In Greenville, permeable resin-bound surfacing can serve as a stormwater practice when it is designed as a permeable pavement system with a stone base, and on most local soils that base will need a perforated underdrain. Inside city limits, the City's Engineering Department reviews it under the City's Design and Specifications Manual and green infrastructure guideline; outside them, Greenville County's Land Development Division applies its own design manual.
Bonding resin-bound onto an existing concrete patio or parking lot is a resurfacing job, not a stormwater measure. Rain that soaks into the surface layer runs off the slab beneath it and heads for the Reedy River like any other runoff.
City and County: two rulebooks around the Reedy River
The City of Greenville's stormwater management program sits within the City's Engineering Department and is built around the Design and Specifications Manual, a stormwater utility with a credit policy, and a Guideline for Green Infrastructure and Low Impact Development dated November 2021. That guideline is written mainly for sites under one acre, so infill homes and small commercial lots can use simplified sizing instead of full engineering calculations. It cites state Regulation 72-300 as the basis for water quantity control and says the City Engineering Department may approve other practices at its discretion.
Outside the city, Greenville County's Land Development Division reviews plans under the County's Stormwater Management Design Manual and runs a Phase I MS4 permit first issued in 2001, covering unincorporated areas and partner cities including Mauldin, Simpsonville, Fountain Inn and Travelers Rest. State construction stormwater permitting runs through the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services. Confirm which jurisdiction reviews your parcel before anything else.
Upstate clay, shallow rock and the case for an underdrain
The City's guideline is direct about local soils: many native soils in Greenville do not allow adequate infiltration, so infiltration practices need a perforated underdrain that daylights or ties into the storm system. Only where an underdrain that daylights is not feasible can a field test showing at least 0.5 inches per hour allow the system without one. The guideline also limits infiltration to places where the water table or bedrock is at least two feet below the bottom of the practice, which can rule out lots with shallow rock.
For permeable paving, the guideline asks for slopes under 6 percent that fall away from buildings, at least 20 feet of separation from a septic field, and no drainage from lawns or other unpaved areas that would clog the surface. A permeable strip can treat paved area uphill of it, such as the lower quarter of a driveway taking runoff from the upper three quarters. Its paver specification covers interlocking and grid concrete pavers, so a resin-bound surface needs the City Engineering Department's approval.
Where it fits in Greenville
- Single-family infill in close-in neighborhoods such as Overbrook, Augusta Road and North Main, where small lots fall under the green infrastructure guideline.
- Restaurant and retail patios along Main Street and in the West End, near the Reedy River and Falls Park.
- Church and office parking where permeable stalls at the low end of a lot treat the pavement above.
- Townhome and multifamily courtyards in the Village of West Greenville and other redeveloping districts.
Getting it approved and supplied in Greenville
For City projects, LID practices are reviewed with the site plan, or with the building permit for single-family work, and a maintenance agreement is typically recorded. The City asks for photographs during installation, before underground parts such as the underdrain and stone base are covered. Ask the City Engineering Department early whether a resin-bound surface can be accepted under the guideline and whether the stormwater credit policy applies to your property.
Resin Rock does not install. We supply UV-stable binder, stone blends, trims and the Rock Crete permeable sub-base, and we train and approve installers through our South Carolina installer training. Technical data sheets are available for your submittal. Once the design is approved, request an approved installer.
Before you specify permeable resin-bound in Greenville
- Confirm whether the City of Greenville or Greenville County reviews the parcel.
- Plan a perforated underdrain; a 0.5 inch per hour field test applies only where a daylighting underdrain is not feasible.
- Check that bedrock and the water table sit at least two feet below the base.
- Keep paved slopes under 6 percent and grade lawns away from the surface.
- Schedule installation photos before the underdrain and stone are covered.
Common questions about permeable resin-bound in Greenville
Do I need an engineer for a permeable driveway in the City of Greenville?
Not always. The City's green infrastructure guideline uses simplified sizing for smaller sites, mainly under one acre, so a single-family project can often be reviewed with the building permit. The City still has to accept the practice, and resin-bound is not the paver type the guideline describes, so expect questions and possibly engineering input.
Why does Greenville require an underdrain?
Because the City says many native soils here do not infiltrate well enough. Without an underdrain, water can sit in the stone base and the system stops working. You can leave it out only where an underdrain that daylights is not feasible and a field test shows at least half an inch per hour of infiltration, with the water table and bedrock at least two feet down.
Is there a stormwater fee credit in Greenville?
The City's credit policy covers non-residential properties that maintain quantity or quality controls beyond the minimum rules, plus an education credit for K to 12 schools, with combined credits capped at 40 percent and renewed yearly. Permeable surfaces are not named. Properties in unincorporated Greenville County fall under the County's utility instead. Ask the reviewing jurisdiction before counting on a credit; an overlay on existing concrete will not qualify.
Official sources for Greenville
- City of Greenville: Stormwater Management
- Greenville County: Stormwater Management Design Manual
- Greenville County: Storm Water Management
- SCDES: Stormwater Program
Local rules change. We last checked these sources in October 2026. Confirm current requirements with the reviewing agency before you design, and treat this page as a starting point, not engineering or permitting advice.