What a Phase II costs, and how long it takes

Cost

A limited Phase II (a handful of borings, one or two media, standard analytes) commonly starts around $5,000 to $15,000. From there the drivers stack:

• Number of locations and depths: each boring and well adds drilling time and laboratory volume.
• Media: adding groundwater wells or a vapor study is a step change, not an increment. Permanent wells cost more than temporary points and better data usually justifies it.
• Analytes: broad analytical suites multiply lab fees.
• Site conditions: depth to groundwater, drilling refusal, pavement coring, utility congestion.
• Off-site access and permits: negotiating access and well permits costs calendar and fee.

Investigations that grow into multiple rounds of delineation move into the tens of thousands. That is not scope creep by default; extent questions can only be answered by stepping outward from what the first round finds.

Timeline

Four to eight weeks from authorization to report is typical for a limited scope: utility clearance and access first, a field mobilization of days, standard laboratory turnaround of one to two weeks (rush is buyable), then data evaluation and reporting. Multi-round investigations run months.

The budgeting mistake to avoid

Pricing a Phase II as one fixed round with no contingency. If results come back with exceedances at the boundary of the sampled area, the next question (how far does it go?) is already known; deals go sideways when nobody budgeted time or money for it. Ask for contingent step-out pricing at scoping.