Anyone here install their own septic

[4570Man]

I would absolutely recommend a concrete tank over the plastic type.
In some areas you can buy a concrete tank with a "Heavy top".
This is a good idea, if the tank is somewhere in your yard where you might occasionally drive a CUT or a car over it.
In a normal drive over area, you need a HEAVY tank, for delivery type trucks.

Plus they’re cheaper at least here and they stay in the ground better. A plastic one needs to be 100 percent full to not float out. The only advantage of a plastic one is they can be set with small equipment when it’s not possible to get the crane trucks into place. Also a plastic one isn’t approved for a pump tank. That might not be code everywhere but the same problem applies everywhere.

 

[1930]

Call some one to come out and give you an estimate. They'll usually tell you what they're going to do. Pay them for the time spent. Now a days a lot of guys are using plastic septic tanks. I know that sucks.
I stopped at the concrete place the other day. They usually make the concrete tanks. They still do. But they had a whole bunch of plastic ones, too.

Pooh runs down hill a 1/4 inch per foot. Also how many bedrooms will you have?

I have a guy that was recommended coming out either tomm evening or over the weekend to talk about him doing the install. He is supposed to be reliable and of course licensed. He gave my friend a good price for his system and if Im in that range Ill let him do mine as well.

Ill report back when I know more

 

[4570Man]

Personally I wouldn’t put it in until the house was done or close to it. It makes it harder to work with other equipment plus the possibility of damaging something

 

[1930]

Personally I wouldn’t put it in until the house was done or close to it. It makes it harder to work with other equipment plus the possibility of damaging something

Location will be no where near where anyone will be working, its on a sloped area, also I may still put a mobile home on property first and that requires a septic

 

[Jstpssng]

No permit, perk test, enforcement officer or engineer drawing here. All those are just for control and money grab. Everybody wants a piece of the pie. I installed mine 22 years ago this month. I did everything. It's been pumped once. The field is a 40' closed H pattern. I can tell it's still working during the summer months--The grass is green over the field.

Ran my own water from the meter (1200'), well (800') and power lines from my poles too (100',100', 300').

And, while we're at it; Put in my own 1400' driveway and property fencing. This ain't no lot in the city, you know.

One reason for tests and permits is to ensure you don't pollute your neighbor's well.

 

[Tinhack]

Location will be no where near where anyone will be working, its on a sloped area, also I may still put a mobile home on property first and that requires a septic

The further away from the house, the deeper the tank and field needs to be to maintain the input/output slope and level field. You really do need to know where the house and/or mobile home will be. Do that first then put in the tank and field. Or you will have turds coming out of your toilets, as Fried1765 so eloquently put.

 

[1930]

The further away from the house, the deeper the tank and field needs to be to maintain the input/output slope and level field. You really do need to know where the house and/or mobile home will be. Do that first then put in the tank and field. Or you will have turds coming out of your toilets, as Fried1765 so eloquently put.

I do know where the house will be, the house sits on the top of a slope, the septic will be at the bottom of this slope, my concern is that the septic will be too far downhill. I really need to meet this installer this weekend, he will be able to put alot of my questions to rest.

 

[Jstpssng]

Your other option is to find a good place for the septic, then plan your house accordingly. It's a lot easier to put a foundation on a slope than it is to level that slope for your septic.

 

[Tinhack]

One reason for tests and permits is to ensure you don't pollute your neighbor's well.

There's enough space. This is Texas, FGS! :laughing:

I live in a county that had about 30,000 residents spread over 1236 square miles at the time I built here. Those departments didn't even exist back then. The only people I had to call was a toll free number to check for oil and gas pipes.

 

[Tinhack]

I do know where the house will be, the house sits on the top of a slope, the septic will be at the bottom of this slope, my concern is that the septic will be too far downhill. I really need to meet this installer this weekend, he will be able to put alot of my questions to rest.

Yeah, that's not going to work. But you didn't say how much slope. There's typically a minimum and maximum slope for sewer pipe. Last I checked it was 1/4" and 1/2", respectively, per foot!

I would put the tank up top near the house and step the drain field down the slope. By stepped, I mean drain field laterals about every 10 or so feet down the slope and perpendicular to the output pipe. You would need a collection box at each step so the liquid just doesn't run to the bottom.

