Tampa, FL Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Sec. " Subsection (b) requires the application to conform with the department's technical standards manual, which spells out the specific submission requirements. Subsection (c) limits the permit's validity to six months from issuance unless a building construction permit is active or the applicant requests and is granted an extension; the city can deny an extension if inspection turns up noncompliance, and extensions or reissuance carry the same fee as the original permit. Sec. 21-50 breaks the permit into types: a residential or commercial drainage and earthwork permit tied to a building permit for construction, expansion or paving; a miscellaneous permit for earthwork not tied to a commercial building permit; and a special excavation and earthwork permit specifically for borrow pits or mines.

Underlying all of this, Sec. 21-8 makes it unlawful for anyone, even with a permit in hand, to stockpile, grade, fill, excavate, construct, or take any other action affecting drainage that alters surface or subsurface drainage patterns to the detriment of neighboring properties or public rights-of-way. Sec. 21-9 separately protects the public drainage system itself, making it unlawful to introduce trash, debris, construction materials, or pollutants into any public drainage system including streets, and a business is jointly liable for a repeat violation by an employee within twelve months after the business received written notice of an earlier one.