Chesterfield County, VA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

" The county exempts single-family residences disturbing less than 2,500 square feet outside a common plan of development, and any land-disturbing activity under 2,500 square feet unless it is part of a larger plan of one acre or more (§ 8-47(c)(3)-(4)). Everyone else must file an erosion and sediment control plan under § 8-51 that identifies any Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas on the parcel and names a certified responsible land disturber accountable for carrying it out. Before the environmental engineer will issue the permit, § 8-56(a) requires an approved plan, the owner's certification that erosion controls will be installed and maintained, payment of the program administration fee, and posting of the performance bond required by §§ 8-64 and 8-65.

Fees under § 8-64 run from $50 for a single-family building permit amendment up to $1,360 plus $60 per acre for a subdivision-scale plan, with a $1,000 resubmission fee if a previously approved plan has to be revised. Land already eroding onto neighboring property can be designated an "erosion impact area" under § 8-55, and an owner who ignores a written notice to fix it within five days is in violation even without a pending development project. The environmental engineer's inspectors verify installed controls against the approved plan and the Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook standards referenced throughout the chapter.