Cranston, RI Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Before any land disturbance or grading
- Issuing authority
- Building inspector, department of inspections
- Bond trigger
- Within 100 ft of watercourse, 10% slope
- Stormwater plan
- Required for 0.5+ acre developments
- Correction window
- 5 days temporary, 30 days permanent
Summary
Cranston requires a soil erosion and sedimentation control permit from the building inspector before grading, clearing, or otherwise disturbing land, with exemptions for small single-family building sites and minor disturbances away from watercourses.
It shall be unlawful for any person to disturb any existing vegetation, grades, and contours of land without first applying for and receiving a permit from the department of inspections (building inspector).
B. Exceptions to permit requirement. No permit shall be required under this chapter for the following:
1. The construction, alteration or use of a single family residential structure or appurtenance or a two-family residential structure or structures accessory thereto, which is or are to be constructed, altered or used individually and not as part of a development, provided such construction, including land distributing activities, does not occur within one hundred (100) feet of any watercourse and has no slopes greater than ten (10) feet vertical in one hundred (100) feet horizontal or ten (10) percent.
2. Development projects where less than one-half acre is to be disturbed during one planting season, and which disturbance of soil is not within one hundred (100) feet of any watercourse, has no slope greater than ten (10) percent, and where in the opinion of the building inspector, no soil erosion will occur.
3. Accepted agricultural management practices such as seasonal tilling and harvest activities associated with property utilized for private and/or commercial agricultural or silvicultural purposes;
4. An excavation which exhibits all of the following characteristics:
a.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4824304; v14 updated 2026-05-18).
Full Breakdown
Section 15.28.030 makes it unlawful to disturb existing vegetation, grades, or contours without a permit from the department of inspections. The building inspector reviews the erosion and sedimentation control plan with the public works director and city planning director before approving conditions like drainage structures or vegetation. Projects disturbing 0.5 acres or more must submit a stormwater management plan to the city engineer (§15.28.020). A performance bond is required whenever work occurs within 100 feet of a watercourse, in a flood hazard area, or on slopes of 10 percent or more (§15.28.070). Exemptions cover most single-family and two-family construction and disturbances under 0.5 acres away from watercourses (§15.28.030(B)).
Violations & Fines
Violating an approved plan lets the city revoke or suspend approval; owners get five days to temporarily correct and thirty days to permanently correct, or the city fixes it and liens the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to regrade my Cranston property?
What happens if I violate my erosion control plan?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cranston
Compare Cranston to another location·View the Rhode Island environmental rules overview
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Erosion Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle erosion control.