 

[fried1765]

The further away from the house, the deeper the tank and field needs to be to maintain the input/output slope and level field. You really do need to know where the house and/or mobile home will be. Do that first then put in the tank and field. Or you will have turds coming out of your toilets, as Fried1765 so eloquently put.

The tank may actually not need to be deep at all.
The OP states that it will be going on a "sloped area".

 

[Tinhack]

The tank may actually not need to be deep at all.
The OP states that it will be going on a "sloped area".

Actually, he said it was going at the BOTTOM of a slope. Since we don't know what the "slope" is, that may or may not work. You certainly can't have the tank sitting above ground.

 

[1930]

I should not have said bottom. I do not know best location. May not be on slope at all. Ill learn something hopefully this weekend

 

[crazyal]

Yeah, that's not going to work. But you didn't say how much slope. There's typically a minimum and maximum slope for sewer pipe. Last I checked it was 1/4" and 1/2", respectively, per foot!

I would put the tank up top near the house and step the drain field down the slope. By stepped, I mean drain field laterals about every 10 or so feet down the slope and perpendicular to the output pipe. You would need a collection box at each step so the liquid just doesn't run to the bottom.

Not at my house, lol. The tank is near the house but the leach field is about 75 yards away down a hill. I call it the "log slide". Joking of course since there's nothing solid after the tank.

When I built my house anything over 10 acres was a free for all unless the town had specific rules. Now it's all state controlled and towns can add additional requirements but it's all handled by state licensed septic engineers. If they draw up the plan then you are good to go. I guess Vermont found it's easier to just make the engineers pay a fee for a license than deal with overseeing what's being done. Of course things could have changed again in the last 15 years.

 

[toddol1971]

I am in Virginia. In what I was told is the strictest county in the country.

We are looking at 30 to 50k for a new system. Only licensed contractors blessed with special certifications can do the work. That's from soil tests, site plans, design plans, surveys and installation. My new favorite word is "contour". Seems you cannot change the lay of the land to install a system.

Sounds like you need to move lol.

 

[1930]

I am trying to get county approved specifications, I am still strongly considering doing the install myself, the quote given was reasonable enough in my opinion but I can save a few thousand by doing it myself and Im sure its not difficult or overly labor intensive, the guy that quoted me said it takes him abut 3 hrs to do the work.

So far the county is not cooperating with providing me anything.

 

[riptides]

Sounds like you need to move lol.

You cannot sell a place without a working system.

 

[1930]

I would seriously think about having a system designed by an approved engineer. It shouldn't be too expensive and they know what to watch out for. When I installed my septic the guy came and made a map of my property with the locations of any wells and other features that could be impacted. That included a surface well my neighbor has. After I did the work of installing it my neighbor had a question about if his well was downstream. A simple call to the engineer was all it took. Had I done it on my own hen I would have been on the hook for trying to prove it was correct. Plus with an engineer you get a print of exactly what to do.

I am working on contact such a person now that Im hoping can help.

 

[Tinhack]

I had mine in by now. :laughing:

It took me two days with a rented backhoe and all the materials onsite except the tank. The tank maker delivered the tank and set it in my prepared hole on the morning of the first day. I was able to dig the out-feed and field by the end of the day. The second day was spent bedding the laterals and making sure they were level and at the correct height. Everything was completed, covered and ready to use by the end of the second day.

Planning will be key to your success. I had a working drawing and laid out the placement of all the parts with paint. The only dimension I didn't have at the time was the tank out-feed level. My guestimate was within a couple of inches so it all worked out.

I forgot to mention; I didn't have to worry about other peoples property. As long as you don't hit ground water during your tank dig, you should be fine. I happen to hit clay and shale at the bottom of my tank hole. I was lucky it was at the right depth but made leveling the tank easy.

 

[fried1765]

I am trying to get county approved specifications, I am still strongly considering doing the install myself, the quote given was reasonable enough in my opinion but I can save a few thousand by doing it myself and Im sure its not difficult or overly labor intensive, the guy that quoted me said it takes him abut 3 hrs to do the work.

So far the county is not cooperating with providing me anything.

"3 hours" is an absurd time, for any type of septic installation.
Time to assemble materials at the job site, time to dig for tank and field lines, time to assemble the pieces, time to add stone, time to backfill/cover, etc.
With you having ZERO experience, and zero equipment, I would STRONGLY suggest getting a second estimate, and then go with the lower of the two.
From your posts, it is painfully obvious that this is a job YOU should not attempt!