Peoria, IL Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit trigger
- Any new one- or two-family home; other sites over 5,000 square feet
- Design storm
- 20 percent frequency storm (five-year return period)
- Sediment cleanup
- Within four hours, or by end of the work day
- Home permit fee
- $100.00 standard plan; $150.00 site specific plan
- Commercial permit fee
- $50.00 per acre, $250.00 minimum, $2,000.00 maximum
- Maximum fine
- $500.00 per offense; each uncorrected day counts separately
- Appeal deadline
- 35 days to the construction commission
Summary
Peoria requires an erosion and sediment control permit before land is disturbed, and every permitted site must keep sediment from leaving it. Control measures must hold sediment through a 20 percent frequency storm, and any sediment that does escape must be removed within four hours or by the end of the work day. Violations carry fines of up to $500.00, and each uncorrected day counts as a separate offense.
All control measures installed shall be sufficient to prevent sediment from leaving the permit site during a 20 percent frequency storm event. Measures shall be taken to prevent sediment from leaving the site. When sediment does leave the site, the owner, developer or contractor shall remove the sediment within four hours, or by no later than the end of the work day. For example, installing a rock construction drive, or cleaning tires could be used to minimize tracking of sediment onto public roads. ... Before commencing any project involving construction of any new single- or two-family dwelling, the owner of the land, or his/her authorized representative, shall be required to file an application for a general erosion and sediment control permit, as either a standard plan or site specific plan, except as otherwise provided in section 9.5-28 and section 9.5-76 . ... The violation of any of the terms of this chapter shall constitute an offense punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.00, with each day the violation remains uncorrected constituting a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 119).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 9.5 of the Peoria Code applies to all projects within the corporate limits. Under § 9.5-28, no land surface can be disturbed until an erosion and sediment control permit, or an erosion, sediment and storm water control permit, has been issued for the project. Three activities are exempt: land disturbance that involves no new single or two-family dwelling and covers less than 5,000 square feet, normal agricultural practices, and routine maintenance of roads and utility service lines. The erosion control administrator, the person appointed by the City Manager, reserves the right to pull any non-agricultural construction activity into the chapter, whatever its size, if it causes or contributes to an erosion, sediment or stormwater impact.
The performance standard sits in § 9.5-29(a), as amended by Ord. No. 18245 on March 11, 2025. Control measures must follow the design criteria in the standards referenced in Attachment B, or measures the administrator or a designee deems acceptable. Installed measures must be sufficient to prevent sediment from leaving the permit site during a 20 percent frequency storm event, which § 9.5-27 equates to a five-year return period. Beyond that design storm, the code adds a flat duty: measures shall be taken to prevent sediment from leaving the site. When sediment does leave, the owner, developer or contractor must remove it within four hours, or by no later than the end of the work day. The code names a rock construction drive and tire cleaning as ways to limit tracking onto public roads.
A new single-family or two-family dwelling triggers § 9.5-51: the owner or an authorized representative must apply for a general erosion and sediment control permit, as a standard plan or a site specific plan. A standard plan fits sites with a slope under ten percent and no concentrated flow or water bodies on or next to the lot. The application fee is $100.00 for a standard plan and $150.00 for a site specific plan, with no fee for agricultural projects or projects started by a local unit of government. Fees are never refunded, and the Department of Public Works will not accept an application until the fee is paid in full.
Violations & Fines
Under § 9.5-152, violating any term of Chapter 9.5 is an offense punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.00, and each day the violation stays uncorrected is a separate offense. That fine is on top of any other remedy provided by law. A stop work order can be posted on the project, and posting costs $100.00 per violation under § 9.5-153. The erosion control administrator revokes a permit when personal inspection or competent evidence shows its standards are being violated. Starting work that needs a permit without one falls under § 9.5-2, with fines of at least $100.00, then $300.00, then $500.00 within any two-year period.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to grade a small piece of land in Peoria?
How fast must mud or sediment tracked off my site be cleaned up?
How long do sediment controls have to stay in place?
What do larger commercial or multi-family projects pay and file?
How do I appeal a decision by the erosion control administrator?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Peoria
Compare Peoria to another location·View the Illinois environmental rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.