Fargo requires approved grading and drainage plans for new construction and significant fill work to ensure water flows to designed outlets rather than onto neighboring lots, a critical concern in Fargo's flat Red River Valley terrain.
The Fargo Engineering Department reviews lot grading plans for new homes and commercial sites and inspects rough and final grades. Drainage swales, downspout extensions, and yard slopes must direct stormwater toward platted drainage easements, not toward neighboring properties. Filling lots above approved elevations or blocking platted swales is prohibited. Because Fargo sits in the flat Red River basin, even minor grade changes can cause water to pond on adjacent lots. Disputes between neighbors over altered drainage are routinely investigated by Engineering and the Inspections Department.
Violations include filling without an approved plan, blocking platted drainage swales, redirecting downspouts toward neighbors, and failing to meet approved final grades. Owners may be required to regrade.
Fargo, ND
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