How much does a perc test cost?

Perc test cost is local. A national average says little about your lot: fees and who does the work can vary by state and county. Ask the agency that issues septic permits where the lot is (often the county health department) what its fee covers and who digs the test pits, and whether a quote covers only the perc measurement or the full soil evaluation.

Septic questions are hard to answer from a listing. Here is how to get a straight answer for your lot.

How much does it cost to have your land perc tested?

A figure from another part of the country is a poor guide, because the fees and the work involved can differ from one county or state to the next.

The better move is to ask that agency the right questions. What is its current fee schedule, and what does each fee cover? Who digs the test pits, and who runs the test? Is a private evaluator or engineer involved, and if so, who pays that person? What comes after the test, such as design and a permit, and what do those steps cost? Fees change, so ask for the current schedule, and ask for the answers in writing where you can.

What is the test you are paying for?

In Nebraska, for example, a perc test measures how long it takes water in a test hole to drop 1 inch, and the result is given in minutes per inch.¹ Other states and counties may run the test or report it differently, so ask which method applies to your lot.

How much does soil testing cost?

Both University of Maryland Extension and the University of Minnesota’s septic program describe the perc test as one part of a larger site evaluation, and both list soil texture among what the evaluation covers.²

So when you ask for a price, ask what it covers. A quote for the perc measurement alone may be a different thing from a quote for the full soil evaluation. Ask which one that agency requires on your lot, and ask whether the quote includes digging the pits.

Soil results also depend on where the hole is. Mapped soil data is county-scale, unmapped pockets of different soil exist, and results can differ at the actual drainfield spot, the area of soil that absorbs the system’s wastewater. That is why a field evaluation by that agency or its authorized evaluator matters more than a map.

Can you do a perc test yourself?

In Nebraska, for example, only certified, registered or licensed professionals may run a perc test, so ask your own permit agency before you dig.³ A result your permit agency does not accept does not replace its own test, so ask who may run the test and what it will accept before you pay anyone.

Does the time of year affect perc testing?

Timing can matter in some places. Ask that agency whether the lot’s area has a testing window, and plan your purchase timeline around the answer. Seasonal timing is covered in more detail on the perc test and soil evaluation page.

What if the test comes back poorly?

A poor result can change what the lot needs and what you ask that agency next. What happens after that is covered in What happens if land fails a perc test?.

Can you check anything before you pay for field work?

Before you pay for field work, a SepticFacts screening estimate checks public soil, flood, wetland and slope data and adds the local septic rules SepticFacts has on file for the county, each with its source. It is a desk estimate, not a perc test, and the evaluation by the permit agency or its authorized evaluator decides.

Citations

1. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, NebGuide G1472, Conducting a Soil Percolation Test; Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment, Guidance Document 12-040, Soil Percolation. ↩

2. University of Minnesota Onsite Sewage Treatment Program, Soils and septics; University of Maryland Extension, FAQs on Septic Systems. ↩

3. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, NebGuide G1472, Conducting a Soil Percolation Test; Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment, Guidance Document 12-040, Soil Percolation. ↩