There Goes The Garage

Word of warning ! Before you buy or build on your lot , know the type of septic system your going to need to install , and research the costs . This can be a $ 8,000 to $35,000 ( or more ) expense . We found out early on , that the existing system , that we had been using , without any issues , for almost 20 years , no longer met State standards ...wonderful . And of course , the system we needed to replace it with , wasn't on the low end .

Depending on the area you live in , the type of system needed , is either determined by a "perc" test , or soil test . We had to have a soil test done , at the tune of about a thousand dollars . They came out and gathered core samples form about 18 different locations on our lot (our lot is a little under 2 acres ). The results weren't good , we were told , that , if there hadn't already been a house on the lot , we probably would have ran into problems trying to build here .
Because of the location of the well , and property lines , there were only 2-3 locations on the lot where we could build . We were also , going to have to go with a "mound" system . Fortunately , one of the locations where we could build , put the mound behind the house , instead of in the front yard . Thank goodness ! Nothing like having , what looks like a mass grave , in your front yard . I had often driven by newly constructed homes , and wonder , why in the world , would you put that hideous mess in the front yard ? Well now I know why , sometimes you just don't have a choice .

The next step in this nightmare , was having a system designed ... another $500.00. The system we needed to install turned out to be a little complicated , basically it's a mini water treatment plant , with pumps , aerators , and other junk I didn't understand . Now here is the mistake , we made in this step .
The company that we originally had design the system , didn't have their own crew to do installations , They just designed systems , and would sub contracted the installation out , and quoted $34,000.00 for the installation . Skip this step ! Find a contractor , that will include the system design in their price . Most septic design companies represent a specific manufacturer , and most manufactures , have a specific , design for their systems . The system design companies are sales reps, they make money off the systems they sell and mark up on the contractors they use , if they don't have their own crews .

The State of Delaware, and I assume that most states , have lists of contractors who have been State certified to install these systems . Apparently not just anyone can do this . GET bids !!! After that $34,000 quote , I sent the soil sample results out to almost everyone of the contractors on the State's list , the ones that did free quotes that is . We got quotes from $34,000 to $23,000 , you know which one we accepted . Even at $23,000 , that was still a chunk of money . Well ... there goes the garage .