← SCP Cost Explorer Read on SCP Wiki ↗
SCP-227 Safe ~ medium confidence
SCP-227
Expected annual
$1.4M
One-time setup
$479K
Annual recurring
$1.4M
Personnel
12
First-year one-time setup is modest (~$0.48M) for a hardened microclimate, containment hardware, and initial research; ongoing annual costs are dominated by security payroll and an active research program (~$1.31M/yr). Major drivers: security staff salaries and recurring research/monitoring overhead.
🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $479K
Equipment $121K
[#2, #3, #5, #7, #8, #9, #11, #19] Sealed microclimate case, bench-top glovebox, transport crate, physical security hardware, initial CCTV/tamper cameras, initial environmental sensors, torque-limited motor actuator, micro-tools/microscopes.
Initial Research And Lab Setup $115K
[#15, #17, #18, #28, #29] Baseline scientific analyses (CT/XRF/SEM etc.), specialist consultant engagements, non-destructive testing setup, initial experimental program budget, replica fabrication start-up.
Facilities $75K
[#1] Containment room build-out: HVAC retrofit, sealing, anti-contamination finishes for ~3×3×3 m secure room.
Incident Response Reserve $50K
[#20] Emergency conservation / rapid-response contingency reserve.
Legal Cover Initial $50K
[#24] Initial legal/cover-story costs: provenance documents, museum/loan paperwork, initial PR/legal retainer.
Clearance Initial $36K
[#23] Initial background/clearance checks for estimated staff complement.
Backup Power Initial $15K
[#10] UPS / short-run generator connection and installation to maintain climate and monitoring during outages.
Data Security Initial $8K
[#25] Secure servers, encrypted backups, initial secure-archiving setup.
Training Initial $6K
[#14] Specialist conservation & handling training (conservator-led) initial course.
Conservation Supplies Initial $1K
[#12] Archival mounts, silica gel cartridges, silicone gaskets, lint-free wipes initial stock.
Inert Gas Initial $900
[#4] Initial cylinders, regulators, oxygen sensors and plumbing for sealed case and glovebox.
Ppe Initial $600
[#13] Initial stock of gloves, cleanroom suits, hairnets, lint-control supplies.
🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $1.4M/yr
Staff Wages $550K/yr
[#22] Security staff salaries for 24/7 coverage (6–8 personnel fully burdened), per-year staffing costs.
Research And Monitoring $434K/yr
[#16, #17, #18, #26, #28] Ongoing multidisciplinary research program (PI + researchers + part-time conservator/engineer), specialist consult days, experimental budget replenishment, sensor calibration and long-term monitoring.
Contingency Reserve $171K/yr
[#30] 15% contingency/escalation reserve of annual program budget for unforeseen containment complications or accelerated response.
Facilities Maintenance $104K/yr
[#21, #8, #10] Pro-rated facility overhead/rent/utilities/admin allocation plus CCTV storage/maintenance and backup power maintenance.
Cover Story And Legal $34K/yr
[#24, #25, #23, #27] Ongoing legal/PR actions, data security hosting, personnel re-vetting, and insurance premiums.
Experimental Budget Ongoing $25K/yr
[#28] Ongoing experimental funds for controlled self-repair tests and consumables.
Logistics And Transport $17K/yr
[#5, #6] Annualized secure-transport operational costs (estimated ~2 trips/yr at mid-range per-trip costs) and transport upkeep.
Clearance Ongoing $6K/yr
[#23] Annual rechecks and personnel vetting maintenance for cleared staff.
Specialized Consultants Ongoing $5K/yr
[#17] Occasional consultant days for epigraphy/astronomy specialists.
Insurance $5K/yr
[#27] Annual institutional liability/transport insurance premium (subject to exclusions).
Surveillance Maintenance $3K/yr
[#8] CCTV/IR maintenance, redundant recording storage and offsite logging costs.
Long Term Monitoring $3K/yr
[#26] Seal inspections, gasket replacement cycles, scheduled sensor checks beyond calibration.
Data Security Ongoing $3K/yr
[#25] Secure storage, encryption support, and IT security maintenance.
Training Refresher $2K/yr
[#14] Periodic conservator/handler retraining and emergency drills.
Supplies And Consumables $2K/yr
[#4, #12, #13] Annual consumables: inert-gas refills, conservation supplies replenishment, PPE replacement.
Backup Power Maintenance $2K/yr
[#10] UPS testing, generator fuel/testing and maintenance.
Environmental Monitoring Calibration $1K/yr
[#9] Calibration and monitoring service for RH/temp/torque/heat-flux sensors.
Conservation Supplies Replenishment $900/yr
[#12] Annual replenishment of silica gel cartridges, archival mounts, cleaning materials.
Inert Gas Refills $600/yr
[#4] Ongoing cylinder refill and regulator maintenance for sealed case and glovebox.
Ppe Replacement $500/yr
[#13] Replacement stock for gloves, suits, lint-control items.
⚡ Cost Scenarios
📊 Baseline (baseline) $1.4M/yr
94.5% probability / year
Normal year with no major incidents; routine research, monitoring and staffing costs only.
no transport routine monitoring scheduled research
🚨 Minor Incident $1.3M/yr
5.0% probability / year +$-32250 vs baseline
Small containment or conservation incident requiring emergency conservation, short-term overtime, sensor replacement, and limited repairs.
humidity/temperature excursion minor accidental damage during handling equipment failure
🚨 Major Breach $1.8M/yr
0.5% probability / year +$443K vs baseline
Significant containment breach, transport-incident or damaging event requiring extended emergency response, restoration, legal action, and temporary program scale-up.
failed transport with damage large accidental damage requiring reconstruction exposure requiring legal/PR escalation
👥 Personnel 12 total
Role Count Notes
Security Officer / MTF Agent 7 [#22] 24/7 coverage typically requires ~6–8 guards (three 8-hour shifts); staffing count set to 7.
Research Scientist 3 [#16, #17] PI + 1–2 researchers/postdocs included in ongoing research program estimate.
Conservator / Specialist 1 [#12, #14, #16] Part-time or on-call conservator for handling, preventive care and emergency response.
Administrative Staff 1 [#21, #24] Administrative / site liaison for facility allocation, cover-story coordination, and paperwork.
📋 Confidence Notes
Analyst notes provide detailed line-item ranges for nearly every component, so core cost categories are well identified; however many items (transport frequency, exact staffing mix, scope of ongoing research, and insurance/legal choices) required judgment calls, so uncertainty remains.
← SCP-226 ↑ All SCPs SCP-228 →