Cleveland, OH Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Disturbance threshold
- 1+ acre triggers permit requirement
- Enforcing office
- Director of Building and Housing
- Plan standard
- Ohio EPA Permit No. OHC000005
- Covenant recording
- Cuyahoga County Recorder's Office
- BMP inspections
- Every 6 months in year one, annually after
- Appeal body
- Board of Building Standards and Building Appeals
- Default penalty
- First-degree misdemeanor, per day
Summary
Cleveland requires a storm water permit before any construction activity disturbing one acre or more of land begins. Codified Ordinances Chapter 3116 makes it unlawful to start work without a Director-approved Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan meeting Ohio EPA Permit No. OHC000005, and the rule applies citywide.
§ 3116.01 (a) "Construction activity" for purposes of this chapter, means any clearing, grading, excavating, grubbing, trench dewatering, and/or filling activities that disturb one (1) or more acres of land. The threshold acreage includes the entire area disturbed in the larger common plan of development or sale. ... § 3116.02 (a) Lands to Which This Chapter Applies. This chapter shall apply to all areas of the City of Cleveland. ... § 3116.03 (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to undertake any construction activity without first obtaining a permit from the Director. (b) It shall be unlawful for any permittee to fail to comply with their permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-28: Current through legislation passed September 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
02(a)-(b)). 01(a)). 03, it is unlawful to undertake construction activity without first obtaining a permit from the Director of Building and Housing, and unlawful for a permittee to fail to comply with the permit's terms. 05). The Director reviews the SWP3 against Ohio EPA Permit No. 06). 07(b)). 08). 11). 02(c)).
Violations & Fines
Chapter 3116 carries no standalone penalty section, so it falls under the Building Code's general penalty at § 3103.99(a): anyone who violates a provision of the Building Code for which no other penalty is set, or fails to comply with a lawful order issued under it, is guilty of a first-degree misdemeanor. Each day the noncompliance or violation continues is a separate offense, so working without a permit or ignoring a stop-work directive can accumulate daily counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Cleveland construction project need a storm water permit?
What must I submit with a Cleveland storm water permit application?
What if the Director denies my Cleveland stormwater permit?
How often must storm water controls be inspected after construction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cleveland
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Cuyahoga County handle stormwater management.