Estimator’s Guide for Budgeting Stormwater Expenses
I. Determine all regulations that apply to this project location. NOTE: A Federal or State stormwater
discharge permit will always be required for any project that disturbs more than one acre of land. In
addition, local municipal and watershed requirements may apply. Where there are overlapping permits,
the most stringent requirements apply.
A. Federal NPDES permit. The EPA NPDES permit applies to Federal facilities and Indian lands.
Sometimes State or private facilities built on Federal lands such as Forest Service or Bureau of
Reclamation lands fall under the State’s discharge permit system.
B. State Permit, if NO to (A.), the State discharge permit applies in almost all cases if the Federal
discharge permit does not.
C. Municipal (MS4) permits. City, county and even school district stormwater permits are
frequently required in addition to the State or Federal permit; often, multiple MS4 permits are
required on the same project.
1.
Read the MS4 permit requirements, they are often more specific and restrictive than the
State or Federal requirements!
D. Watersheds. Watersheds often have additional requirements that the MS4 must comply with.
It is common to have multiple MS4s within a single watershed.
1.
Read the requirements!
E. Other related types of construction disturbance permits may apply
1.
Corp. of Engineers 404 permits for disturbing lands in or near wetlands or other
national waterways.
2.
Fugitive Dust (frequently required). In Colorado, for example, any project size over 25
acres OR with a construction duration of more than 6 months requires a fugitive dust
permit application.
3.
Minimal Discharge of Industrial Wastewater (washing of sidewalks or parking lots,
washing of building exterior, discharging of hydrostatic test waters, potable domestic
water line undergoing super-chlorination)
4.
Construction Dewatering (pumping of groundwater from construction sites to
stormwater conveyances).
II. Evaluate the adequacy of the stormwater site map using the SWMP checklist.
A. Are all required elements included per the permit guidelines?
B. If elements are missing or unclear, can the original Designer be tasked with making the needed
changes?
III. Perform a site assessment whenever possible, (if not, use the site map) to determine:
A. Topography such as steeper slopes, natural drainage ways.
B. Outfalls or areas of special interest or sensitivity such as proximity to wetlands or protected
waterways.
C. Limits of areas to be disturbed and existing vegetation that could be preserved.
D. Site drainage patterns before, during and after construction.
E. Soils types that may be more susceptible to erosion.
IV. Consider how the construction process will be phased. Break the project into a minimum of 3 major
phases to start (A below) and then take each of those phases and define the stormwater activities of each.
Next, (see B below) evaluate the BMPs that may be needed for each activity. Finally, (see C below)
quantify BMPs and estimate cost.
A. Identify and list the activities within the major project phases that have an impact on
stormwater controls. Include start and end dates for each phase and for all identified activities
for each phase (preliminary dates are fine)
1.
Initial – Before major construction activities begin
a. Owner contract negotiations
(start) (finish)
 Evaluate SWMP (see 2 above)
 Contracts agreements for shared BMPs (see binder for examples)
 Project boundaries and areas of control defined
b. Estimating
(start) (finish)
 Evaluate regulatory requirements (see 1 above)
 Site assessment (see 3 above)
 Preliminary project phasing including dates
c. Bidding
(start) (finish)
 Issue pre-bid stormwater scope of work for subcontractors
d. Job buy-out, subcontract preparation
(start) (finish)
 Subcontract attachments
e. Environmental permit acquisition
(start) (finish)
f. Pre-mobilization
(start) (finish)
(Installation of initial BMPs such as sediment settling ponds, staging and
trailer areas, vehicle tracking controls, etc.)
2.
Ongoing - during the construction process. If possible, break this into major phases
(confer with Super when possible).
a. Identify major construction activities that could disturb existing vegetation
or ground cover, require that chemicals be brought on the site or that may
have any impact on water quality. Include preliminary estimated start and
finish dates.
 Mobilization
(start) (finish)
 Clearing and grubbing
(start) (finish)
 Utilities
(start) (finish)
 Concrete foundations
(start) (finish)
 Paving
(start) (finish)
 Masonry
(start) (finish)
 Site grading
(start) (finish)
 Landscaping
(start) (finish)
3.
