Home / Guides / SWPPP template: EPA and state templates

Where can you get a SWPPP template?

EPA publishes a free SWPPP template written for its 2022 Construction General Permit, along with inspection report, corrective action log and dewatering inspection templates. Several states publish their own, such as TCEQ's RG-639 for Texas. Use the template written for the permit that covers your site; a template gives structure, but the site map, controls and schedule still have to be written for your site. EPA templates

National guide. The rules cited are from EPA's 2022 Construction General Permit (as modified in 2025), checked October 20, 2026, which applies where EPA is the permitting authority. Most states issue their own permit with different details; check your state before relying on a number.

Last reviewed October 19, 2026. Prepared by our team led by Mohamed Elansary, PhD. We are not a licensed engineering firm and do not seal plans. General information, not legal advice; the permit text controls.

Templates by permit

Permit	Template
EPA 2022 CGP (areas where EPA is the permitting authority)	EPA SWPPP Template, Site Inspection Report template, Corrective Action Log template and dewatering inspection report template, on EPA's resources page. EPA
Texas TXR150000	TCEQ RG-639, "Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan Template for the Construction General Permit" (May 2023), PDF and Word. TCEQ RG-639 See the Texas hub.
Other states	Check the state hub or the state agency's construction stormwater page. Our hubs: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia.

Which permit covers your site

EPA issues the Construction General Permit only where it is the permitting authority. Its Appendix B lists those areas: New Hampshire, Massachusetts (except Indian country), New Mexico (except Indian country), the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, plus Indian country in many states and certain federal facilities. EPA 2022 CGP Appendix B Every other state issues its own construction general permit, and its rules can differ from EPA's in numbers that matter on site, such as the rain total that triggers an inspection. Of the EPA-permitted states, our checkout is open for New Hampshire and Massachusetts, with the conditions shown on coverage by state.

What any template has to cover

A template is only complete when it holds everything the permit requires. For EPA's permit that is Part 7.2: operators, stormwater team and training records, the nature of construction and schedule, the site map, non-stormwater discharges, a description of every control with design specifications, maintenance and install schedule, inspection and corrective action procedures, other-requirement documentation, the signed certification, and the post-authorization documents. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.1-7.2.11 Section by section detail: what goes in a SWPPP plan.

The parts a template cannot fill in

The site map items: disturbed areas and phasing, slopes, drainage before and after grading, receiving waters within one mile downstream, discharge points and every control. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.4
The maximum area disturbed at one time, which sets the stabilization deadline (14 days at 5 acres or less at a time, 7 days above 5 acres). EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.3, 2.2.14
Whether a receiving water is impaired or high quality, which changes inspection frequency. EPA 2022 CGP Part 4.3.1
Training records for whoever inspects. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.2, 6.3

Templates and vendors

EPA states that the permit does not recommend, and EPA does not endorse, any product or vendor used to prepare a SWPPP; the choice is the operator's. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.1, footnote 85 A template or a prepared plan does not move responsibility: the operator signs the SWPPP and stays responsible for compliance. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.10

Tips for filling one in

Confirm the permit and download that permit's template, not another state's.
Settle the acreage: total disturbed area and the most disturbed at one time, counting support activities. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.3
Draw the site map before writing control descriptions; the descriptions refer to it.
For every control, state when it goes in and who maintains it. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.6
Choose the inspection schedule and record the rain gauge or weather station. EPA 2022 CGP Part 7.2.7
Sign it before you file for coverage. EPA 2022 CGP Part 1.4.1

The 2022 CGP took effect February 17, 2022, was modified effective April 8, 2025 (June 10, 2025 in EPA Regions 1 and 3), and expires February 16, 2027. EPA 2022 CGP, cover pages EPA published a proposed 2027 CGP in the Federal Register on August 3, 2026, with comments due September 17, 2026. EPA Check that a template matches the permit in force when you file.

What this page does not cover

Industrial SWPPP templates, MS4 program templates, and plan formats required by individual cities or counties.

Have it written for you

SWPPP Desk prepares site-specific SWPPPs from your drawings for construction sites in the states we cover (coverage by state), for a fixed price, delivered the next business day after your inputs are complete. Small site (1 to under 5 acres): $449. Large site (5 acres or more): $749. Background: all guides.

Small site: $449 Large site: $749