Asheville, NC Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)

Under Sec. 7-12-2 of the Code of Ordinances, no building permit can be released and no land-disturbing activity may proceed until the stormwater administrator, appointed by the city manager, has approved a design plan and issued a grading and stormwater permit. The permit application package must include an application form, design plan, appropriate fees, and a signed statement of financial responsibility and ownership; a pre-construction conference is required before issuance if the administrator calls for one. The administrator must act on a complete formal-plan application within 30 days, or 15 days for a sketch plan, or the application is deemed approved.

' Narrow exemptions exist for agricultural production, timber harvesting under state Forest Practice Guidelines, mining-permit activity, emergency and firefighting work, individual gravesites, existing lawn maintenance, gardens disturbing under an acre, and land disturbance of 500 square feet or less that sits 50 feet or more from a stream. Development or redevelopment disturbing less than one acre with 50% or less impervious surface is exempt from post-construction stormwater control standards unless it is part of a larger common plan of development. No certificate of occupancy or compliance can issue until the administrator grants a final release of the permit, which requires as-built record drawings sealed by a licensed engineer or landscape architect plus a signed certificate of completion.