Engineered Sediment Control Permit and Inspection Process
An Engineered Sediment Control Permit is required for certain construction activities. An Engineered Sediment Control application must be used for any project subject to sediment control permit requirements that includes stormwater management. If the project is for construction of a new home on an existing recorded lot, you may use an application for Engineered Sediment Control Permit for Single Family Lots; however, this type of application may not be used for construction of townhomes. Relatively minor land disturbing activities may be approved using a Small Land Disturbing Activities (SLDA) application instead of an engineered permit.
If the proposed work involves ANY of the activities below an Engineered Sediment Control Permit is required:
- Disturbs 5,000 sq. ft. or more of land
- Results in 100 cu. yds. or more of earth movement
- Includes the construction of any new residential or commercial building
- If a sediment control permit is required ONLY because of the amount of earth movement, stormwater management is not required and the project may be eligible for a Small Land Disturbing Activity permit
- Certain municipalities have their own permitting requirements.
Most construction projects requiring this type of permit application need additional approvals or permits from other agencies prior to approval of the sediment control plans. Your design professional will know which of these may be needed for the project.
The process has two steps: plan review and approval followed by permit issuance. Plan reviews typically take 2 – 4 weeks from time of submission or resubmission to completion of review. Most projects will go through two or more review cycles.
A non-refundable filing fee must be paid at time of application and the balance of the permit fee is due one year after issuance or prior to the final inspection, whichever comes first. Many projects require the payment of other fees, related to the project’s design. These are verified during the review and confirmed just prior to plan approval. Common fees include Stormwater Management waivers, Stream and BMP Monitoring (Special Protection Areas only), tree canopy compliance fees and stormwater management as-built plan review. All fees must be paid and a bond posted prior to permit issuance. The permit is valid for two years from the date of issuance.