Virginia DEQ
Home MenuStormwater Fees
On November 13, 2025, the State Water Control Board approved an amendment to the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Program regulations that authorized an increase in construction stormwater and MS4 fees. The fee increases are in accordance with Chapter 2 (Budget Bill Item 363J) of the 2024 Special Session I Acts of the Assembly that directed DEQ to establish a fee schedule such that 60-62% of program implementation cost are accounted for in the fees.
As part of the regulatory amendment, provisions were included that requires DEQ to adjust the construction stormwater and MS4 fees annual based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) by December 31st of each year, and the fee adjustments will become effective July 1st of the following year. By January 31st of each year, DEQ will provide the CPI adjusted fees on its website.
CGP and MS4 Fee Schedule
- New MS4 permit coverage;
- MS4 permit major modifications;
- New individual VPDES Permits for Discharges of Stormwater from Construction Activities;
- New coverage under the General VPDES Permit for Discharges of Stormwater from Construction Activities (Construction General Permit or CGP);
- Modifications and/or transfers of individual VPDES Permits for Discharges of Stormwater from Construction Activities or CGPs; and
- Annual permit maintenance fees for MS4 permits and VPDES Permits for Discharges of Stormwater from Construction Activities.
The fees below represent the revised fees that will become effective on July 1, 2026.
Fees in sections 9VAC25-875-1380, 9VAC25-875-1400, and 9VAC25-875-1420 will be adjusted annually by the department using the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI, as used for this adjustment, refers to the average CPI for all-urban consumers for the 12-month period ending on June 30 of the calendar year preceding the year the fee is due. The department will calculate the adjusted fees using the CPI by January 1 of each year and the adjusted fees will be effective beginning July 1 of the same year. Annually adjusted fees will be posted on this webpage.
The permit fee due is calculated by the department according to the following formulas:
Where:
F = the permit fee due (in $)
B = the base fee rate for the type of MS4 or Construction General Permit
C = the Consumer Price Index adjustment factor
∆CPI = the difference between CPI-U and 314.54, expressed as a proportion of 314.54 (the reference base is 1982-84 = 100; 314.54 is the unadjusted average CPI for all urban consumers for July 2024)
CPI-U = the Consumer Price Index for all-urban consumers for the 12-month period ending on April 30 of the calendar year preceding the year the fee is due.
Example:
If calculating the hypothetical 2027 permit fee (F) for a General / Stormwater Management – Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing permit (> 5 acres < 10 acres):
CPI = 317.67 (hypothetical [ CPI ] for the 12-month period ending on June 30, 2026, which would be used for the [ 2027 ] permit fee calculation).
∆CPI = 0.03 for the 2027 permit fee calculation (i.e., (317.67 – 309.57) / 309.57 = (8.10) / 309.57 = 0.03)
C = [ 1.03 ] for the [ 2027 ] permit fee calculation (i.e., 1 + [ 0.03 ] = [ 1.03 ]).
B = $5,100 (i.e. the fee for a General / Stormwater Management – Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing permit (> 5 acres < 10 acres), taken from subsection A of 9VAC25-875-1400).
F = [ $5,253 ] for the hypothetical [ 2027 ] permit fee calculation for this General / Stormwater Management – Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing permit (i.e., $5,100 x [ 1.03 ] = [ $5,253.00 ]).
Fee schedules for municipal separate storm sewer system new permit issuance.
|
Municipal Stormwater / MS4 Individual (Large and Medium) |
$25,000 |
|
Municipal Stormwater / MS4 Individual (Small) |
$13,000 |
|
Municipal Stormwater / MS4 General Permit (Small) |
$6,500 |
Fee schedules for major modification of MS4 individual permits requested by the operator.
|
Municipal Stormwater / MS4 Individual (Large and Medium) |
$8,000 |
|
Municipal Stormwater / MS4 Individual (Small) |
$4,000 |
Permit maintenance fees.
|
Municipal Stormwater / MS4 Individual (Large and Medium) |
$14,100 |
|
Municipal Stormwater / MS4 Individual (Small) |
$9,600 |
|
Municipal Stormwater / MS4 General Permit (Small) |
$4,800 |
Fees for individual permit or coverage under the General Permit for Discharges of Stormwater from Construction Activities.
