Artificial turf is permitted on residential property in Richmond. No citywide ban exists. Installations in the Resource Protection Area along the James River may require stormwater review. HOAs may restrict artificial turf in specific neighborhoods.
Richmond has no ordinance in City Code Chapter 30 (Zoning) or Chapter 98 that prohibits synthetic turf on single-family residential lots, and Virginia as a Dillon's Rule state has not granted localities authority to ban turf outright. Most private residential installations do not trigger a building permit, but any installation that adds more than 2,500 square feet of impervious surface or occurs within a Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Area (VA Code §10.1-2109) requires a land-disturbance review through Richmond Department of Public Utilities Stormwater, because the RPA 100-foot buffer along the James River and its tributaries restricts new impervious cover. Infill of recycled crumb-rubber is the most regulated component: Richmond Public Schools has moved toward organic infill, and the Virginia DEQ is studying PFAS leaching. HOAs in neighborhoods like The Fan or Windsor Farms may prohibit turf through private covenants that the city does not enforce but that remain legally binding on homeowners.
No municipal fine for a permitted residential install. RPA or stormwater violations under Chapter 50 can reach $10,000 per day per VA Code §62.1-44.15:63. HOA covenant enforcement is civil through the association.
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See how Richmond's artificial turf rules stack up against other locations.
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