SWPPP inspection checklist — what to look for, BMP by BMP
A SWPPP inspection is a walk of every erosion and sediment control on site, checking each against two questions: is it installed the way the SWPPP says, and is it still working? This checklist covers the controls found on most construction sites and, for each one, the specific failure modes inspectors and auditors look for.
Use it alongside the SWPPP inspection form template — the checklist tells you what to look at; the form is where you document what you found.
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SWPPP Inspection Checklist
BMP walkthrough guide — mark each control OK, Action needed, or N/A
Site & Inspection
Control Measures
| Control measure | What to look for | OK | Action | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silt fence / perimeter controls | Tears, sagging, undermining; sediment > half fence height; gaps at joints; ends not turned upslope | |||
| Stabilized entrance / exit | Rock washed out or mud-buried; sediment tracked onto public road | |||
| Inlet protection | Clogged or torn inserts; displaced gravel bags; sediment bypassing | |||
| Sediment basin / trap | Capacity lost to sediment; outlet damaged; embankment eroding | |||
| Check dams / slope drains | Displaced stone; side erosion; undercut inlets/outlets | |||
| Concrete washout | At capacity; liner torn; washing onto ground; no signage | |||
| Material & waste storage | No secondary containment; open dumpsters; missing spill kits | |||
| Fueling / maintenance areas | Drips or stains on bare ground; no drip pans; undocumented spills | |||
| Dewatering operations | Discharge not filtered; visible turbidity leaving the site | |||
| Soil stockpiles | No base perimeter control; unstabilized; in a flow path | |||
| Natural buffer zones | Disturbance or encroachment inside the required buffer | |||
| Stabilization | Idle 14+ days without stabilization; failed seeding; displaced mulch | |||
| Discharge points / outfalls | Sediment plumes, turbidity, sheen, or non-stormwater discharge | |||
| Housekeeping & records | SWPPP and records on site; map current; rain gauge read daily | |||
Deficiencies Found (carry each to the corrective action log)
Sign-off
Inspector Signature / Date
How to run the walkthrough
- Walk the perimeter first. Perimeter controls (silt fence, wattles, berms) are the last line of defense — a breach there is a discharge.
- Follow the water. Trace flow paths from disturbed areas to discharge points. Rills, sediment fans, and tracked mud tell you where controls are failing even on a dry day.
- Check every discharge point. Look for sediment plumes, turbidity, and any non-stormwater discharge (wash water, fuel sheen).
- Photograph problems and fixes. A time-stamped photo of the failure and another of the repair is the cheapest audit insurance there is.
- Log every deficiency as a corrective action. Identification starts the permit's clock — next business day for simple fixes, 7 calendar days when a control must be replaced or significantly repaired. Track them on the corrective action log.
The checklist, control by control
The table below is the heart of the printable checklist. Each row is a control measure and the specific conditions to check. Mark each item OK, Action needed, or N/A.
| Control measure | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Silt fence / perimeter controls | Fabric torn, sagging, or undermined; posts leaning; sediment built up more than half the fence height (needs cleanout); ends not turned upslope; gaps at joints |
| Stabilized construction entrance / exit | Rock washed out or buried in mud; sediment tracked onto public road (track-out is a citable discharge); entrance shorter than SWPPP spec |
| Storm drain inlet protection | Insert clogged or torn; gravel bags displaced; sediment bypassing around the protection; standing water indicating clogged filter |
| Sediment basin / trap | Capacity lost to accumulated sediment (clean out at ~50%); outlet structure damaged or clogged; embankment eroding; dewatering from the surface, not the bottom |
| Check dams / slope drains | Stone displaced; erosion around the sides; slope drain inlet/outlet undercut; energy dissipation missing at outlet |
| Concrete washout | Washout at or near capacity; liner torn; evidence of washing out directly onto the ground; no signage |
| Material & waste storage | Chemicals and fuels without secondary containment; lids off dumpsters; litter blowing off site; spill kits missing or empty |
| Fueling / maintenance areas | Drips and stains on bare ground; no drip pans or containment; spills not cleaned up or documented |
| Dewatering operations | Discharge not passing through a filter bag or sediment control; visible turbidity leaving site; dewatering without daily inspection coverage |
| Soil stockpiles | No perimeter control at the base; unstabilized for extended periods; located in a flow path or too close to an inlet or buffer |
| Natural buffer zones | Disturbance inside the 50-foot buffer (or the SWPPP's documented alternative); equipment or stockpiles encroaching |
| Stabilization | Areas idle 14+ days without stabilization initiated; seeding failed to establish; blankets or mulch displaced |
| Site housekeeping | SWPPP binder and inspection records not on site or accessible; site map not updated to current phase; rain gauge missing or not being read |
After the walk
The walkthrough is half the job. The permit also requires a written, signed report within 24 hours of the inspection, corrective action logging with its own deadlines, and 3-year record retention. RainCheck turns this checklist into a mobile form — pass/fail per control, GPS-stamped photos, automatic weather data, and a signed PDF that files itself. It also watches the rain so the storm-triggered inspections that this checklist serves actually get scheduled. See how rain-event inspections work.
Common questions
What BMPs need to be inspected during a SWPPP inspection?
Every control measure identified in the site's SWPPP: perimeter controls like silt fence, stabilized entrances, inlet protection, sediment basins and traps, concrete washouts, material storage and fueling areas, dewatering controls, stockpile controls, buffer zones, and stabilization measures. The inspection also covers discharge points and areas where controls should exist but don't.
How full can a silt fence get before it needs cleaning?
The common standard — written into the EPA CGP and most state permits — is that sediment must be removed before it reaches half the height of the fence. Past that point the fence loses capacity and is at risk of collapse or undercutting.
Does a dry site still need the full checklist?
Yes. Routine inspections run every 7 or 14 days regardless of weather (with limited reductions for stabilized, arid, or frozen sites that must be documented in the SWPPP). Dry-day walks are when you find the failures before the storm turns them into discharges.
Is track-out onto the road really a violation?
Yes. Sediment tracked onto a public road is a discharge of pollutants that bypassed your controls, and it is one of the most visible — and most commonly cited — violations because inspectors see it before they even enter the site.