Street Moratorium

Last Content Update: Thursday, October 23, 2025

Street Moratorium Period Overview

On June 28, 2022, the Richmond City Council adopted Ordinance 09-22 amending the City of Richmond Municipal Code Chapter 12.30 ("Video Service Provider, Utility and Special District Encroachments") and Retitling it "Encroachments and Easements" and Rescinding Chapter 12.29 ("Opening and Pavement Restoration Encroachments") in its Entirety. Section 12.30.120 establishes a moratorium against excavating in newly resurfaced streets. The map and list of prohibition streets are available below. In accordance with Richmond Ordinance 09-22, a waiver must be obtained to cut into the prohibition streets. Click here for waiver

Moratorium Restrictions

Excavations for newly constructed or resurfaced streets are prohibited between 3-5 years after Project overlay completion. Specifically, for streets which receive chip seal, slurry seal, or micropaving with less than one-half inch of new pavement, the prohibition period shall be three years. Additionally, for streets with an asphalt overlay is at least one-half inch thick the prohibition period period is five years. Advanced planning should be considered and alternative methods of necessary repairs should be carried out in order to minimize excavations on newly resurfaced streets.

Request an Exemption Waiver

To request an exemption Waiver, submit the Waiver Exemption Form in writting to the City Engineer. The City Engineer will verify that the applicant analyzed all feasible alternatives for necessary repairs using a trenchless method to avoid excavating a newly resurface street whenever possible. Upon written approval by the City Engineer the applicant is bound to all terms of the Standard Encroachment Permit application and is required to restore the full width of affected lanes. The City Engineer may not require full width of the lane be restored if additional criteria is met.

Exemptions to the Moratorium Period

The following activities are exempted from the Moratorium Period:

Emergencies endangering life or property
Interruption of essential utility service
Work mandated by City, State, or Federal law(s)
Building service where no other reasonable means of providing service exists.
Situations in which no alternative course of action exists, as determined by the City Engineer in writing and setting forth facts concluding that no alternative exists.