|
Fee type |
Total fee to be paid by applicant (includes both VESMP authority and department portions where applicable) |
Department portion of "total fee to be paid by applicant" (based on 28% of total fee paid*) |
|
Land-Disturbing Activity in a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (not subject to General Permit coverage; sites within designated areas of Chesapeake Bay Act localities with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than 2,500 square feet and less than one acre) |
$290 |
$0 |
|
General / Stormwater Management - Small Construction Activity/Land-Disturbing Activity in a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (not subject to General Permit coverage)/Land Clearing (Single-family detached residential structures within or outside a common plan of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage less than five acres) |
$209 |
$0 |
|
General / Stormwater Management - Small Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage less than one acre, except for single-family detached residential structures) |
$450 |
$135 |
|
General / Stormwater Management - Small Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than one acre and less than five acres) |
$4,100 |
$1,230 |
|
General / Stormwater Management - Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than five acres and less than 10 acres) |
$5,100 |
$1,530 |
|
General / Stormwater Management - Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than 10 acres and less than 50 acres) |
$6,800 |
$2,040 |
|
General / Stormwater Management - Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than 50acres and less than 100 acres) |
$9100 |
$2,730 |
|
General / Stormwater Management - Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than 100 acres) |
$14,300 |
$4,290 |
|
Individual VPDES Permit for Discharges of Stormwater from Construction Activities (This will be administered by the department) |
$24,000 |
$24,000 |
The following fees apply to coverage under the General VPDES Permit for Discharges of Stormwater from Construction Activities issued by the department for a state agency or federal entity that has standards and specifications approved by the department.
|
General / Stormwater Management - Phase I Land Clearing (Large Construction Activity - Sites or common plans of development equal to or greater than five acres) |
$1,200 |
|
General / Stormwater Management - Phase II Land Clearing (Small Construction Activity - Sites or common plans of development equal to or greater than one acre and less than five acres) |
$700 |
Fees for the modification or transfer of individual permits or of registration statements for the General VPDES Permit for Discharges of Stormwater from Construction Activities.
|
General / Stormwater Management – Small Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage less than one acre, except for single-family detached residential structures) |
$30
|
|
General / Stormwater Management – Small Construction Activity/Land-Disturbing Activity in a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (not subject to General Permit coverage)/Land Clearing (Single-family detached residential structures within or outside a common plan of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage less than five acres where the locality is the VESMP authority) |
$20 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Small Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Single-family detached residential structures within or outside a common plan of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage less than five acres where the department is the VSMP authority) |
$0 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Small Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than one and less than five acres) |
$320 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than five acres and less than 10 acres) |
$400 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than 10 acres and less than 50 acres) |
$480 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites orareas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than 50 acres and less than 100 acres) |
$720 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than 100 acres) |
$1,120 |
|
Individual VPDES Permit for Discharges of Stormwater from Construction Activities |
$8,000 |
Permit maintenance fees.
|
Land-Disturbing Activity in a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (not subject to General Permit coverage; sites within designated areas of Chesapeake Bay Act localities with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than 2,500 square feet and less than one acre) |
$80 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Small Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage less than one acre, except for single-family detached residential structures) |
$80 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Small Construction Activity/Land-Disturbing Activity in a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (not subject to General Permit coverage)/Land Clearing (Single-family detached residential structures within or outside a common plan of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage less than five acres where the locality is the VESMP authority) |
$80 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Small Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Single-family detached residential structures within or outside a common plan of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage less than five acres where the department is the VSMP authority) |
$0 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Small Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance equal to or greater than one acre and less than five acres) |
$650 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than five acres and less than 10 acres) |
$800 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than 10 acres and less than 50 acres) |
$1,050 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater than 50 acres and less than 100 acres) |
$1,450 |
|
General / Stormwater Management – Large Construction Activity/Land Clearing (Sites or areas within common plans of development or sale with land-disturbance acreage equal to or greater 100 acres) |
$2,250 |
|
Individual VPDES Permit for Discharges from Construction Activities |
$4,800 |