Septic System Owner Builder – DIY

Just came back from closing on the property today, so we’re proud owners of some Georgia dirt. The first step was to find out where the septic tank was to get it pumped and inspected by the county. After 2 hours of digging around, and with the help of the septic tank guy who’s business card read… “The Do Do Doctor”, we finally found the 4″ sewer pipe. We probed around and followed it down 30′ or 40′ to the septic tank.

After the tank was pumped, I needed to take the form given to me by the septic pumping company down to the county. I paid $125 for an inspection by the county and I should find out this week if I will be able to use the existing system. The “Do Do Doctor” said it looked good should pass inspection.

I did some research on septic tanks and wanted to share some info I found for other owner builders out there. Where we live is pretty rural, so there is no public sewer available or I’d be hooking up to it. Being able to use the existing septic system will save me thousands of dollars. The lowest price to install a new system around here was around $3500. I got other quotes close to $5000.

Material costs for a do it yourself owner builder would be somewhere around $1500. The septic tank itself is around $500 or more for a 1000 gallon tank.

Then, unless you’re going to be digging it with a shovel for a couple weeks, you’re going to need to rent a backhoe.

The septic system is pretty simple… Waste comes out of the house, down a main pipe, and into the septic tank. Solid waste will sink to the bottom where bacteria and other organisms will break down the matter. Then, the liquid waste seeps out and down the drain fields to sink down into the earth where the waste is naturally filtered.

A couple tips I got along the way would be… Never flush a lot of bleach or cleaning products down your drains or you will kill the bacteria that breaks down the solid waste which will lead to problems very quickly. Next, have your tank pumped out every 3-5 years. And finally, place your drain fields more than 100′ away from your well, which is for obvious reasons.

I’m hoping I pass inspections so I can move on to the next step in the owner builder process. I will keep you DIY folks informed. Hope this post helps.