Erosion Control (silt fence)
Erosion control silt fence is the residential service that installs the temporary sediment fence required by Seattle SDCI and most King County jurisdictions on any disturbed residential lot over the size threshold — from $500 for a single 50-foot run to $1,800 for a full-lot perimeter with straw wattle add-ons. A homeowner pulls a permit for an addition and the inspector walks the property to a stop-work order until 80 feet of silt fence goes in. A driveway expansion churns up the front yard right before the rain returns and the runoff is heading straight for the storm drain. A new build is breaking ground in October and there is no erosion control on the contract. Handis installs silt fence to WSDOT Standard Specification 9-14.5 — the spec the inspector reads from — so the lot passes on the first walk instead of the third.
Service
How Erosion Control Silt Fence Install Works
Five sequential steps from the on-arrival site walk through the inspector pass and 30-day workmanship guarantee — the actual order we run on every Handis silt fence install so the fence passes the first walk instead of the third.
On-Arrival Site Walk & Runoff Mapping
We walk the lot with you (or the GC), identify the disturbed-soil edges, map the runoff direction (which way does water flow when it rains), confirm the linear footage needed and the corner locations, and verify any inlet protection or stabilized construction entrance the inspector flagged on the permit notes.
811 Locate Verification
We confirm the Washington 811 utility locate is on the property before any stake driving. T-posts driven 18 inches into the ground need clearance from buried gas, electric, water, and communications lines. If the locate is not current, we call 811 and reschedule the install for after the locate window — driving a T-post into a buried line is a serious incident we do not invite.
Trench, Stake, Fabric
We trench the bottom edge of the fence line 6 inches deep with a hand trencher or small skid-steer trencher where access allows. Steel T-posts get driven at 6-foot spacing, 18 inches into the ground. Woven geotextile filter fabric to WSDOT 9-14.5 spec gets attached to the T-posts (zip ties or steel staples), bottom edge buried in the trench, trench backfilled and compacted so runoff cannot undermine the fabric.
Corners, Add-Ons & Inspector-Ready Walk
Corners get 90-degree returns so silt cannot run around the end of the fence. Slopes over 10 percent get hardware-cloth backing for additional structural support. Inlet protection and stabilized construction entrance go in where the permit requires them. We walk the finished install with the homeowner or GC and confirm it reads correct to the inspector spec before leaving.
Inspection Coordination & 30-Day Workmanship Guarantee
If the install was scheduled against a permit inspection, we coordinate with the city scheduler so the inspector walks the fence within the inspection window. We document the work with photos for the 30-day workmanship guarantee. Weather damage from a major storm event, vandalism, and damage from a contractor's site work after the install are not workmanship issues and are outside the guarantee.
Erosion Control Silt Fence Pricing
Final pricing depends on linear footage, slope severity, the add-ons required (straw wattle, inlet protection, stabilized construction entrance), and whether end-of-project removal is included in the original scope. Request a free estimate for an accurate quote.
Send us the permit notes and a property photo — we will quote the fence before the inspector walks.
Why Handis for Erosion Control Silt Fence
Most silt fence calls we get are timed against an inspector walk — a stop-work order on an addition the GC has not started, a permit notes requirement for a driveway expansion that needs to break ground next week, a new-build site closing on the lot before October when the rain returns. The fence is not optional and it is not retroactive — the city inspector reads from WSDOT 9-14.5 and the install either passes or the project stops. Done right the first time, the fence holds through atmospheric river events and passes inspection without comment. Done wrong (no trench, T-posts too far apart, fabric clipped at the wrong height), it fails on the first walk and the project schedule slips.
Estimate
Tell us about the project — disturbed-soil area, runoff direction, permit notes from the city or county, the linear footage you think you need, any deadlines (inspector walk, project start date). We send a clear estimate that lists fence footage, add-ons, and the inspection-coordination plan.
Customer Reviews
Recent silt fence and erosion control reviews from verified Seattle-area customers.
City inspector flagged us on erosion control before the addition could break ground. Handis put up 80 feet of silt fence to WSDOT spec the next day — trenched, T-posts at 6 feet, geotextile woven fabric. The inspector signed off on the re-walk without a comment. Fence held through two atmospheric river events.
New build breaking ground in October. The GC's "we'll handle it" plan was a roll of landscape fabric stapled to wood stakes. Handis tore it out, installed a 200-foot full-lot perimeter to WSDOT 9-14.5 spec with hardware-cloth backing on the steeper edge. Passed the SDCI walk on the first try. Job stayed on schedule.
Driveway expansion in November. The runoff was heading straight for the curb storm drain. Handis put up 60 feet of silt fence plus a straw wattle across the cut slope, plus inlet protection on the storm drain at the curb. Inspector walked the next morning, no comment. Pour happened on time.
Hot tub excavation pulled up a 40 foot strip of yard. Handis installed a silt fence run along the downhill edge, trenched 6 inches, T-posts at 6 feet. They were upfront the install was overkill for the scope but the city walks every excavation over a threshold and the fence saves the inspection. Fence stayed up until the regrade was finished.
End of our addition project, time to pull the silt fence. Handis came back, pulled the fabric and the T-posts, restored the trench line with topsoil, hauled the materials to the right disposal stream. Lot looks like the fence was never there. Small project, but glad they handle the removal so we did not have to find another vendor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Handis erosion control silt fence install — pricing, spec, permits, scheduling, inspection coordination, and what routes to a contractor.