Chesterfield County, VA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Plan required
- Stormwater management plan, § 8-50
- Stabilization deadline
- Within 14 days of work stoppage
- Inspection frequency
- At least once every 5 years
- Residential maintenance escrow
- $250 per dwelling unit
- Upper Swift Creek escrow
- $3,000 per impervious acre
- Permit fee range
- $209 to $6,912 by acreage
- Appeal path
- Circuit court, § 8-63
Summary
Construction sites in Chesterfield County must file a stormwater management plan with the environmental engineer covering drainage, discharge points and hydrologic computations before land disturbance begins. Permanent facilities require recorded maintenance commitments and, for many residential and commercial projects, a cash escrow to guarantee the work stays maintained.
The stormwater management plan must apply the stormwater management technical criteria set forth in section 8-59 to the entire land disturbance activity. Individual lots in new residential, commercial, or industrial developments shall not be considered to be separate land-disturbing activities...The stormwater management plan shall include the following information:(1)Information on the type and location of stormwater discharges; information on the features to which stormwater is being discharged including surface waters and the predevelopment and post-development drainage areas;(2)Contact information including the name, address, email and telephone number of the owner and the tax reference number and parcel number of the property or properties affected;...(6)Hydrologic and hydraulic computations, including runoff characteristics;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
Section 8-50(a) requires the stormwater management plan to apply the technical criteria of § 8-59 to the entire land-disturbing activity, not lot by lot, and to include the type and location of discharges, contact and parcel information, a narrative of current and final site conditions, hydrologic and hydraulic computations, and a site map showing drainage areas, floodplains and resource protection areas. Elements involving licensed engineering work must be sealed by a professional registered in the Commonwealth under § 8-50(c). A companion stormwater pollution prevention plan under § 8-49 must control runoff volume and velocity, minimize exposed soil and slope disturbance, maintain buffers around surface waters, and begin stabilizing any area where work has stopped for more than 14 calendar days.
The county adopts the state's Part V technical criteria under 9VAC25-875 by reference in § 8-59, with grandfathering for plans approved before July 1, 2012 that received a state permit before July 1, 2014. Permanent facilities need a construction record drawing and a maintenance instrument recorded in the land records under § 8-60(b), and § 8-60(c)-(d) sets a maintenance cash escrow of $250 per dwelling unit for residential best management practices and $3,000 per impervious acre for commercial practices inside the Upper Swift Creek Watershed.
The environmental engineer inspects stormwater facilities at least once every five years under § 8-61(g), and a permit holder aggrieved by an enforcement decision can demand a formal hearing within 30 days under § 8-62 before appealing to the county's circuit court under § 8-63.
Violations & Fines
Fees for state permit coverage run from $209 for small construction under one acre to $6,912 for sites of 100 acres or more, per the fee table in § 8-64(e), due before the land-disturbance permit issues. Violations of the stormwater management plan or permit conditions carry the same civil penalty as erosion violations: up to $32,500 per violation under § 8-66(d), with a stop-work order available under § 8-66(a)(2) and a misdemeanor charge, up to 12 months in jail or a $2,500 to $32,500 fine, for willful or negligent noncompliance under § 8-66(i).
Frequently Asked Questions
What must a Chesterfield County stormwater management plan include?
Does Chesterfield County require a maintenance escrow for stormwater facilities?
How often does Chesterfield County inspect stormwater facilities?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chesterfield County
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