Engineering Permits

Contractors or property owners may need to apply for a permit or license from the Engineering Division depending upon the type of work being performed.

Work activities requiring permits include:

• Erosion Control: Construction where soil disturbance is greater than 4,000 square feet
• Excavating in the Right-of-Way:  When your construction requires any portion of the public right-of-way or a public storm sewer or sanitary sewer easement or greenway is excavated or disturbed. 
  • Street Patching Guidelines
• Plugging Sanitary Sewer Lateral
• Plugging Storm Sewer Lateral
• Restaurant Class Sewer Meter:  Installation of a separate or sub-meter for food establishments affected by Restaurant Class billing rates to accurately measure flow of water.
• Sewer Addition or Deduction Meters: Installation of a second meter to measure the flow of water that does not enter the sanitary sewer system and is used to calculate a reduction in sewer use charges.
• Sanitary Sewer Discharge Permit: for contaminated water to be discharged during construction
• Stormwater Management
• Street Terrace Permit:  The street terrace is the space that lies between the sidewalk and the curb.  This permit is for street terrace improvements that involve residential driveway aprons (less than five parking stalls); sidewalk replacement (may require different permitting depending on amount of work); minor landscaping in the right of way (bricks and pavers, retaining walls, stairways) - subject to approval; installation of terrace rain garden.   
• Temporary Land Use: Temporary use of public land for private use for 90 days or less.

What to know before you start: 

• Contractors need to be prequalified to work in the right-of-way or terrace for private property owners or utilities and to bid on public works contracts. 
• How to become a prequalified Contractor
• Standard Specifications for Public Works Construction
• Before You Dig
• Inspection of Public Works and Private Development Projects