How much will it cost to put in a septic system on a parcel of raw land?

The rough estimates below for Percolation and Mantle Testing (aka Perc and Mantle) were compiled in consultation with three different engineers with offices in Nevada County. The figures represent average costs for testing and designing septic systems.

There are three initial expenses:

• $500 Nevada County Testing Fee
• $900 Test and Report from the engineer
• $400 Backhoe rental fee

$1800 Total

Then there is the design fee that will depend upon the test results:

• $600 Standard leach field design
• $1500 Complex design (and costs in between for other systems)

So adding initial costs and design costs, for your design you are looking at: $2400 – $3300

Now you will have to take the design to the County building department for approval and to pay your installation permit and inspection fees. This cost will depend upon the size and complexity of the system, but you should figure on: $500 – $1100

Finally, you will need to hire a licensed contractor to install the system. How much will that cost? $7000 to $10000 for the simplest standard system up to $40,000 for an elaborate, engineered, computer monitored system for 4-6 bedrooms.

So, the least expensive system you can test for and install on your raw land is about . . . $10,000

If you have a disastrous Perc and Mantle test that requires a pre-treatment pod system, and you are planning on 4-6 bedrooms, your test, design, permit, and installation costs could very well exceed: $45,000 (gulp!)

And here comes the really cool part . . . you will be paying additional annual fees for maintenance and monitoring of your space-age poop disposal system!

Poop!