Stormwater Management Plan

Stormwater Management Plan

 

As of September 2024, the Express Permit Program is the process for filing a new or amended plan under the City of Chicago Stormwater Management Ordinance. In many cases, construction of work shown in a stormwater management plan will also require additional permits before any construction work may begin on site.

Eligibility Summary

Additional terms, conditions, and limitations may apply.

Eligible

  • Filing a new stormwater management plan
  • Amending an existing stormwater management plan

Not Eligible

  • Obtaining authorization for construction that requires any type of permit (building permit, public way permit, etc.)

When is a stormwater mangement plan required?

Before beginning an Express Permit Program application to file or amend a stormwater management plan, please review the City of Chicago Stormwater Management Ordinance to confirm that a stormwater management plan is required for your project. In general, a stormwater management plan is required for every “Regulated Development,” with two exceptions: “Residential Developments” and “Maintenance Activity.” These terms are defined in the City of Chicago Stormwater Management Ordinance:

Regulated Development

Any construction activity, excavation or grading, commencing on or after January 1, 2008, that:

      (a)   disturbs a land area or substantially contiguous land areas of 15,000 or more square feet in the aggregate. Land areas separated by public right-of- way at the conclusion of development shall not be deemed "substantially contiguous" to each other for purposes of this definition. For purposes of calculating square footage pursuant to this paragraph (a), "land area" shall include twenty-five percent of the square footage of the sidewalls of a building that directly connects to the sewer system via side gutters, and shall also include any average dry-weather flow based on a conversion rate of 1.0 cfs (cubic feet per second) into one acre (43,560 square feet), or

      (b)   creates an at-grade impervious surface of 7,500 or more substantially contiguous square feet, or

      (c)   results in any discharges of stormwater into any waters or separate sewer system.

   For purposes of this definition, square footage shall be calculated based upon the project as a whole, regardless of whether construction proceeds in phases. A Regulated Development shall not include projects located entirely within the public right-of-way at the conclusion of development. With respect to a project located both on the public right-of-way and on private property at the conclusion of development, that portion of the project located on the public right-of-way will not be included in calculating the square footage thresholds of subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this definition. If a project includes Residential Development, the Residential Development will not be included in calculating the square footage thresholds of subparagraphs (a) and (b) of this definition.

Residential Development

A Regulated Development, or portion thereof, which upon completion will result in the subdivision of land into detached single-family or two-family dwellings.

Maintenance Activity

In-kind replacement, restoration, or repair of existing infrastructure, pavement, or facilities including, but not limited to, roadways, parking lots and overhead utilities, provided they will perform the same function for which they were originally designed and constructed.

Important Considerations

Separate permit(s) required

Approval of a Stormwater Management Plan does not authorize any construction work that otherwise requires a permit, such as a building permit, sewer permit, driveway permit, or public way use permit.

Your project must obtain all required permits before construction begins.

Some types of site work, however, do not require a building permit. For more information, please review:

What Types of Work Do Not Require a Building Permit? : Site Work and Landscaping

Beginning work while plan is under review

The Stormwater Management Ordinance provides: “after a draft Plan has been submitted to the City and before the Plan has been approved, the Owner or Developer may perform any work at the site that does not require a building permit . . . provided that the Owner and Developer will be responsible for the full cost, if any, associated with correcting work that does not comply with the Plan that is subsequently approved.”

Terms and conditions

See the full Terms and Conditions for Express Permit Program : Plumbing Work for further limitations on this type of permit.

Before You Apply

Before you start the online application, you should have:

  • Property address
  • Property owner: name and contact information
  • Basic info about the main building on the property (number of stories, number/type of units)
  • Details of the proposed stormwater management plan or plan amendment
  • Required design professional (see below): exact name or Illinois license number

Required Documents

For all applications:

  • Stormwater management plan drawings, prepared by an Illinois-licensed professional engineer

You will receive an invitation to upload these drawings to the City of Chicago’s E-Plan (ProjectDox) system after paying the required fee. See the Stormwater Regulations and Stormwater Manual, issued by the Department of Water Management, for stormwater management plan drawing requirements.

Required Design Professional

For all applications:

  • an Illinois-licensed professional engineer

Ordinances and Rules

Chicago Stormwater Management Ordinance (Municipal Code of Chicago, Chapter 11-18)

2024 Stormwater Regulations (issued by the Chicago Department of Water Management)

Illinois Professional Engineering Practice Act of 1989 (225 ILCS 325/)