Keller, TX SWPPP & Stormwater Requirements

What does Keller require for SWPPP compliance?

In Keller, a permit from the Director of Public Works is required before any grading, excavation, land clearing, or activity precedent to development of open, vacant, or unimproved land — and grading permit criteria are reviewed by the City Engineer, the Planning Manager, and the Director of Public Works.

There is no acreage floor in that sentence — vacant ground is the trigger, and three sets of eyes review the permit.

Erosion control is already in the plan set

In Keller, an erosion and sediment control plan is already a required element of construction plans under the city's development requirements. The city does not bolt erosion control on at the end — it is a required element of the construction plans themselves.

Trees gate the grading

In Keller, no grading or tree removal may take place on any undeveloped property without a tree removal permit unless exempted by the code, and the clear-cutting of land is prohibited. Keller's tree survey and preservation plan must be approved and signed by a certified arborist and a licensed surveyor, and it is reviewed in conjunction with the grading plans, which must be consistent with each other. The survey work happens early and carries professional signatures — a plan drawn without it stalls at review.

Fencing first, fines for shortcuts

In Keller, all protective tree fencing must be in place before any major site work involving heavy equipment for construction of utilities and roadways begins and must remain until all site work is complete — except for clearing the right-of-way to access the site, where fencing goes in once the site is reachable by heavy equipment.In Keller, all protective tree fencing must be in place before any major site work involving heavy equipment for construction of utilities and roadways, and must remain in place until all site work has been completed — a provision that does not apply to clearing the right-of-way for access to the site for site preparation. Removing trees without a permit in Keller is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to 250 dollars per caliper inch of the trees removed or damaged, not to exceed 2,000 dollars per incident. The fencing goes up before the heavy equipment arrives, and the fine schedule is written per caliper inch.

The state permit still applies

The city's permits sit on top of the state's, not in place of them. A stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWP3) must be prepared and implemented before construction activities begin. TXR150000's standard schedule requires construction site inspections at least once every 14 calendar days and within 24 hours of the end of a storm event of 0.5 inches or greater. The city permit and the state program run together for the life of the disturbance.

Inspections and the record

The operator owns the inspection record from first disturbance to final stabilization. Terradyne provides routine SWPPP inspection reports with cloud-based client access. See SWPPP Inspections for how the program works, and Silt Fence Installation for the perimeter the reviewers will look at first.

Check before you mobilize

Ordinances and city standards get revised; confirm the current documents with the city before you mobilize. For other North Texas cities, start at Local Compliance.