Rough costs?

Kablooie!! · #1 05/29/06, 11:56 AM

Hi all,

I've been reading for a while, but this is the first time I've posted.

My wife and I are interested in and working towards a self-sufficient/homesteading lifestyle. We're just getting started, but at least we're headed in the right direction.

Today I'm whipping up a quickie spreadsheet to help get a handle on the costs involved in getting our dream home underway. I've hit a couple of questions on the costs of things and would like to know if any of you have experience.

1. Septic tank/leech field. Rough ballpark cost to have this installed? My guess is a couple of thousand. Is that wildly off? Assume relatively rocky soil and a two-person household (and we'll probably be doing water conservation/re-use of greywater for irrigation, and composting toilets. So the system can be relatively small).
2. Drilling a well. Assuming it'll be about 120 feet deep, what can we expect to pay?

I realize that these things vary with the location and nature of the area (it's fairly rocky), but at this point I'm just trying to determine a rough ball-park estimate of the costs.

Thanks for your time,
Grant

insanity · #2 05/29/06, 12:16 PM

Around ($6000. on the lowest end to) ( $8000 usually )for the septic tank set up around here.No idea on the leech field.
My dad has around 3000 in his well in NM for around 200ft i think it is.This is very, around about, as i cant recall much about it.

Welcome to the board I'm sure you'll find a lot of help here!

LagoVistaFarm · #3 05/29/06, 12:55 PM

Location has a big influence on the costs.

agmantoo · #4 05/29/06, 01:00 PM

In NC with a conventional septic system I would budget $2500. Usually the county will dictate the size of the system based on number of bedrooms.
The well I would want a 6 inch system with a submersible 3/4 HP pump and a decent size storage tank. For this I would budget $4200. Obviously I would not look up a name in the yellow pages and call. Check with some plumbing supply houses and with a few contractors as they will know who to call and who is the best value for the money spent.

Ken in Maine · #5 05/29/06, 01:02 PM

In Maine a well is usually figured at $18.00 per foot with casing and $9.00 a foot once they are drilling in bedrock. We have 100 feet of casing and a total depth of 400 feet.

Septic systems vary greatly. Around here it's about $3500.00. Often times the fellow doing your site work will give you a package price for all site work including trenching for underground electric.. well lines and septic, etc.

goatlady · #6 05/29/06, 01:02 PM

Location is critical. My complete septic system with 1000 gal cement tank, three 90' laterals in the drain field, all pipe, fill, labor etc. cost $2500 and before I left that area last summer it was only $3000. The well is what killed me - at 275' wired, cased, pump, pressure tank, lines buried 4' and labor ran me $6000 to turn on the faucet! Much more now. Your best bet for estimates is just make a few phone calls to the guys in your area that do this sort of work. They given bids/estimates all the time.

Kablooie!! · #7 05/29/06, 01:17 PM

Wow, thanks for all the great responses, guys. I really appreciate it.

Cheers,
Grant

RedTartan · #8 05/29/06, 01:23 PM

In NE Ohio, it just cost the people selling the house we're buying $6500 to put in a new septic tank and leech field.

RedTartan

teresab · #9 05/29/06, 03:05 PM

Here in NW Pa we had a new well and septic put in 2 1/2 years ago when we put our house in...it cost us $5,000 for both not counting the pump for the well.

mtman · #10 05/29/06, 04:20 PM

our septic was 1800 dollors see how differant it can be how about you call a few people in your area my guess is you will get a better idea of price instead of asking people all around the country or maybee im just crazy

donsgal · #11 05/29/06, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kablooie!!

Hi all,

I've been reading for a while, but this is the first time I've posted.

My wife and I are interested in and working towards a self-sufficient/homesteading lifestyle. We're just getting started, but at least we're headed in the right direction.

Today I'm whipping up a quickie spreadsheet to help get a handle on the costs involved in getting our dream home underway. I've hit a couple of questions on the costs of things and would like to know if any of you have experience.

