Site/Civil Engineering Services

You should contact a civil engineering company right at the start of your project. Bringing on a civil engineer early in the process is essential for reviewing project feasibility, assessing potential design and approval concerns or opportunities, and determining whether other professionals or services may be required for a successful project.

There may be state-specific requirements depending on your location. For example, projects that involve soil disturbance of one or more acres or that are located in the New York City Watershed east of the Hudson River and disturb greater than 5,000 square feet will require the preparation of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). They will also require coverage under the State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) General Permit for Discharges from Construction Activity. A SWPPP may also be required by the local municipality if disturbing less than one acre.

A qualified inspector in the state must complete SWPPP inspections. A qualified inspector shall be either a licensed Professional Engineer (PE), Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC), Registered Landscape Architect (RLA), or New York State Erosion and Sediment Control Certificate Program Holder. Additionally, someone working under the direct supervision, and at the same company as a PE or RLA, may be qualified to perform SWPPP inspections.

Low Impact Development (LID) are practices that simulate the natural environment through the use of infiltration, evapotranspiration, and reuse of stormwater runoff to protect water quality. Examples of LID include practices such as sites with soils conducive to infiltration that can utilize surface or underground infiltration systems. Other examples are sites with shallow depth to groundwater or soils with slow infiltration rates that can utilize green roofs, cisterns for capturing stormwater for reuse in irrigation or grey water, or lined biofiltration facilities.