Silt Fence & Sediment Control in Kansas City, MO

Silt fence and sediment control is the first thing on a Kansas City construction site and one of the last things off it. Before the first scoop of a basement dig, the downhill edges of the lot need a barrier that lets water pass slowly while catching the silt it carries, and every storm inlet nearby needs protection. We work as silt fence contractors for home builders, remodelers, site contractors and developers across the metro, and we pair that work with the hydroseeding that eventually lets the fence come out.

Why sediment control matters here

The City of Liberty's stormwater program states it plainly: sediment is a leading pollutant of urban streams, and local, state and federal rules require adequate erosion and sediment control. It also notes that local studies by the U.S. Geological Survey and Kansas City, Missouri found many pollutants in area streams above national standards. Under federal rules, a project needs stormwater permit coverage when it disturbs one acre or more or belongs to a bigger planned development, and that permit requires controls designed, installed and maintained to minimize pollutant discharge. Cities can add their own requirements: Liberty ties erosion and sediment control to its building and land disturbance permits and uses the KC APWA and MARC best management practices manual as its standard.

Silt fence installation done right

Most silt fence that fails was installed wrong. If the bottom edge of the fabric is only staked on top of the ground instead of buried in a trench, water runs right under it. Our silt fence installation follows the basics every inspector looks for:

• Fabric toed into a trench along the uphill side and backfilled and compacted
• Posts on the downhill side at proper spacing, driven firm
• Fence laid on the contour, with both ends bent uphill so water cannot flow around
• No fence across a concentrated flow channel, where it will blow out
• Wire or stabilized backing where the fence has to hold back more

On the silty loess soils common around Kansas City, fine sediment can blind the fabric quickly after a big rain, so placement and maintenance matter as much as installation.

Inlet protection and other controls

Storm inlets in the street and on site need protection to keep sediment out of the pipe system. Depending on the inlet and the traffic, we use fabric barriers, gravel and wire mesh, sandbags or manufactured inlet devices. We also install other sediment controls on your plan, such as filter socks where trenching for fence is not possible, and we can coordinate with your grading crew on rock construction entrances.

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Maintenance through the job

A silt fence is only as good as its last inspection. Sediment builds up against it, posts get knocked over by equipment, and fabric tears. Kansas City averages over five inches of rain in both May and June, and a big storm can fill a fence in one afternoon. We offer maintenance visits to clean out sediment, re-trench sagging sections, replace torn fabric and reset inlet protection, so your site stays in shape between your own inspections.

Getting to final stabilization

Sediment controls are a temporary fix. The permanent one is vegetation. Once final grades are set, we hydroseed or blanket the disturbed areas and leave the fence in place until the grass is established and the site meets the stabilization requirements on your plan. Then we pull the fence, spread the trapped sediment, and seed the strip where the fence stood. Because the same crew handles fence, seed and removal, nothing gets missed between trades.

Who we work for

Our sediment control customers include custom and production home builders, commercial general contractors, utility and excavation contractors, and homeowners doing a major addition or pool where the city requires perimeter controls. Small jobs get the same attention as big ones; an inspector looks at 200 feet of fence as closely as 2,000.