1. Septic tank/leech field. Rough ballpark cost to have this installed? My guess is a couple of thousand. Is that wildly off? Assume relatively rocky soil and a two-person household (and we'll probably be doing water conservation/re-use of greywater for irrigation, and composting toilets. So the system can be relatively small).
2. Drilling a well. Assuming it'll be about 120 feet deep, what can we expect to pay?

I realize that these things vary with the location and nature of the area (it's fairly rocky), but at this point I'm just trying to determine a rough ball-park estimate of the costs.

Thanks for your time,
Grant

SW Missouri here - $4000 for wastewater treatment system. $10,000 for the 600 foot well. (includes pump and pressure tank.

donsgal

Beeman · #12 05/29/06, 06:18 PM

Prices vary greatly by area. also remember that the $4,000 septic system put in 6 mo. ago will cost more when you decide to have it put in. Every operation you are thinking about and all of the materials are dependant on gas and oil for delivery and installation, right down to the gravel. I just bought a couple of tons of gravel and was amazed at the increase in just the rock price as I picked it up.

heather · #13 05/29/06, 06:48 PM

Are you talking septic? or sand mound?
Here in this part of western PA, you won't find a property that passes with just a septic tank. You must have a sand mound. Of course, that's if you're doing things the "legal" way

Your costs might include perc tests, inspections, DEP plans, and mound, tanks, alarm, etc.....just our mound was $10,500 - it's the smallest one allowed in PA.

Tabitha · #14 05/29/06, 06:57 PM

I hate septic tanks. Here in Ky there is a small town called Horse Cave, because in the middle of town there is the entrance of a big cave and a creek runs through it. you would not believe how Horse Cave was stinking before they got sewertreatment plant. It was from all the septic tanks that were leaching down to the water level, the cave entrance had halitosis big time. If you are getting composting toilets and are going to make a place with gravel and certain plants for your grey water what is left? what do you need a septic tank for? But to each his own.

texican · #15 05/29/06, 09:30 PM

It all depends on if you're area has code enforcement or not. My area doesn't, and my septic system cost roughly 150 for a 500 gallon cement tank and field line... I dug the hole with a shovel in a lonnnnnng day. The tanks cost a little more nowadays, and here in the country we have to get a free permit, and prove the system has been installed....

Well depends on water table, and type of soil or rock you'd have to drill through...

Hoop · #16 05/29/06, 10:00 PM

Wisconsin prices. Conventional septic system will run $4000 - $5000. Mound system will run $10,000 - $16,000 and up.

A regulation on the books in Wisconsin states any commercially drilled well must be at least 50' in depth. Minimum price for complete well $4000. Few wells in Wisconsin are deeper than 300'. My well was put in last Nov. 265 feet. $9200 for the complete system.

Pink_Carnation · #17 05/29/06, 11:08 PM

For septic here the county required design will run $1200 then installation can easily end up over $15,000. They require pressure systems, gray water is not allowed. They also require anual monitoring of the systems. Location Location Location....soon we will need a permit to sneeze.

seedspreader · #18 05/29/06, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedTartan

In NE Ohio, it just cost the people selling the house we're buying $6500 to put in a new septic tank and leech field.

RedTartan

And building new around here, you will be assessed on what septic system you need and how much it costs based on the number of BEDROOMS in the house. yeah, it's weird, there are 5000 square foot houses that only have 3 or 4 "bedrooms" because their soil could only handle that much septic.

tiogacounty · #19 05/30/06, 06:25 AM

To get any valuable information you need to be very specific as to exactly where you are planning on building. These costs can vary by 400-500% or more depending on everything from your state and local regulations to the soil and geological conditions. I know of areas of the country where well driller get 4X the rate they do here, and other parts where a standard septic is a small fraction of the cost in my area. It's nice that people take the time to share their experience in their area, but it doesn't apply to you unless they are close to you, have had the work done recently, and have a very similar situation.

almostthere · #20 05/30/06, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtman

our septic was 1800 dollors see how differant it can be how about you call a few people in your area my guess is you will get a better idea of price instead of asking people all around the country or maybee im just crazy

She's new at this, and maybe she just wants to get a rough idea to know if she's being ripped off or not. Lots of people will take advantage of you if you don't know what questions to ask and what is an average or reasonable price on good and services.