Providence County requires erosion and sediment control under RI DEM Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook and local grading ordinances. Disturbance of 1+ acre triggers RIPDES Construction General Permit with silt fence, stabilized entrance, and inspections.
Rhode Island DEM administers the RIPDES Construction General Permit (RIG010000) requiring a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) and erosion/sediment controls for any site disturbing 1 acre or more under RIGL §46-12 and 250-RICR-150-10. Providence, Cranston, Pawtucket, and other local building departments enforce erosion controls for smaller sites through grading permits under Providence Code §23 and the 2008 RI Soil Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook. Required BMPs include silt fence on downslope perimeter, stabilized construction entrance (crushed stone), inlet protection, concrete washout containment, and temporary seeding or erosion blankets on slopes. Disturbed areas must be stabilized within 14 days of inactivity per the RIPDES CGP. Self-inspections are required weekly and within 24 hours of 0.5-inch rainfall events. Coastal properties near Narragansett Bay face additional Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) jurisdiction.
Missing or failed erosion controls: stop-work order and fines $500-$5,000 under Providence Code §23. Sediment discharge to wetland or waterway: RIGL §46-12 fines up to $25,000 per day. No SWPPP filed with DEM: administrative compliance order and CGP penalties.
Providence County, RI
Rhode Island does not set statewide barking dog standards. Providence County has no county government. Barking dog complaints are handled by individual munic...
Providence County, RI
RIGL 31-42 governs abandoned motor vehicles statewide. Vehicles left 10 or more days in commercial garages after notice are deemed abandoned. Individual muni...
Providence County, RI
Providence County cities prohibit sidewalk blocking and unpaved front-yard parking. Providence Code §23-21 and Cranston Code require paved driveway surfaces....
Providence County, RI
RIGL 34-10-9 requires partition fences to run on the dividing line with each owner maintaining one-half and costs shared equally unless otherwise agreed. RIG...
Providence County, RI
RI State Building Code (SBC-1) exempts fences under 6 feet from building permits, but Providence County cities require zoning permits for most new fences. Hi...
Providence County, RI
Urban Providence County cities (Providence, Central Falls, Pawtucket) restrict or prohibit backyard chickens. Smithfield, Lincoln, Cumberland, and Johnston a...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Providence County.
See how Foster Center's erosion control rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.