Silt Fence & Inlet Protection in Orlando, FL

Silt fence and inlet protection in Orlando go in first on most building sites and come out last. Home builders, site developers, pool and utility contractors, and commercial projects hire us as their silt fence contractors: we trench and install fence along the low edges of a site, protect storm inlets on and near the property, and keep both working through the storm season until the ground is stabilized and the fence can be pulled.

What the rules ask for

Florida DEP's Construction Generic Permit applies to construction disturbing one acre or more. Smaller jobs are covered too when they sit inside a bigger planned development or a lot sale, if they drain to surface waters or a municipal storm sewer system. Covered operators must prepare a stormwater pollution prevention plan and use practices that minimize erosion and sedimentation. If a project drains to a city or county storm system, a copy of the permit notice goes to that system's operator as well. In short, a single house in a new subdivision can fall under the permit because it is part of the subdivision's common plan. Local governments and the water management district can add their own sediment control requirements on top.

Fence that works in sand

Silt fence is a fabric barrier that slows water so the sediment drops out before the water leaves the site. It only works if the bottom edge is buried in a trench and backfilled, so water cannot run underneath. In Central Florida's loose sand that matters even more: an untrenched fence just becomes a line of fabric that water runs under. We set fence along the contour where possible, turn the ends uphill so water does not run around them, and switch to wire-backed or stabilized fence on stretches that take heavier loads.

Inlet protection

Storm inlets are where sediment leaves a site in a hurry. In a city built on lakes, much of that water ends up in a lake or wetland. We protect curb and area inlets with fabric barriers, sandbags or gravel and mesh; the choice comes down to whether a street inlet has to keep taking water or the inlet sits inside the site.

Upkeep through storm season

Orlando's summer storms can drop several inches of rain in an hour. One of those can fill a silt fence with sand or knock it down. We inspect after heavy rain when you sign up for maintenance, clean out built-up sediment, re-stake and re-trench damaged sections, and replace inlet filters that have clogged. Keeping fence functional is cheaper than an inspection finding.

Removal and close-out

Silt fence comes out after the ground behind it is stabilized. We can seed the disturbed strip where the fence stood at the same visit, so pulling the fence does not open a new bare line.

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