities, and development occurring within any floodplain district, including placement of manufactured homes, shall be underta...
Boat Dock Permits
Building or expanding a boat dock, pier or marina in Chesapeake's Resource Protection Area requires case-by-case approval from the CBPA review committee. City Code Sec. 26-519 allows a new or expanded 'water-dependent facility' only if it doesn't conflict with the comprehensive plan, keeps non-water-dependent parts out of the RPA, and reaches the water with minimal land disturbance.
Chesapeake Boat Dock RPA Approval
Significant RestrictionsChesapeake City Code Sec. 26-519(a)(1)b
b.A new or expanded water dependent facility may be allowed provided that the following criteria are met:1.The facility does not conflict with the comprehensive plan;2.All non-water dependent components are located outside of the RPA; and3.Access to the water-dependent facility is provided with the least amount of land disturbance necessary. Where practicable, a single point of access will be p...
Flood Elevation Requirements
New homes and major renovations in a Chesapeake flood zone must sit at least 1.5 feet above the federally mapped base flood elevation, a margin the city calls freeboard. Chesapeake City Code Sec. 26-100 sets that floor-height rule, and Sec. 26-99 pushes furnaces, water heaters, and other equipment up to the same 1.5-foot mark.
Chesapeake Base Flood Elevation Freeboard
Some RestrictionsChesapeake City Code Sec. 26-99(a)(5), Sec. 26-100(1)
(5)Electrical, heating, ventilation, plumbing, and air conditioning equipment; and other service equipment, including duct work, shall be located one and one-half feet above base flood elevation. ... (1)Residential construction. New construction or substantial improvement of any residential structure (including manufactured homes) shall have the lowest finished floor, including basements, eleva...