West Palm Beach, FL Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)

Section 94-316 of the zoning code, 'Vacant lot and construction site maintenance,' requires erosion control measures on any site with a filed plat for houses, duplexes, condominiums, townhouses or apartments; commercial, industrial or institutional construction; grading or excavation disturbing 4,500 square feet or more; excavation or fill of 400 cubic yards or more; street, highway, road or bridge work; and underground pipe or utility installation running 300 feet or more, per § 94-316(d)(3)(a). Every covered site must comply with the city's stormwater management program and submit a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) for approval before the engineering services director signs off, and it is unlawful to begin construction activity before the SWPPP is approved and a building, demolition, or right-of-way permit is issued, per § 94-316(c)(1).

The approved SWPPP must be maintained in a satisfactory manner for the entire construction period, and every erosion control measure installed under it must be removed once the work is done, § 94-316(d)(3)(c). If a building or demolition permit expires, the site must be brought to grade, tilled, and planted with irrigated ground cover within 30 days, § 94-316(d)(3)(d). The engineering services director may waive stormwater program or SWPPP requirements case by case for sites under one acre or individual single-family lots in an already-platted subdivision, § 94-316(d)(4).

Contractors, subcontractors, and permit applicants must also post an erosion control bond and a separate land stabilization bond, in amounts set by city resolution, to cover the cost of finishing erosion control and stabilization if the permit lapses; neither bond is required for a single-family home, duplex, or accessory apartment and its additions or renovations, § 94-316(e)(1)-(2).