CONDUCT OF EXCAVATIONS

Richmond, Va., City Code ch. 24, art. VII, div. 4

in effect

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-484 Standards.

Sec. 24-484. - Standards. Permittees shall perform all excavation work to the complete satisfaction of the Director. The Director shall promulgate rules and regulations setting forth such standards for excavation work as he deems appropriate. The determination of the Director as to the compliance of any excavation work with such standards shall be final. (Code 2004, § 90-516; Code 2015, § 24-484; Code 2020, § 24-484; Ord. No. 2005-113-55, § 1, 4-25-2005)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-485 Inspections—Basic requirement.

Sec. 24-485. - Inspections—Basic requirement. All excavations shall be inspected as specified in the permit. Based upon the complexity and nature of the excavation, inspections may be required during the performance of the excavation, immediately upon completion of the excavation, or both. An inspector approved by the Director shall perform all inspections at the permittee's expense pursuant to rules and regulations promulgated by the Director. The permittee shall arrange for each required inspection, notify the Director of the date and time when each inspection will occur, and direct the inspector to furnish the Director with the written inspection results within the time limits set forth in the permit. Excavation work performed under the permit will not be considered complete until it has passed the final inspection required by the permit. (Code 2004, § 90-517; Code 2015, § 24-485; Code 2020, § 24-485; Ord. No. 2005-113-55, § 1, 4-25-2005)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-486 Inspections—Additional requirements.

Sec. 24-486. - Inspections—Additional requirements. Consistent with applicable laws, sound engineering practices, and the nature of the excavation, the Director may, in addition to or in lieu of the inspections called for under Section 24-485, require that a permittee, at the permittee's expense, retain a professional engineer licensed in Virginia to observe the excavation and, based upon the engineer's observations, to provide written certification upon completion of the excavation stating that the public right-of-way has been restored in accordance with the drawings and specifications and all other applicable technical requirements. (Code 2004, § 90-518; Code 2015, § 24-486; Code 2020, § 24-486; Ord. No. 2005-113-55, § 1, 4-25-2005)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-487 Inspections—Fees.

Sec. 24-487. - Inspections—Fees. Each permittee shall pay to the City the minimum inspection fee of $50.00 for each opening in the public right-of-way allowed under the permit in order to compensate the City for the cost incurred in administering the inspection requirements of this division. In addition, each permittee shall pay to the City that portion of the actual cost of such inspection that exceeds the amount of such inspection fee. No inspection fees shall be collected from a permittee when: (1) The permittee pays the City under a separate agreement pursuant to which the Department of Public Works manages and inspects the excavation work; or (2) The excavation is to construct, replace, or repair a City-owned utility. (Code 2004, § 90-519; Code 2015, § 24-487; Code 2020, § 24-487; Ord. No. 2005-205-173, §§ 4, 5, 7-25-2005)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-488 Inspections—Correction of defects.

Sec. 24-488. - Inspections—Correction of defects. (a) Notification of Director. The Director shall be notified prior to the time that the surfacing of the public right-of-way is replaced so that the work done preparatory to such surfacing may be inspected. The Director shall further be notified after the surfacing has been completed in order that the surfacing may be inspected. (b) Requirement to correct defect. If any work performed pursuant to a permit issued under this article is not in accordance with the terms and conditions upon which the permit was issued or if a public right-of-way is not left in satisfactory condition, notice of such defect shall be given to the permittee. Such permittee shall be required to correct the condition within the time specified in the notice. (c) Failure to correct defect. Upon receipt of a notice given under this section, should any permittee refuse or fail to correct the condition referred to in such notice within the specified time, the Director may cancel the permit in question and cause the necessary work to be done, deducting the cost thereof from any financial guaranty required pursuant to Sections 24-462(a), 24-463(b) or otherwise as a condition for issuance of the permit. (Code 2004, § 90-520; Code 2015, § 24-488; Code 2020, § 24-488; Ord. No. 2005-113-55, § 1, 4-25-2005; Ord. No. 2005-205-173, § 1, 7-25-2005)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-489 Damage to facility.

Sec. 24-489. - Damage to facility. A permittee who, in connection with an excavation, damages another owner's facility shall immediately notify the Director and, to the extent that the owner's identity is reasonably determinable, the owner of the damaged facility. (Code 2004, § 90-521; Code 2015, § 24-489; Code 2020, § 24-489; Ord. No. 2005-113-55, § 1, 4-25-2005)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-490 As-built drawings and specifications.

Sec. 24-490. - As-built drawings and specifications. Upon final completion of an excavation, the permittee shall furnish the Director with a set of as-built drawings and specifications for the excavation, which shall be in a form prescribed by the rules and regulations promulgated by the Director under this article. If the excavation work was performed exactly in accordance with the drawings and specifications provided with the permit application, then the permittee may so advise the Director, and the previously supplied drawings and specifications will be regarded as the as-built drawings and specifications. (Code 2004, § 90-522; Code 2015, § 24-490; Code 2020, § 24-490; Ord. No. 2005-113-55, § 1, 4-25-2005)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-491 Notice.

Sec. 24-491. - Notice. (a) In general. The permittee shall comply with all notice requirements for the excavation set forth in the rules and regulations promulgated by the Director. (b) Miss Utility. The permittee shall comply with the requirements of utilities regarding notification of excavation and marking of subsurface facilities. Such permittee shall provide miss utility with the assigned number for the permit to excavate or other information as may be necessary to properly identify the proposed excavation. (Code 2004, § 90-523; Code 2015, § 24-491; Code 2020, § 24-491; Ord. No. 2005-113-55, § 1, 4-25-2005)

Richmond, Va., City Code § 24-492 Restoration.

Sec. 24-492. - Restoration. The Director shall promulgate rules and regulations setting forth technical requirements for the restoration of pavements following all excavations in the public right-of-way. All permittees shall comply with all such technical requirements to the complete satisfaction of the Director. (Code 2004, § 90-524; Code 2015, § 24-492; Code 2020, § 24-492; Ord. No. 2005-113-55, § 1, 4-25-2005)

Source: City of Richmond, Virginia, Code (2026 recodification) and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/va/richmond/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICICO_CH24STSIPUWA_ARTVIIEXPURI-W_DIV4COEXFetched: 11/8/2026