Permeable resin-bound surfacing may earn a fee credit in Savannah when it's built like pervious pavement: a porous surface over a permeable base such as Rock Crete and an engineered open-graded stone reservoir, with enough room above the shallow coastal water table to drain. The City's credit manual names pervious pavement among eligible practices, and the City decides whether a resin-bound system qualifies. Over an existing slab, it's a finish only.

Savannah's first stormwater utility bills began going out in September 2026, based on each parcel's impervious square footage minus any credits. In a flat, low-lying coastal city that floods from heavy rain, high tides and storm surge, keeping rain on the lot now carries a price signal too.

Savannah's stormwater credits and the Coastal Stormwater Supplement

The City's Stormwater Utility User Fee Credit Manual, dated January 22, 2026, evaluates credits against the Coastal Stormwater Supplement to the Georgia Stormwater Management Manual, which continues to apply in Georgia's coastal communities. The credits most relevant to permeable surfacing:

Residential GI/LID: single-family owners who install an approved practice, with pervious pavements named among the examples, can receive 20 percent off for three years.
Non-residential GI/LID: up to 50 percent for three years if on-site practices infiltrate the first 1.2 inches of rainfall to CSS/GSMM standards, with partial credit for less, backed by a sealed hydrology report.
Reduced impervious surface: non-single-family customers who remove at least 25 percent of existing impervious cover and replace it with pervious cover can have the fee set to zero for 12 months.

Total credits are capped at 50 percent, except for the partnership credit and the one-time reduced impervious surface credit. The City counts compacted gravel as impervious, and whether a particular resin-bound installation counts as pervious is the City's decision.

Low ground, high water: designing the base for coastal Savannah

Chatham County's flat, low-lying terrain means the water table is often close to the surface, and the credit manual itself asks for documentation of groundwater conditions and their effect on infiltration. A stone reservoir only works if it drains between storms, so the engineer should establish the seasonal high water table before sizing it and consider a shallower section with an underdrain where groundwater sits high.

Tides add a second constraint. The City lists high tide flooding and perigean spring tides alongside storm surge, and it studies flooding basin by basin, including Bilbo, Fell Street, Casey North and South, Placentia and Springfield. New buildings in the 100-year floodplain have needed two feet of freeboard above base flood elevation since January 1, 2025, which often raises finished grades and changes how a site drains, so settle grading before the permeable layout.

Savannah sites that suit permeable resin-bound

Historic District lanes: rear parking pads and carriage-house courts off the lanes, where work visible from the public way may need historic design review.
Midtown, Ardsley Park and Thomas Square homes: driveways replacing concrete strips, with the residential credit in view.
Hotels, inns and restaurants: courtyards and patios where guests want an even, comfortable surface.
Commercial and institutional sites: parking stalls and walks designed to infiltrate the first 1.2 inches for the non-residential credit.
Redevelopment projects: sites removing at least a quarter of their impervious cover, the threshold for the reduced impervious surface credit.

Getting credit and approval in Savannah

Design and permitting go through City development review, and credit applications go to the Stormwater Management Department's Stormwater Utility Manager by mail, email or the City's online form. The non-residential GI/LID credit needs a hydrology report sealed by a Georgia professional engineer, surveyor or landscape architect, covering pre- and post-development runoff, groundwater conditions and the practices used, plus a maintenance plan. Credits run for set terms and must be renewed, so keep inspection records. Sites outside city limits follow Chatham County's review instead.

Resin Rock, a Sarasota-based manufacturer-supplier, provides the binder, stone blends, trims and Rock Crete permeable sub-base, with technical data sheets for the hydrology report. We train installers through our Georgia installer training and connect owners with an approved installer via find an installer.

Before you specify permeable resin-bound in Savannah

Document the seasonal high water table; the credit manual asks for groundwater conditions.
Pick the credit you're pursuing: residential GI/LID, non-residential infiltration or reduced impervious surface.
Design to infiltrate the first 1.2 inches if you want the full non-residential credit.
Settle finished grades and freeboard first if the site is in the 100-year floodplain.
Confirm whether historic design review applies to visible work.
Keep maintenance records for credit renewal.

Common questions about permeable resin-bound in Savannah

Does pervious pavement qualify for Savannah's stormwater credit?

It can. The City's credit manual names pervious pavements as an eligible residential GI/LID practice and lists permeable pavements among typical GI/LID practices. Each application is evaluated against the Coastal Stormwater Supplement, so whether a specific resin-bound installation qualifies, and for how much, is the City's decision.

How much could a homeowner save?

The residential GI/LID credit is 20 percent off the stormwater user fee for three years, and it can be renewed. Some other credits, such as tree planting, are also open to homeowners, but total credits are capped at 50 percent. Your actual fee depends on your parcel's measured impervious area.

Our street floods at high tide. Will permeable paving help?

It won't stop tidal flooding, which comes from water levels in the rivers, marshes and canals. What a well-designed permeable surface can do is hold and soak in more of the rain that falls on your property during ordinary storms, as long as the water table leaves room for the reservoir to drain.

Official sources for Savannah

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.

Permeable Resin-Bound Surfacing in Savannah, GA