Big Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow I'm meeting with the County Property Assessor to finalize site selection and septic placement (septic is against my wishes, might I add, but State Law don't give a damn about what I want or what is reasonable).

I have no idea what questions to ask and I'm prepared to walk into the woods with a near stranger like an idiot. But I'd rather not.

What are some considerations, questions, or general concerns that I should bring up?

is that site selection for a house? or just the drainage - I'm guessing it must be for a house!

Not sure your location (codes can vary by jurisdiction), but here are some general things to pay attention to (at least around my parts):

- Sh*t flows downhill, you'll want your house higher than your septic field.
- are there any wetlands in the area? ...you'll likely need to maintain a "buffer" from them.
- does the site have shallow ledge or ground water (or mottling)? ...there are certain seperating distances that the septic field needs to "sit above" in order to properly leach the effluent.
- what type of soil do you have (clay, sand, hardpan)? What is the percolation rate? ...this willl determine the size of your leach field.
- how many bedrooms? ...septics are sized accordingly.
- are there any significant trees or other site features you wish to preserve?
- are there eany easements? ...do you know where your property lines are? Might be a good idea to consult with a Professional Land Surveyor.

I find it odd they are sending out an 'assessor'. Typically the Town Sanitarian or health department reviews these sort of things.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. It's also a good idea to get any answers in writing. Maybe take notes and send them questions by email or letter after the site walk so you have a paper trail.

Wishing you the best of success in your build!

Pete Podurgiel wrote:
I find it odd they are sending out an 'assessor'. Typically the Town Sanitarian or health department reviews these sort of things.

It's a real small county, less than roughly 13,000 total population. There's the dubious conflict of interest since the Assessor also owns a backhoe and septic installation/service company, but let's ignore that part for a moment.

Thanks for the guidance!

Nancy Reading wrote:is that site selection for a house? or just the drainage - I'm guessing it must be for a house!

It's both. Where the septic goes, the house will be near by and vice versa.

what state are you in, logan?

To me a County Property Assessor sounds like someone who appraises property not having anything to do with septic systems.

So this must have something to do with county codes so like other I feel it would be prudent to know what state or country you are in.

All my dealing with putting in a septic systems have been with a company that specializes in that.  They also chose the location for the system and the drain field.

If I were in this situation, I would want to know what kind of system this is.

There are several different kinds of septic systems and usually state or county law determines what kind of system a person can have.

By site selection would that be for the placement of a house or the septic system?

Dear hubby and I have always been the people who selected the site for our house.  Usually the highest elevation of the property.

I hope this has help you with your questions.

Do your research.  I had state fire marshal tell me I had to tear out the interior walls of my business and install 5/8 inch drywall on each side.   Of course, products are seldom recommended by regulation.  What the regulation called for was something like a 1 hour fire rating (this was in the late 80s so my memory is a little fuzzy).   By the time I had done the math,  I needed to put some thin drywall on one side of some walls, nothing was torn out.

I suspect there are a multitude of septic options that are legal that the inspector is not familiar with.  Of course, I would not tick off the inspector.  I would ask for help…and not openly challenge.

greg mosser wrote:what state are you in, logan?

The property is in Decatur Co, TN. Literal spitting distance to the river, when the water's up.

Logan Melton wrote:Tomorrow I'm meeting with the County Property Assessor to finalize site selection and septic placement (septic is against my wishes, might I add, but State Law don't give a damn about what I want or what is reasonable).

I have no idea what questions to ask and I'm prepared to walk into the woods with a near stranger like an idiot. But I'd rather not.

What are some considerations, questions, or general concerns that I should bring up?

Follow Up:
I met with the feller and used to cause a lot of trouble with one of his cousins. Turns out that he was not there in his role as a county assessor, but as the owner of a septic installation and servicing company.

Upside, where the site for the house is has plenty of room to place a septic tank/field lines and will not disturb any of the fox/armadillo/other dens that are around the property.

Downside, I stepped in a fire ant mound and still have to install a septic tank.