New House Build in WV

[buckeyefarmer]

I missed getting any pics of my septic install, but do have locations.

 

[TnWV]

Try to get someone to take pictures for you!
Pictures can be VERY helpful if you should have future septic problems.
1200 gallons should be good for up to, and including, 4 bedrooms.
No garbage disposal....EVER !!!

Definitely not installing a garbage disposal, I’ve been on septic systems most of my life, and have never had one. Scraps go to the compost pile or otherwise thrown out.

House is 3 bedroom, so a 1000 gallon was the requirement, but with a full basement, we upped the tank size in the event a bedroom is ever built in the basement.

 

[rScotty]

Great build, and FAST! I am super impressed. How many houses have you built like this before? Got any idea of cost & hours?

Hope you do/did take some complete videos of wiring & plumbing before you cannot see it anymore. If not, oh well.

We've been on a septic tank just about forever. You don't have to use a garbage disposal, but having one makes for a handy way to feed the microbial "bugs" in the tank and keep them happy. Gotta have happy bugs.....

When you get done I'd love to hear any "I wish I hads".

rScotty

 

[fried1765]

Great build, and FAST! I am super impressed. How many houses have you built like this before? Got any idea of cost & hours?

Hope you do/did take some complete videos of wiring & plumbing before you cannot see it anymore. If not, oh well.

We've been on a septic tank just about forever. You don't have to use a garbage disposal, but having one makes for a handy way to feed the microbial "bugs" in the tank and keep them happy. Gotta have happy bugs.....

When you get done I'd love to hear any "I wish I hads".

rScotty

I disagree!
It is commonly agreed that garbage disposals are a BAD idea for septic systems.
The celery strings, and other ground up similar stuff, will head straight for the holes in your leach field pipe.

 

[TnWV]

Great build, and FAST! I am super impressed. How many houses have you built like this before? Got any idea of cost & hours?

Hope you do/did take some complete videos of wiring & plumbing before you cannot see it anymore. If not, oh well.

We've been on a septic tank just about forever. You don't have to use a garbage disposal, but having one makes for a handy way to feed the microbial "bugs" in the tank and keep them happy. Gotta have happy bugs.....

When you get done I'd love to hear any "I wish I hads".

rScotty

Appreciate the kind words. Sure doesn’t feel fast!

This is my second complete build, first was for my in laws in 2015, but I had the help a a good friend who is an excellent carpenter. Unfortunately, he moved out of state just before we started. I did work as an electrician for 6 1/2 years working my way through college, so I was around construction everyday during that time. Other than that, I’ve learned from helping friends/family build stuff, reading and following other build threads.

Cost, well about 30k more than expected due to price increases that are blamed on COVID. That’s disappointing but we are still in good shape on it, overall. Not done spending yet, but I’m estimating about $100 per finished square foot, only taking the main floor in consideration, and not including square feet for the porches and garage. In comparison, the house we built for my in laws came in around $57/sq.ft. Theirs had a fraction of the porch, no garage, no basement, and we used the HVAC, kitchen cabinets/counters (my father in law built the cabinets and are still like new) and some other odds and ends from their old house we tore down. It was only a 1,360 sq.ft. Build.

At some point I’ll work up my I wish I had done different list, for certain.

 

[TnWV]

I disagree!
It is commonly agreed that garbage disposals are a BAD idea for septic systems.
The celery strings, and other ground up similar stuff, will head straight for the holes in your leach field pipe.

That is what I’ve always been told. I put a monthly treatment in our current system, not sure if it works, but we haven’t had any issues with it.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

So far no problem with garbage disposal on my septic, been over 20 yrs.

 

[fried1765]

That is what I’ve always been told. I put a monthly treatment in our current system, not sure if it works, but we haven’t had any issues with it.

If you don't use bleach, and have no garbage disposal in the system, no additives should be necessary.

 

[rScotty]

I disagree!
It is commonly agreed that garbage disposals are a BAD idea for septic systems.
The celery strings, and other ground up similar stuff, will head straight for the holes in your leach field pipe.

I've no problem with opinions that differ from mine, but I do wonder if that is more a case of a special type of ground up stuff coupled into a special type of septic being able to cause a unique type of problem.

Where I live, leach fields composed of perforated pipe is still allowed just because of pre-existing buildng codes, but most new septic systems being installed are using the much more efficient option of plastic infiltrators instead of pipe. Less costly, too.

One of the side benefits of infiltrators is they don't clog, so celery strings will eventually join other historic problems that have all lead up to the present day solution.
rScotty

 

[rScotty]

Appreciate the kind words. Sure doesn稚 feel fast!

This is my second complete build, first was for my in laws in 2015, but I had the help a a good friend who is an excellent carpenter. Unfortunately, he moved out of state just before we started. I did work as an electrician for 6 1/2 years working my way through college, so I was around construction everyday during that time. Other than that, I致e learned from helping friends/family build stuff, reading and following other build threads.
SNIP....
Not done spending yet, but I知 estimating about $100 per finished square foot, only taking the main floor in consideration, and not including square feet for the porches and garage. In comparison, the house we built for my in laws came in around $57/sq.ft. Theirs had a fraction of the porch, no garage, no basement, and we used the HVAC, kitchen cabinets/counters (my father in law built the cabinets and are still like new) and some other odds and ends from their old house we tore down. It was only a 1,360 sq.ft. Build.
At some point I値l work up my I wish I had done different list, for certain.

Yes, we designed and built our place and found out the same thing. we had built a small 300 sq. ft. cabin before, but we were stunned when we were building our house and began to see just how nice of a new house anybody can build quickly and for not much money.

The key seems to be for either the husband or wife to have basic "Home Depot building skills" and both being willing to work on it for a few hours in the evening as entertainment.

We didn't really set out to save money, and could have saved even more if we had been willing to use recycled lumber, plus second hand or overstock window and door frames. But we didn't need to. We took our time - and finally started spending on things like new cabinets and roofing subcontractors just because at that point we had already saved more than we needed to meet the budget. As it was, we still cut the expected cost by more than half.

Now having had the experience, I wonder just how little dollars a nice house could be built for if a person really tried?

Having done it once, I think most every couple who wanted could build and furnish a full size for less than half what they are going for. And have a better-built "custom house" in the bargain.

But it does take longer. That's the tradeoff. Ours took 3 years instead of 3 months.
rScotty