Permeable Resin-Bound Surfacing in Jacksonville, FL

What Jacksonville's Land Development Procedures Manual asks of pervious pavement

Volume 2 of the City's Land Development Procedures Manual, effective January 2026, includes green infrastructure design guidelines with a section on pervious pavements. It notes that LID practices aren't mandatory in Duval County but are encouraged. For a pervious pavement area to be permitted as part of the stormwater treatment system, a Florida-registered professional must show it meets the manual's hydraulic requirements, including:

• a system infiltration rate of at least 1.5 inches per hour, tested at least every two years
• at least two infiltration test locations per acre, with no more than ten per site
• a seasonal high water level at least 12 inches below the bottom of the system
• storage recovered within 72 hours, with a safety factor of 2.0 or more on the recovery analysis

The manual also calls for an appropriately certified installer and in-situ infiltration measurements, and the complete system still has to meet St. Johns River Water Management District and City water-quantity requirements. Resin-bound isn't among the example materials it pictures, so the reviewer will judge whether a given system meets these criteria.

Sandy soils, a shallow water table and the St. Johns River

Much of Jacksonville is flat, sandy ground where the water table can rise close to the surface in the wet season. That's why the 12-inch separation and 72-hour recovery rules carry so much weight: a reservoir that fills with groundwater can't store rain. Where native soil has been compacted above 95 percent Modified Proctor and drains slowly, the manual requires scarifying it to at least 16 inches and re-grading before the system is built.

Location along the river changes the picture too. SJRWMD's peak discharge criteria carve out systems that discharge directly to the St. Johns River north of Lake George, the Intracoastal Waterway or the Atlantic Ocean, so riverfront and coastal sites can face different rate requirements than inland ones. Older neighborhoods such as Riverside, Avondale and San Marco also bring tree roots, utility conflicts and fill of uncertain history for the geotechnical work to sort out.

Where it fits in Jacksonville

• Riverside, Avondale and San Marco homes: driveways and courtyards on older lots where a porous surface over stone replaces cracked concrete.
• Downtown and riverfront redevelopment: plazas and outdoor dining at grade, with the test ports and maintenance plan the manual expects.
• Southside office parks and medical campuses: parking stalls and perimeter walks, with drive aisles and turning areas kept conventional, as the manual suggests.
• Apartment and townhome communities: guest parking and paths that match the manual's light-duty, low-traffic profile.
• Schools and churches: walkways and overflow parking where traffic is light.

Looking to refresh existing concrete instead? Our Jacksonville concrete resurfacing page covers that work.

Permitting a permeable section in Jacksonville, and Resin Rock's part

The City's Development Services review group applies the Land Development Procedures Manual, and SJRWMD issues environmental resource permits where thresholds apply. Expect your engineer to submit borings and seasonal high water levels, infiltration and recovery calculations, test locations and a maintenance plan that includes vacuuming when infiltration drops below 1.5 inches per hour. On the fee side, the Jacksonville Stormwater Utility bills by impervious area on the property tax bill and offers credits for facilities that support or enhance the City's system, described in its Adjustments and Credits Manual, available on request. No credit is guaranteed.

Resin Rock manufactures and supplies the binder, stone blends, trims and Rock Crete permeable sub-base, with technical data sheets for the submittal. Ask the reviewer what installer certification it expects; Resin Rock trains and approves installers, and owners can request an approved installer through find an installer.