Does the map have to be to scale or professionally drawn?

The permit asks for what it shows, not for a drafting standard. A clear marked-up survey or site plan is normal for a small site — legibility and accuracy are what matter.

What are construction support activity areas?

Off-site or on-site areas serving the project — staging, batch plants, borrow and stockpile areas. They are covered by the permit and they belong on the map (Part 1.2.1c).

What has to be on a SWPPP site map?

Part 7.2.4 requires the map to show site boundaries and drainage, every control at its actual location, surface waters and any buffer kept, on-site and off-site support activity areas, and the areas of exposed soil with their stabilization.

Source: EPA 2022 Construction General Permit (as modified), Part 7.2.4Verified 2026-08-04

The list

The map is where a reviewer checks whether the narrative describes this site or a generic one. It has to show the boundaries and the direction water moves, the controls where they will be installed, the surface waters and buffers, the support activity areas covered by the permit (Part 1.2.1c), and the exposed soil with the stabilization those areas will get (Part 2.2.14).

If turbidity benchmark monitoring applies to the site, the sampling points go on the map too (Part 3.3).

Why we do not draw it for you

A generated map of a site nobody has looked at would be worse than no map. The plan lists what the map has to show and the questionnaire collects the facts behind those items; the drawing is yours.

Questions people ask

Does the map have to be to scale or professionally drawn?: The permit asks for what it shows, not for a drafting standard. A clear marked-up survey or site plan is normal for a small site — legibility and accuracy are what matter.
What are construction support activity areas?: Off-site or on-site areas serving the project — staging, batch plants, borrow and stockpile areas. They are covered by the permit and they belong on the map (Part 1.2.1c).

The states this question turns on

Texas SWPPP requirements — Texas requires the SWP3 to be developed and implemented by the primary operator; the permit contains no PE, CPESC or licensing language for preparation.
Virginia SWPPP requirements — Virginia requires only that SWPPPs be prepared in accordance with good engineering practices; its certification classes apply to agency reviewers and inspectors, not to preparers.
Ohio SWPPP requirements — Ohio asks for a "professional experienced in the design and implementation" of erosion and sediment controls but names no licence, exam or issuing body, and applies the same clause to 1–5 acre sites. The gate scan's summary table counts Ohio as C; the "experienced professional" wording reads as B2 in its per-state row — self-preparation is allowed either way.

All 50 states, in one table

The documents this affects

What we are, and what stays your responsibility

SwpppDraft is a document generation tool. It does not provide engineering services, legal services, or compliance consulting, and no engineer or attorney reviews what it produces.
Everything in the document is built from the site facts you enter. Checking that those facts are right, and that the resulting plan fits your project, is yours to do.
We do not file anything on your behalf, we do not certify or endorse your compliance, and we accept no liability for what happens when you use the document.
State-level requirements carry the date we verified them. County and city rules are not covered — some local jurisdictions require a licensed preparer even where the state does not, and you have to check that yourself.
When the product opens, our total liability will be capped at the amount you paid us. Today that amount is zero, because nothing is for sale.