Septic guides
Testing the land
How much does a perc test cost?
What goes into the cost of a perc test, why it varies by state and county, and what to ask the permit agency before you pay for field testing.
What happens if land fails a perc test?
What a poor perc test result typically means, the soil and site conditions behind it, and what to ask the local septic permit agency about options.
What is required for a septic soils evaluation?
Walks through what a septic soils evaluation usually asks of a landowner, from the application and site plan to digging test pits, with one worked example from Oregon and a note on timing.
What is the difference between my SepticFacts report and a septic soils evaluation?
Explains how a SepticFacts desk screen differs from the field soils evaluation your county relies on, why the two can disagree, and how to use the report before paying for an evaluation.
What are hydric soils, and why do they matter for septic?
What hydric soils are, why wet soil matters for a septic drainfield and for wetland rules, and what a soil map does and does not tell you about one lot.
How does a sloped property affect my drainfield?
How slope helps and hurts a drainfield, why steep ground thins usable soil and complicates trench layout, and the kinds of design rules counties apply as ground gets steeper, with one state as a worked example.
Should I know my house placement before planning my test pits?
Why it helps to sketch your house, driveway, well and outbuildings before choosing where to dig septic test pits, and what can go wrong if the house is sited after the pits.
What size septic system do I need?
How bedroom count drives septic tank and drainfield sizing, why limited good soil can limit a house plan, and why to settle the bedroom count early.
What is a septic site plan, and what needs to be on it?
Explains what a septic site plan is, the features counties commonly ask to see on it, one worked example from Oregon, and why a complete plan saves time and money.
Am I allowed to install a septic system inside city limits?
Whether a septic system is possible inside city limits, why public sewer availability usually decides it, how states and cities handle connection, and the hidden costs of sewer nearby.
Types of septic systems
What is a conventional (standard) septic system?
How a conventional (standard) septic system works, from the tank to the drainfield, and how it differs from the alternative systems a county may call for.
What is a mound septic system?
How a mound septic system raises the drainfield above the natural ground, when a county may call for one, and the trade-offs to ask about.
What is a sand filter septic system?
How a sand filter adds a treatment step between the septic tank and the drainfield, where sand filters are used, and what they add in cost and upkeep.
What if my drainfield needs to be a long way from my house?
How a drainfield far from the house is usually handled with a pump and pressure line, the cost and maintenance trade-offs, when an easement may come up, and why the pipe route belongs on the site plan early.
How deep is a drain field?
Where to find the depth and separation that apply to a drainfield, with Oregon and Pennsylvania examples of what a state rule can call for.
Owning an existing system
When can I use an existing system?
When an existing septic system can keep serving a property, what usually triggers a new permit, how inspections at sale work, and what to check before buying.
What is a "major repair" vs. a "minor repair"?
How septic repairs are commonly sorted into major and minor, why the difference matters for permits and cost, and what to check when buying a property with a recent repair.
What septic tank size means
What septic tank size means, why a tank needs room for solids to settle, how bedrooms drive the minimum, and how size affects pumping.
What a septic tank baffle repair means
What septic tank baffles do at the inlet and outlet of the tank, what can happen when one fails, and what to ask about a baffle repair.
What is a septic as-built?
Explains what a septic as-built or record drawing is, what it typically shows, one worked example from Washington, and why buyers should ask the county for it.
Is a standard gravity system set-and-forget?
What upkeep a standard gravity septic system still needs, from routine inspection and pumping to the everyday habits that protect the drainfield from early failure.
Caring for a septic system
Can you have a garbage disposal with a septic system?
What a garbage disposal adds to a septic tank, how it changes pumping, and what to ask the seller, the designer and the county if you plan to use one.
Can I dump my RV into my septic system?
The risks of emptying RV holding tanks into a home septic system, why holding-tank chemicals matter, and what to check with the county and the system's design before doing it.
