Original data · Updated October 2026

Phase 1 ESA Cost Index 2026

What a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment costs by property type and state, indexed to a national baseline of $1,900 – $5,000. For Phase 1 ESAs, environmental risk — set by property type — drives cost far more than location, so the property-type table below is the headline. Get an exact figure with the Phase 1 ESA calculator.

$1,900 – $5,000
National baseline (low-risk property)
Brownfield
Highest-risk type · $3,420 – $9,000 (+80%)
Land Vacant
Lowest-risk type · $1,710 – $4,500 (-10%)
35
Property types ranked by risk

Phase 1 ESA cost by property type, ranked by environmental risk

Risk multiplier = property-type price ÷ national baseline. Higher-risk uses (fuel, solvents, historical contamination) cost more because they need deeper records review and are likelier to trigger a Phase 2 ESA. Click a type for its full cost breakdown and local providers.

#Property typeRiskMultiplierTypical Phase 1 costvs. baseline
1 Brownfield Very high 1.80× $3,420 – $9,000 +80%
2 Junkyard / Salvage Yard High 1.60× $3,040 – $8,000 +60%
3 Gas Station Very high 1.50× $2,850 – $7,500 +50%
4 Industrial Heavy Very high 1.50× $2,850 – $7,500 +50%
5 Dry Cleaner Very high 1.40× $2,660 – $7,000 +40%
6 Hospital High 1.40× $2,660 – $7,000 +40%
7 Manufacturing Facility High 1.40× $2,660 – $7,000 +40%
8 Marina / Boat Storage Medium 1.35× $2,565 – $6,750 +35%
9 Shooting Range High 1.35× $2,565 – $6,750 +35%
10 Auto Repair / Body Shop Very high 1.30× $2,470 – $6,500 +30%
11 Funeral Home / Mortuary High 1.30× $2,470 – $6,500 +30%
12 Printing / Graphics Facility High 1.25× $2,375 – $6,250 +25%
13 Trucking Terminal High 1.25× $2,375 – $6,250 +25%
14 Agricultural / Farm Medium 1.20× $2,280 – $6,000 +20%
15 Car Wash Very high 1.20× $2,280 – $6,000 +20%
16 Industrial Light Medium 1.20× $2,280 – $6,000 +20%
17 Medical / Dental Office Low 1.20× $2,280 – $6,000 +20%
18 Data Center Low 1.15× $2,185 – $5,750 +15%
19 Restaurant Medium 1.15× $2,185 – $5,750 +15%
20 Hotel / Hospitality Low 1.10× $2,090 – $5,500 +10%
21 Land Agricultural Low 1.10× $2,090 – $5,500 +10%
22 Mixed-Use Development Low 1.10× $2,090 – $5,500 +10%
23 Assisted Living / Senior Housing Low 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
24 Church / Religious Facility Low 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
25 Golf Course Medium 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
26 Industrial / Warehouse Medium 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
27 Multifamily Residential Low 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
28 Office Building Low 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
29 Retail / Shopping Center Low 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
30 RV Park / Campground Medium 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
31 School / Daycare Low 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
32 Self Storage Low 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
33 Vacant Land Low 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
34 Warehouse Low 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
35 Land Vacant Low 0.90× $1,710 – $4,500 -10%

Phase 1 ESA cost by state

Location has a smaller effect than property type. Each state figure is the national baseline adjusted by a regional cost index (surveyor/consultant labor rates and demand). Click a state for its full cost breakdown and local providers.

#StateCost indexTypical Phase 1 costvs. national
1 Hawaii 1.45× $2,755 – $7,250 +45%
2 New York 1.40× $2,660 – $7,000 +40%
3 California 1.35× $2,565 – $6,750 +35%
4 District of Columbia 1.35× $2,565 – $6,750 +35%
5 Alaska 1.30× $2,470 – $6,500 +30%
6 Massachusetts 1.30× $2,470 – $6,500 +30%
7 New Jersey 1.30× $2,470 – $6,500 +30%
8 Connecticut 1.25× $2,375 – $6,250 +25%
9 Maryland 1.20× $2,280 – $6,000 +20%
10 Washington 1.20× $2,280 – $6,000 +20%
11 Colorado 1.15× $2,185 – $5,750 +15%
12 Oregon 1.15× $2,185 – $5,750 +15%
13 Illinois 1.10× $2,090 – $5,500 +10%
14 Virginia 1.10× $2,090 – $5,500 +10%
15 Florida 1.05× $1,995 – $5,250 +5%
16 Arizona 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
17 Delaware 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
18 Idaho 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
19 Iowa 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
20 Kansas 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
21 Louisiana 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
22 Maine 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
23 Minnesota 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
24 Montana 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
25 Nebraska 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
26 Nevada 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
27 New Hampshire 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
28 New Mexico 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
29 North Dakota 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
30 Pennsylvania 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
31 Rhode Island 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
32 South Carolina 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
33 South Dakota 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
34 Texas 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
35 Utah 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
36 Vermont 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
37 Wisconsin 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
38 Wyoming 1.00× $1,900 – $5,000 0%
39 Georgia 0.95× $1,805 – $4,750 -5%
40 North Carolina 0.95× $1,805 – $4,750 -5%
41 Michigan 0.90× $1,710 – $4,500 -10%
42 Ohio 0.90× $1,710 – $4,500 -10%
43 Tennessee 0.90× $1,710 – $4,500 -10%
44 Alabama 0.85× $1,615 – $4,250 -15%
45 Indiana 0.85× $1,615 – $4,250 -15%
46 Kentucky 0.85× $1,615 – $4,250 -15%
47 Missouri 0.85× $1,615 – $4,250 -15%
48 Oklahoma 0.85× $1,615 – $4,250 -15%
49 Arkansas 0.80× $1,520 – $4,000 -20%
50 Mississippi 0.80× $1,520 – $4,000 -20%
51 West Virginia 0.80× $1,520 – $4,000 -20%

Methodology

The property-type figures are the national Phase 1 ESA baseline ($1,900 – $5,000, a low-risk commercial property) multiplied once by that use's environmental-risk multiplier — a factor that captures how much a site's current and historical use raises the scope of the records review, regulatory-database search, and the likelihood of a Recognized Environmental Condition that pushes the project toward a Phase 2 ESA. The state figures instead apply that state's regional cost index a single time — no property-type premium is layered on for the state ranking. Both are modeled baselines for comparison, not quotes: a real Phase 1 ESA price depends on site size, prior ownership and use history, the number of adjoining high-risk sites, and turnaround. See environmental risk levels and what a REC is for the drivers behind these multipliers.

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