Des Moines, IA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- City engineer
- Review time
- 15 working days
- Fee
- $120 + $10/acre
- Trigger example
- 500+ sq ft near a waterway
- SWPPP required
- Sites of 1+ acre
Summary
Des Moines requires a city engineer grading permit before you strip, excavate, fill, or install drainage pipe on most sites, with numeric thresholds triggering the requirement.
No person other than authorized city personnel or city contractors shall grade, strip, excavate, fill, stockpile or cause any non-agricultural earth change on any site, or install drainage pipe in public or private drainageways, without a grading permit issued by the city engineer for any of the following:(1)Platting of land pursuant to chapter 106, pertaining to subdivisions, of this Code.(2)Development of land for which a site plan is required, pursuant to article 9 of chapter 135 of this Code.(3)Installation of utility improvements in trenches that are greater than one foot in width or underground appurtenances with an excavated surface area greater than 400 square feet by a public or private utility company.(4)Excavation or the creation of any disturbed surface of 500 square feet or more of cumulative area within 100 feet of a lake, pond, river, stream, recognized drainageway
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Under Municipal Code § 42-86, no one but city crews may grade, strip, excavate, fill, stockpile, or install drainage pipe in public or private drainageways without a city engineer permit: triggered by subdivision platting, required site plans, utility trenches over one foot wide, disturbing 500+ sq ft within 100 feet of a waterway or drainageway, altering stormwater flow onto neighboring property, cuts/fills over 2,500 sq ft, or stockpiling over 5,000 cubic yards of granular material. The engineer can issue a pre-application waiver letter instead. Applications, required under § 42-87, need a licensed engineer, architect, or landscape architect (small residential in-fill jobs under an acre can skip that requirement with the city engineer's sign-off), plus a site plan, topography, drainage area map, and an SWPPP for sites of an acre or more. The city engineer must act within 15 working days under § 42-88 or the application is deemed approved.
Violations & Fines
Grading without a required permit, or failing to complete work per the approved plan, can be treated as a public nuisance under §§ 42-347–42-348; the city may abate it and assess the cost against the property under § 42-91 and Iowa Code § 364.12(3)(h). The application fee is $120 plus $10 per acre or portion thereof (§ 42-89).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all small projects need a Des Moines grading permit?
What if the city engineer misses the review deadline?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Des Moines
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