Richmond, VA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Before any land disturbing activity in Richmond
- Disturbance threshold
- 4,000 sq ft (2,500 sq ft in Bay Preservation Area)
- Plan review
- 15-day completeness check, then 60 days to decide
- Civil penalty
- Up to $32,500 per violation, per day
- Criminal penalty
- Up to 12 months jail, $2,500-$32,500 fine
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Public Utilities Administrator
- Appeal path
- Richmond Circuit Court
Summary
Richmond requires a Richmond erosion and stormwater management program permit under City Code § 14-325 before anyone disturbs land here, whether it is a one-acre subdivision or a small addition inside the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area. The Department of Public Utilities administers the permit, reviews plans within roughly 60 days, and pairs it with State general permit coverage; violators face civil penalties up to $32,500 per violation.
Except as provided herein, no person may engage in any land disturbing activity in the City until the Administrator has issued a Richmond erosion and stormwater management program permit in accordance with this article. ... The following exemptions apply to the Richmond erosion and stormwater management program permit requirements set forth in Subsection (a) of this section: ... Single-family residences separately built, and additions or modifications to such existing single-family residential structures, disturbing less than one acre, or less than 2,500 square feet if located in an area delineated by the City as a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area pursuant to Article IV of this chapter, and not part of a larger common plan of development or sale; ... Land disturbing activities that disturb less than one acre, or less than 2,500 square feet if located in an area delineated by the City as a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area pursuant to Article IV of this chapter, and not part of a larger common plan of development or sale.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Recodification).
Full Breakdown
The Richmond Erosion and Stormwater Management Program Ordinance, City Code §§ 14-322 through 14-340, folds erosion and sediment control, stormwater management, and Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act review into one Administrator-run permit under the Director of Public Utilities. Before any land disturbing activity begins, the applicant must file a permit application, an erosion and sediment control plan, a stormwater management plan under § 14-328 (or a State-authorized agreement in lieu of a plan), and required fees and a performance bond under §§ 14-338 and 14-339, per § 14-326.
Coverage under the State's General VPDES Permit for stormwater from construction activities must also be secured before work starts. Section 14-324 sets the disturbance thresholds: 2,500 square feet or more inside a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area, or 4,000 square feet or more outside one, triggers regulation, with activity of one acre or more subject to the full Part V technical criteria. Section 14-325(c) exempts single-family residences disturbing less than an acre (less than 2,500 square feet in a Preservation Area) that are not part of a larger common plan of development, along with agricultural clearing, permitted mining, and emergency work reported to the Administrator within seven days.
Plan review under § 14-330 runs on a 15-day completeness check followed by 60 days for a full decision; an application meeting every requirement that draws no response in that window is deemed approved. Fees run from $209 for a single-family lot up to $9,600 for sites of 100 acres or more under § 14-338, plus annual maintenance fees once a permit issues. Denials, permit revocations, and enforcement orders may be appealed to the Richmond Circuit Court under § 14-336.
Violations & Fines
Working without an approved plan, an unregistered discharge, or unmaintained erosion controls draws a written notice from the Administrator that specifies a compliance deadline; missing it authorizes a stop-work order or permit revocation. Under § 14-337, the City can pursue a civil penalty of up to $32,500 per violation, with each day a separate offense, and anyone who willfully or negligently violates the article, a permit condition, or an Administrator's order is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a fine of $2,500 to $32,500.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a small home addition in Richmond need an erosion control permit?
How long does Richmond take to review an erosion and stormwater plan?
What happens if I disturb land in Richmond without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Richmond
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