Guides

Stormwater pond inspection checklist for HOA and CDD boards

A stormwater pond inspection should cover 9 things: the bank and slope, the waterline, every inflow and outfall, the littoral shelf, the control structure, vegetation, fences and structures near the bank, signs of animal burrows, and a photo record. Walk the full perimeter, number each section, write down what you see, and compare it with the last inspection. The checklist below is built for HOA and CDD boards and managers, and you can print it and take it to the lake.

It does not replace an inspection by a qualified inspector where your permit or the state rule requires one. It gives the board its own record, and your engineer has the final word on your permit.

Does Florida require retention pond inspections?

Florida's 2024 stormwater law, Senate Bill 7040, was signed on June 28, 2024. According to the FDEP ERP Stormwater Resource Center, the updated rules add a periodic inspection routine with results reported to the permitting agency, and from June 28, 2025, inspections must be done by a qualified inspector under section 12.5(c) of the Applicant's Handbook, Volume I.

How that reaches an existing community depends on its permit. Rule 62-330.311 says permits issued before the rule change continue to be inspected and reported on under the terms of the existing permit, and that inspection frequencies can be set through permit conditions. The same rule requires a report to the agency within 30 days of any failure of a stormwater management system or deviation from the permit. Our guide on the Florida stormwater inspection law covers the details.

Who counts as a qualified inspector?

The UF/IFAS Stormwater Qualified Inspector Training FAQ lists 3 ways to qualify: be a registered professional such as a Professional Engineer, work under the supervision of one, or have completed the required training within the past 5 years with documentation. A board walk with this checklist is not that inspection. It is the board knowing the condition of its own ponds.

Before you walk the pond

• Pull the permit drawings. Search SFWMD RegPermitting for your community. The drawings show the control elevation, the outfalls and any designated littoral zone.
• Get the last inspection report. Note its date, who did it and what it found.
• Make a map. Print an aerial view of each lake or retention pond and number the bank in sections, about one section per few lots. Mark every pipe and the control structure.
• Bring simple tools. A phone camera, a tape measure, a ruler, a pen and the printed checklist.
• Pick the timing. The dry season, when water is low, shows more of the bank. Walk again after any major storm. The Southwest Florida Water Management District's homeowner pamphlet on stormwater systems suggests inspections on a monthly or quarterly basis and after any major rain event. Your own permit conditions control your official schedule.

The stormwater pond inspection checklist

Work through each section of bank in order and answer every item. Write "none" when you see nothing, so the next inspector knows the item was checked.

1. Bank and slope

1. Is the slope even from the top of bank to the water, or are there slumps, bulges or low spots?
2. Are there cracks in the ground running parallel to the water?
3. Are there bare spots, or small gullies where runoff has cut down the slope?
4. Does the ground feel soft underfoot near the edge?
5. At the worst point, how steep is the slope? The SFWMD Applicant's Handbook, Volume II, section 5.3.2(e)(1), sets wet detention side slopes at no steeper than 4:1 from the top of bank to at least 2 feet below the control elevation. Our guide on the lake bank slope rule shows how to measure it.
6. Is the grass scalped near the water from mowing too close?

2. Waterline

1. Does healthy grass reach the water, or is there a strip of bare sand at the edge?
2. Is there a vertical cut or overhang at the waterline? Measure its height.
3. How far is the edge from a fixed marker such as a fence post, irrigation head or sidewalk? Record the distance so you can compare it next time.
4. Are there round nesting holes along the shallow edge?
5. Are there fans of sand in the water below the bank?

3. Inflows and outfalls

1. Is each pipe end buried as designed, or has soil washed out from behind or beneath it?
2. Are headwalls and pipe ends cracked, tilted or separated?
3. Is there a scour hole at the outlet?
4. Is the pipe blocked by sediment, trash or plants?
5. If rock was placed at the outfall, is it still in place?
6. Do roof drains, swales or yard drains send water straight down the slope?

The citizen's guide Stormwater Ponds: A Citizen's Guide to Their Purpose and Management, published by the Sarasota Soil and Water Conservation District with the Sarasota Bay National Estuary Program and USDA NRCS, also suggests measuring the depth of sediment in inflow sumps and at the pond's outflow structure.

4. Littoral shelf

1. Is the designated littoral zone planted, and roughly what share of it is covered? The citizen's guide above asks inspectors to note plant coverage over the littoral zone.
2. Have plants died back or washed out in any stretch?
3. Are invasive or unwanted plants taking over?
4. Is the landward edge of the shelf eroding?

In Palm Beach County, Environmental Resources Management states that the lake owner, including a homeowner association, must maintain the lake and littoral zone in perpetuity, and that cutting back littoral plants outside the restrictive covenant area requires ERM approval. Its lake requirements call for 80% plant coverage within 180 days of planting. Our guide on whether littoral shelves stop erosion explains what the shelf does and does not do.

5. Control structure

1. Are screens, grates, skimmers and baffles clear and in position? The citizen's guide lists clogged or misplaced screens, grates and baffles as items to note.
2. Is there debris or plant growth blocking the weir or the small bleeder opening?
3. Is the structure cracked, settling or leaning?
4. Is soil washing out around the structure?
5. Does the water sit noticeably higher or lower than usual for the season?

