Permeable resin-bound surfacing can serve as a stormwater practice in Richmond when it is built over a stone reservoir deep enough to store water, with soils or an underdrain to release it, and the City's Department of Public Utilities (DPU) accepts it. Richmond's residential credit sets a clear bar: at least 1,000 square feet of pervious pavement over a stone reservoir at least 10 inches deep.
Laid over an existing concrete slab or asphalt alley pad, it is only a finish, and rain still runs off toward the storm drains and the James. Below are the City's permit thresholds and credits, the fall-line ground conditions, where the system fits in Richmond's neighborhoods, and how to get through review.
RESMP permits, the stormwater utility credit and Virginia's redevelopment rule
Land disturbance of 4,000 square feet or more, or 2,500 square feet or more in a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area, needs a separate Richmond Erosion and Stormwater Management Program (RESMP) permit, including for single-family houses, which may qualify for an Agreement in Lieu of a Plan. Designs follow the City's Stormwater Management Design and Construction Standards Manual and the Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook, and permits require a Stormwater Utility Maintenance Agreement.
DPU runs the stormwater utility and its credit program. For single-family homes, approved stormwater control measures combine for up to 50% off the fee, with any single type worth 20%. Pervious pavement qualifies at 1,000 square feet or more over a stone reservoir at least 10 inches deep at all points; the City lists concrete blocks, grid pavers, and pervious concrete or asphalt, and excludes gravel. Credits last three years, and the City may inspect at any time. Non-residential and multifamily properties have a separate manual.
Under Virginia's regulation, redevelopment that adds no impervious cover must cut phosphorus at least 10% below the predevelopment load when it disturbs less than an acre, and at least 20% when it disturbs an acre or more.
The fall line, the James River floodplain and urban fill
Richmond sits on the fall line, with Piedmont soils over granite in the west end and sandier Coastal Plain deposits east of downtown. Infiltration varies widely, and the Handbook expects underdrains in most Hydrologic Soil Group C and D soils. It also says permeable pavement should never sit on fill unless built with an impermeable liner and an underdrain, a common condition in Shockoe Bottom, Manchester and other former industrial and rail districts.
The James shapes the rest. The City's floodwall system runs 3.28 miles and protects about 750 acres along the river, and building in the floodplain is discouraged and tightly regulated. Riverfront sites can also have shallow groundwater, and the Handbook requires at least 2 feet between the reservoir bottom and the seasonally high water table.
Older parts of the city drain to combined sewers, where every gallon held back on site eases overflows to the James.
Where it fits from the Fan to Manchester
- Rear yards and alley parking pads in the Fan, Museum District and Church Hill, where 1,000 square feet is reachable on larger lots or shared alley-side parking.
- Brewery, restaurant and event patios in Scott's Addition, where former industrial sites are being reused and fill needs checking.
- Apartment and mixed-use courtyards in Manchester and along the riverfront, where phosphorus targets meet floodplain rules.
- Campus walkways and church lots near VCU and across the city, where large paved areas drive the fee.
Getting through DPU review, with Resin Rock as supplier
Submit RESMP applications through the City's online permit portal with an erosion and sediment control plan, stormwater plan, any Chesapeake Bay site plan and supporting computations; the Water Resources Division's plan review checklist sets out what's expected. Credit applications go to DPU with the general and property-specific forms and photos. Since the City's pervious pavement definition and the Handbook both name pavers, grids, pervious concrete and porous asphalt, ask DPU how it will treat a resin-bound course before you build.
Resin Rock's role is manufacturer-supplier; we don't install. We supply UV-stable binder, natural stone blends, trims and the Rock Crete permeable sub-base, with technical data sheets for the permit set, and we train and approve installers. Find an installer usually connects a Richmond project with one within 24 hours. For a cosmetic refresh of sound concrete with no stormwater goal, see concrete resurfacing in Richmond.
Before you specify permeable resin-bound in Richmond
- Check whether disturbance reaches 4,000 square feet, or 2,500 in a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area.
- Plan at least 1,000 square feet of pervious pavement over a 10-inch stone reservoir if you want the residential credit.
- Investigate fill and plan a liner and underdrain on former industrial land.
- Confirm groundwater depth and floodplain status on riverfront sites.
- Ask DPU whether a resin-bound surface counts as pervious pavement.
- Renew the credit every three years.
Common questions about permeable resin-bound in Richmond
How big does a permeable surface need to be for Richmond's stormwater credit?
For single-family homes, the credit manual requires at least 1,000 square feet of pervious pavement with a stone reservoir at least 10 inches deep at all points. That earns a 20% credit, which can combine with other measures up to 50%. The credit lasts three years, and the City may inspect the installation at any time.
Do I need a permit to install permeable paving in Richmond?
You need a RESMP permit when land disturbance reaches 4,000 square feet, or 2,500 square feet in a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area. Single-family projects may qualify for an Agreement in Lieu of a Plan with a small site plan and bond. Smaller projects still have to meet building and zoning rules.
Will a resin-bound surface on my existing concrete count?
No. Richmond's credit describes pervious pavement as a surface over a stone reservoir that stores runoff before it seeps into the soil, and a layer bonded to an existing slab has no reservoir. To count, the old slab comes out and the engineer designs a reservoir and, where soils are tight, an underdrain.
Official sources for Richmond
- Richmond DPU Stormwater Utility and credit manuals
- Richmond Stormwater Management (RESMP permits, floodplain)
- Richmond Stormwater Management Design and Construction Standards Manual (PDF)
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.