Financial Assurance for Solid Waste Facilities – Cost Estimate for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
This information is provided by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy to assist the public and regulated community.
Form #: 05-175C Financial Assurance Revised: 8/16/22
SizeFile Name
213 KB 05-175C FA 2021.pdf


Cost estimates should be broken down into activities and the costs based on those activities.

This is an example of a "detailed cost estimate" consisting of a breakdown of activities into categories, tasks, and unit costs.

Please use this as a guideline.


  1. Final Cover
    1. Infiltration Layer
      • Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
      • Materials (unit cost)
      • Equipment (equipment category, unit cost, hours)
      • Geotechnical
    2. Vegetative Layer (Erosion Layer)
      • Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
      • Materials (unit cost)
      • Equipment (equipment category, unit cost, hours)
    3. Flexible Membrane Liner
      • Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
      • Materials (unit cost)
      • Equipment (equipment category, unit cost, hours)
    4. Filter Fabric (Geomembrane)
      • Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
      • Materials (unit cost)
      • Equipment (equipment category, unit cost, hours)
    5. Venting Layer
    6. Drainage Layer
    7. Final Grading
  2. Surface Water Control Structures
    1. Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
    2. Materials (unit cost)
    3. Equipment (equipment category, unit cost, hours)
  3. Seeding, Mulching, Fertilizing
    1. Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
    2. Materials (seed unit cost, fertilizer, mulch)
    3. Equipment (equipment category, unit cost, hours)
  4. Gas Venting System
    1. Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
    2. Materials (unit cost)
  5. Project and Construction Management, (QA/QC)
    1. Engineering labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)(5% to 15% of total cost)
    2. Legal and Administrative (labor category, unit cost, hours)(5% of total cost)
    3. Computer, graphic supplies, reproduction
  6. Other direct costs (1% of total cost)
    1. Mobilization
    2. Per diem
    3. Lodging
  7. Overhead and Profit
  8. Contingencies (10%)

  1. Groundwater Monitoring
    a    ) Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
    b)     Analytical
    c) Data Assessment
    d) Equipment category, unit cost, hours)
    e) Well Replacement Costs (25-to-30-year life)
  2. Leachate Sampling and Analysis
    a) Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
    b) Analytical
  3. Gas Monitoring
    a) Labor, (labor category, unit costs, hours)
    b) Analytical
    c) Equipment (equipment category, unit costs, hours)
    d) Replacement and Repair costs (unit costs)
  4. Leachate System Management
    a) Labor (labor category, unit costs, hours)
    b) Equipment (equipment category, unit costs, hours)
    c) Transportation (equipment category, unit costs, hours)
    d) Maintenance & Inspections (labor category, unit costs, hours)
    e) Disposal Cost (unit cost)
    f) Pump Replacement Costs (10-to-15-year pump life)
  5. Site Inspections
    a) Labor (labor category, unit costs, hours)
  6. Final Cover Repair (Add 1 ft. of cover over 5% of area/year)
    a) Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
    b) Materials (unit cost, transportation)
    c)     Equipment (equipment, category, unit costs, hours)
  7. Seeding Repair (10% of landfill/year)
    a) Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
    b) Materials (unit cost)
    c) Equipment (equipment category, unit cost, hours)
  8. Mowing
    a) Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
    b) Equipment (equipment category, unit cost, hours)
  9. Rodent, Weed & Tree Control
    a) Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
    b) Materials (unit cost)
    c) Equipment (equipment category, unit cost, hours)
  10. Maintenance Repair or Replacement of Fence and Gate
    a) Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
    b) Materials (unit cost)
  11. Surface Water Control Structure Maintenance
    a) Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
    b) Equipment (equipment category, unit cost, hours)
  12. Record keeping and Administration
    a) Labor (labor category, unit cost, hours)
    b) Computer, graphic supplies, reproduction
  13. Other direct costs
    a) Mobilization
    b) Per Diem
    c) Lodging
  14. Overhead and Profit
  15. Contingencies (10% of annual total)

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Produced by:

Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
P.O. Box 98922
Lincoln, NE 68509-8922
phone (402) 471-2186

To view this, and other information related to our agency, visit our web site at http://dee.ne.gov/