Littleton, CO Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

5, a Grading Permit is required, per the Littleton Storm Drainage Design and Technical Criteria Manual, before any improvement, grading, land-disturbing activity, or alteration of land, buildings, or other structures commences on a site. The stated purpose of the permit is squarely erosion control: the Code says a Grading Permit helps reduce both erosion and sediment problems resulting from increased urban runoff from developed land. Only three narrow activities are exempt from the permit: routine landscape maintenance, removal of dead or diseased trees or shrubs, and vegetation removal to eliminate a potential fire hazard.

Everything else that disturbs land needs a permit first. The City Engineer reviews the application and may approve, approve with conditions, or deny it, based on whether the plans comply with all applicable city standards, whether the overall drainage pattern of the area will be maintained, and whether the impact of grading on adjacent properties is minimized. Once approved, the applicant may proceed with site preparation for the proposed development. 1) and expires unless the work is completed, or an extension is requested and granted, before that date.

Manufactured home and travel trailer park construction or expansion carries its own trigger: under Code Section 4-4-3, any disturbance over 5,000 square feet or 50 cubic yards requires an erosion control plan and a drainage report before a grading permit issues, and a state stormwater permit may also be required. This layered approach means grading without the permit, or outside its approved conditions, is a code violation citywide, not just on subdivided parcels.