Environmental Rules in Richmond, VA (2026)
4 verified environmental rules for Richmond, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Richmond requires anyone who builds a permanent stormwater management facility, from a detention pond to a bioretention cell, to sign and record a maintenance instrument obligating upkeep for the facility's full lifespan under City Code § 14-333. The Administrator in the Department of Public Utilities will not approve a final stormwater management plan until that recorded document is on file, and most facilities face inspection at least once every five years.
Richmond Stormwater Facility Maintenance Rules
Some RestrictionsRichmond City Code § 14-333
All stormwater management facilities, including BMPs and other techniques specified to manage the quality and quantity of runoff, shall be maintained for their full lifespan. In order to ensure this result, the permittee shall sign and record in the local land records an instrument obligating the permittee to maintain all stormwater management facilities for their full lifespan. ... At a minimu...
Erosion Control
Richmond requires a Richmond erosion and stormwater management program permit under City Code § 14-325 before anyone disturbs land here, whether it is a one-acre subdivision or a small addition inside the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area. The Department of Public Utilities administers the permit, reviews plans within roughly 60 days, and pairs it with State general permit coverage; violators face civil penalties up to $32,500 per violation.
Richmond Erosion and Sediment Control Permits
Some RestrictionsRichmond City Code § 14-325
Except as provided herein, no person may engage in any land disturbing activity in the City until the Administrator has issued a Richmond erosion and stormwater management program permit in accordance with this article. ... The following exemptions apply to the Richmond erosion and stormwater management program permit requirements set forth in Subsection (a) of this section: ... Single-family r...
Coastal Development
Although Richmond is inland, the James River floodplain and the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act drive strict development limits along the river corridor, including Resource Protection Area buffers and stormwater quality requirements.
James River Floodplain Development Rules
Heavy RestrictionsVa. Code § 62.1-44.15:67 (Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act)
A. Healthy state and local economies and a healthy Chesapeake Bay are integrally related; balanced economic development and water quality protection are not mutually exclusive. The protection of the public interest in the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries, and other state waters and the promotion of the general welfare of the people of the Commonwealth require that (i) the counties, cities, and t...
Flood Elevation Requirements
New construction and substantial improvements to commercial, industrial, or other nonresidential buildings inside a Richmond floodplain district must have their lowest floor, including any basement, elevated to no lower than one foot above the base flood elevation, certified by a registered engineer or architect under City Code § 14-88. Historic structures may floodproof instead of elevate, and enclosed areas below that floor may only be used for parking, access, or storage.
Richmond Freeboard and Flood Elevation Rules
Some RestrictionsRichmond City Code § 14-88
All substantial improvements to existing structures or new construction within any floodplain district shall conform to the applicable sections of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. New construction or substantial improvement of any existing commercial, industrial, or nonresidential building (or manufactured home) shall have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated to no lower ...