Jobsite close-out, substantial completion or final stabilization.
a. Final stabilization
(start) (finish)
BMPs such as temporary seeding and mulching, permanent seeding and
mulching, erosion control blankets, modifications to settlement pond
outlets to make them permanent water quality ponds.
b. Removal of all temporary BMPs
(start) (finish)
 Will GC be required to maintain BMPs and inspections until final
stabilization, 70% coverage, is achieved? How long might this
take, considering growing seasons?
Estimators Guide for Budgeting 8-28-07.doc
2005 Stormwater Risk Management, LLC©
B. Identify BMPs required for each activity included in each Phase. Prioritize EROSION
prevention whenever possible
1.
Initial BMPs – Before major construction activities begin
a. Owner contract negotiations
(start) (finish)
 Evaluate SWMP (see 2 above)
 Contracts/agreements for shared BMPs (see binder for examples)
 Project boundaries and areas of control defined
b. Estimating
(start) (finish)
 Evaluate regulatory requirements (see 1 above)
 Site assessment (see 3 above)
 Preliminary project phasing including dates
c. Bidding
(start) (finish)
 Issue pre-bid stormwater scope of work for subcontractors
d. Job buy-out, subcontract writing
(start) (finish)
 Subcontract attachments
e. Environmental Permit acquisition
(start) (finish)
f. Pre-mobilization
(start) (finish)
(Installation of initial BMPs such as sediment settling ponds, staging and
trailer areas, vehicle tracking controls, etc.)
2.
Ongoing BMPs - during the construction process
a. Identify BMPs for major construction activities. Focus on EROSION
Prevention FIRST rather than sediment containment later.
 Mobilization
(start) (finish)
 Vehicle tracking controls (VTCs)
 Road base parking and staging areas
 Sanitary facility containment
 Fuel containment and vehicle service areas
 Designated chemical storage areas
 Spill Prevention and Response Plan (site-specific)
 Stormwater pollution prevention plan posted at jobsite
 Clearing and grubbing
(start) (finish)
 Preserve existing vegetation!
 Settling ponds
 Diversion dikes
 Sheet flow containment (silt fence, surface roughen, mulch
& crimp)
 Steep slope containment (erosion control blankets, binders)
 Stockpile stabilization ( soil binder, temporary seeding,
mulching & crimping)
 Street sweeping
 Utilities
(start) (finish)
 Inlet protectors (no paving or curb & gutter)
 Small settling ponds
 Concrete foundations
(start) (finish)
 Concrete washouts
Estimators Guide for Budgeting 8-28-07.doc
2005 Stormwater Risk Management, LLC©
 Paving
(start) (finish)
 Inlet protection
 Sweeping
 Protect paving from runoff (silt fence, slope stabilization)
 Masonry
(start) (finish)
 Masonry mixing area containment (containment dikes)
 Site final grading (break into phased areas) (start) (finish)
 Permanent stabilization (permanent seeding, erosion
control blankets)
 Phased permanent landscaping schedule
 Landscaping
(start) (finish)
 Soil amendments containment (containment dikes, written
plan to deliver only what can be placed and tilled in one
day)
 Permanent vegetation and mulches (sod, landscape mulch,
groundcover)
3.
Jobsite close-out BMPs, substantial completion or final stabilization
a. Identify activities that are required to terminate the permit
 Final stabilization
(start) (finish)
 permanent seeding and mulching, erosion control blankets,
modifications to settlement pond outlets to make them
permanent water quality ponds
 Removal of all temporary BMPs
(start) (finish)
 Will GC be required to maintain BMPs and inspections
until final stabilization, 70% coverage, is achieved? How
long might this take, considering growing seasons?
 Permit transfer
(start) (finish)
4.
Administrative BMPs, administrative BMPs do not involve the construction of any
stormwater control devices. They can occur during all phases of the construction
process.
a. Following are a few examples of typical administrative practices related to
stormwater permit compliance:
 Initial SWMP review
 Re-drafting SWMP to reflect anticipated phases or BMP changes
 Planning and scheduling
 Training (employees and subcontractors)
 Permit required regular and storm event inspections
 Third-party inspections
C. Price all BMPs using your own estimating system and the supplier sources in the company
stormwater binder.
1.
Determine which BMPs can be clearly defined and assigned to the scope of a
subcontractor (preferably this step takes place before subcontractor bidding to maintain
competitive pricing).
2.
Determine BMPs which will be provided & installed by your company.