6. Vegetation

1. Are trees at the top of the bank leaning toward the water, or are their roots exposed?
2. Are invasive plants growing on the slope?
3. Is the grass on the slope thick and rooted, or thin and patchy?
4. Are algae or aquatic weeds building up? Note it for your lake maintenance vendor.

7. Fences, structures and the maintenance easement

1. Are fences, patios, pool decks, pool cages or sheds within the strip along the bank? Section 5.4 of the SFWMD handbook calls for a 20 foot perimeter maintenance easement at slopes no steeper than 4:1.
2. Are any of them leaning, cracked or settling?
3. Are irrigation lines or heads exposed near the edge?
4. Can maintenance equipment still reach the bank?

8. Signs of animal burrows

1. Are there holes in the slope or at the waterline?
2. Has the ground collapsed over a tunnel?
3. Are burrows next to a pipe, headwall, wall or structure?

Do not reach into a burrow. Note its location and photograph it. A University of Florida publication, ENY-714, on iguanas in South Florida, states that iguana burrows undermine sidewalks, seawalls and foundations, and that burrows next to seawalls allow erosion and eventual collapse of those seawalls. Burrows in a pond bank let water into the slope in the same way.

9. Photos and records

1. Take each photo from the same spot and angle every time.
2. Include a fixed object such as a fence post or pipe end in the frame.
3. Put the section number and date in the file name.
4. Keep the photos and the completed checklist with the inspection file and the board minutes.

A simple stormwater pond inspection form

Copy this table into a spreadsheet or print it, with one row per section.

How do you score what you find?

Give each section one of 3 ratings, so the board can see the whole pond at a glance.

• Stable. Grass reaches the water, no cut at the waterline, the edge has not moved since last time, outfalls are intact.
• Watch. A low cut at the waterline, a bare strip at the edge, or a small change in the edge distance. Check again after the next storm.
• Repair. A cut you can measure in inches or more, an edge that keeps moving, an undermined pipe, burrows in the slope, or a fence, patio or pool deck close to a moving bank.

Sections rated Repair go to the top of the list, starting with those nearest structures. For an overall view of the community, take the Lake Bank Risk Score. It is 5 questions, takes about 2 minutes, and places your community at Low, Moderate, High or Critical risk.

What should the board do with the results?

1. Share the checklist with your engineer or qualified inspector. Ask whether any finding counts as a failure or deviation that must be reported under Rule 62-330.311(2).
2. Confirm who owns each bank. Our guide on who is responsible for lake bank erosion explains where to look.
3. Record the results in the minutes. A dated record shows the board knew the condition of its ponds and acted.
4. Turn Repair sections into a scope. Our guide on how to write a lake bank repair scope shows the format.
5. Put the work in the budget. Our guide on budgeting and phasing a lake bank repair walks through the calendar.

How we can help

On a free lake bank walk we go through your lakes and retention ponds section by section, measure waterline cuts and slopes, photograph outfalls and structures near the edge, and give the board a written report it can keep with its inspection file. When repairs are needed, we rebuild the bank from the waterline up using leading edge technology. Call us at (561) 309 9603.

Questions boards ask

Is there an official stormwater pond inspection form?

Your permit conditions set what must be inspected and reported, and Rule 62-330.311(2) names Form 62-330.311(1) for reporting a failure or deviation to the agency. The checklist on this page is a board tool for keeping its own record. Ask your engineer which forms apply to your permit.

Who is allowed to do the official inspection?

From June 28, 2025, inspections under the new state rule must be done by a qualified inspector: a registered professional, someone working under one, or a person with documented training completed within the past 5 years. Older permits continue under their existing terms, so check your permit conditions.

How often should we walk our ponds?

Your permit conditions set the official schedule. For the board's own record, a walk in the dry season when water is low and another after any major storm is a sensible routine. The Southwest Florida Water Management District's homeowner pamphlet suggests monthly or quarterly checks and after major rain.

Can our lake maintenance or grounds vendor do the inspection?

They can help with the board's own checklist, and they are often the first to notice changes. For an inspection under the state rule, the person must meet the qualified inspector standard. Ask for proof and keep a copy.

Do we have to report an eroded bank to the agency?

Rule 62-330.311(2) requires a report within 30 days of any failure of the system or deviation from the permit. Whether a particular eroded bank meets that standard is a call for your engineer. Bring your checklist and photos to that conversation.

Should we inspect in the wet season or the dry season?

Both are useful. Low water in the dry season shows more of the bank and the waterline cut. A walk after a storm in the wet season shows where water is moving soil right now.

Sources: FDEP ERP Stormwater Resource Center · Rule 62-330.311, F.A.C. · UF/IFAS Stormwater Qualified Inspector Training FAQ · SFWMD ERP Applicant's Handbook, Volume II · SWFWMD homeowner pamphlet on stormwater management systems · Collier County, Stormwater Ponds: A Citizen's Guide · Palm Beach County ERM, Lake Excavation · Palm Beach County ERM, Lake Excavation Requirements · UF/IFAS ENY-714, Dealing with Iguanas in South Florida

More guides

• Why lake banks erode, and how to tell if yours is
• Retention pond bank repair: what boards and managers need to know
• Why regrading and sodding a lake bank does not last