Silt Fence & Inlet Protection in Greenville, SC

Silt fence and inlet protection are the basic sediment controls on almost every construction site in Greenville. Silt fence is a woven fabric fence, trenched into the ground on the low side of disturbed soil, that slows runoff and lets sediment settle out before water leaves the site. Inlet protection works the same way right at the storm drain opening, so muddy water does not go straight into the pipe and on to a creek. We install both, maintain them through the job, and remove them when the ground has grass on it.

Why the rules ask for it

Red Upstate clay turns into muddy water fast in a summer storm, and that water heads downhill to the Reedy, the Enoree, the Saluda or the Tyger. Local governments regulate it. Greenville County's stormwater ordinance includes a division on grading and sediment control. Some cities go further: Easley's code requires even sites disturbing less than one acre to submit a stormwater permit application and list the best management practices that will control erosion and sediment during and after construction, with SCDHEC's stormwater BMP manual as the guide. Spartanburg County and Anderson County have their own processes. If your plan or permit shows silt fence, that fence is going to be inspected.

Installed so it works

Most failed silt fence fails for the same few reasons. The bottom was not trenched in, so water runs under it. It runs straight downhill instead of along the contour, so it acts like a channel. Or it was placed where water concentrates, like the bottom of a swale, and it gets blown out. We trench and backfill the fabric, set posts on the downhill side at proper spacing, follow the contour line and curl each end of the fence up the slope, and use reinforced or stabilized fence where loads are higher. Where water concentrates, we use other measures instead of asking a fence to act as a dam.

Inlets and entrances

Curb inlets and yard drains near a site get filter fabric, sediment bags, gravel and mesh, or sandbag protection; which one fits comes down to the kind of inlet and how much traffic passes over it. We also build stone construction entrances so trucks drop mud on the rock instead of on the street. All of these need checking after rain and cleaning when sediment builds up.

Maintenance and removal

Silt fence is only as good as its last inspection. After heavy rain we check for undercutting, sagging, overtopping and torn fabric, and we remove sediment once it builds up behind the fence. Once the disturbed area has a permanent stand of grass, the fence comes out, the trench is filled and the strip is seeded. Silt fence contractors who install but never maintain leave builders with failed inspections; we would rather plan the whole cycle.

Common jobs

• Perimeter silt fence for single-family lots and additions
• Fence and inlet protection for subdivision phases
• Construction entrance pads
• Repairs after storms or equipment damage
• Removal and seeding of the fence line at the end of a job

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