Estimators Guide for Budgeting 8-28-07.doc
2005 Stormwater Risk Management, LLC©
3.
4.
5.
Determine which BMPs will be provided by your company but installed by a
subcontractor.
Determine Maintenance requirements for each type of BMP.
a. Who is best suited to provide ongoing maintenance for this BMP?
 Will they be onsite while the BMP is in use?
 Can they realistically respond immediately to maintenance
requests?
 Keep in mind that the permit holder is liable for any failure to
repair or maintain BMPs in a timely manner regardless of the way
the contracts are set up. If they will only be onsite when the field
team calls for maintenance it usually not successful.
b. How many times might it need to be repaired or replaced?
 BMPs placed in areas where high traffic or increased trade activity
will require substantially more maintenance. This portion of the
estimate requires skills in “conceptual” estimating and input from
those with experience in the field helps with providing accurate
budgets. Most contractors do not yet track the maintenance cost
history of BMPs to accurately predict maintenance costs.
c. A reasonable starting point for maintenance costs is 30% of original BMP
total cost.
Competitive Hard Bid Estimates. One way to minimize the negative impact of being
the only bidder to include a reasonable estimate for stormwater compliance in the
competitive bid process is to identify the stormwater management requirements of the
project early and attempt to get the scope of work more clearly defined before bid
time. Often the bid documents leave a lot to the imagination when it comes to
stormwater and you may be able to provide the design team with enough information
to level the playing field a little.
V. Negotiate Owner and Subcontractor agreements to minimize the risk and liability associated with
stormwater permit management
1.
Owner Agreements
a. Be sure you have written authorization to use shared BMPs such as
regional ponds, stormwater conveyances, etc. This is required by the
permit and approval is usually easier to get at the start of a project. It
would be reasonable for the owner of the BMP to expect you to share in
its maintenance, but the expectations should be clearly defined.
b. Is their reason to believe that there will be significant stormwater run-on
volume from an off-site source that is out of your control? Once the
stormwater enters your site, you are responsible for it. If it enters the site
dirty, you must treat it before it leaves your site. This can be very
expensive depending upon the volume and condition of the stormwater. It
is usually best to divert the water around your site but this too can be
expensive and should be a cost of the work.
c. Clearly define how the permit will be transferred at the end of the project.
Will the owner accept transfer, and the associated responsibilities, at
substantial completion? If not, the Owner should compensate you for the
Estimators Guide for Budgeting 8-28-07.doc
2005 Stormwater Risk Management, LLC©
2.
ongoing inspection and maintenance costs you will incur while waiting for
the grass to grow. The wait can be very long in some parts of the country
and can result in a significant cost and ongoing regulatory liability.
Subcontractor Agreements
a. Consider a separate attachment to the subcontract that clearly defines the
scope of performance expectations for Subcontractor environmental
compliance. Examples of items to consider:
 Scope of initial installation of BMPs
 Scope of ongoing maintenance of BMPs
 Response time
 Materials storage
 Providing adequate storage facilities
 Housekeeping
 Solid waste disposal facilities
 Repairs to damaged BMPs during the course of work
 Notification policy
 Back-charge policy
VI. Transition Meeting - Facilitate a smooth transition from pre-construction to field operations team.
Failing to have a transition meeting is one of the most common mistakes made and usually has a
negative impact on the bottom line of the project. Even with a fairly complex project the transition
meeting can take less than an hour.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Review the application status of all required environmental permits. DO NOT START
ANY SITE DISTURBANCE ACTIVITIES UNTIL YOU RECEIVE REGULATORY
AUTHORIZATION! Site disturbance includes:
a. Mobilizing trailers on the site
b. Installing construction fencing
c. Installing project entry points
Review all project phasing assumptions made during the budgeting process, especially
if the field management team was unable to provide their input prior to establishing the
budget. Phasing of the work has a major impact on the cost of BMPs.
Review areas that were assumed to be left undisturbed. Unplanned disturbance of these
areas could result in significant cost increases.
Review the scope of work of each subcontractor that will have a significant impact on
environmental compliance. The use of a separate contract attachment for each major
contractor will facilitate clear communication.
Combine all materials relating to environmental permit compliance into a single binder
that will be kept on the jobsite for the duration of the project.
Estimators Guide for Budgeting 8-28-07.doc
2005 Stormwater Risk Management, LLC©