Can I install a septic system myself?

Most areas require licensed designers or installers and inspections. Check with the Arapahoe County health department before planning any work yourself.

What is a mound system?

A mound system raises the drain field above the natural soil using sand and fill. It is used where the soil is too shallow, too wet or too slow draining for a conventional field.

Can a replacement system go in the same place?

Sometimes. It depends on the condition of the soil in the old field and local rules. Many replacements use a new area of the yard.

Who approves septic installations in Centennial?

Septic permits are usually handled at the county or state level. Contact the Arapahoe County health department to confirm the requirements for your property.

New Septic Systems for Centennial Properties

Replacing a failed system or installing one for a new build in Centennial involves more than digging a hole for a tank. Soil testing, system design, permits and inspections all shape the final result.

A local installer can tell you which system types are likely to work on your lot and what the process looks like.

How septic installation works

Most projects follow the same steps. First comes a site evaluation and soil test, then a system design sized for the home and a permit application. After that the tank and drain field are installed, followed by a final inspection before the system is covered. Your installer coordinates much of this, but timelines depend on local review and weather.

Choosing a system for your lot

Your lot decides more than your budget does. Good, deep soil allows a conventional tank and field. Tight lots, high water tables and clay often call for an engineered option such as a mound, pressure dosed field or aerobic unit. A designer explains which systems are allowed on your property.

Approvals you will need

Plan on a permit for any new or replacement system. Regulators typically want a site evaluation, a design that meets local code and an inspection before the system is covered. Your installer or designer often handles the paperwork, but the permit is tied to your property, so keep copies.

Why installation prices vary

Installation price depends on the system type the soil allows, the size of the house, the distance from the house to the field, how easy the site is to reach with equipment, and design and permit fees. Engineered systems such as mounds and aerobic units cost more to build and maintain.

After installation

Ask your installer for records, maintenance instructions and warranty details. Mark the tank and field location so they are not damaged by future projects. Some systems require a service contract, so confirm what applies to yours.

Choosing an installation company

Look for experience with the soils and systems common around Centennial and Greenwood Village, Lone Tree, Cherry Hills Village, clear written quotes and a plan for permits and inspections. A good installer explains tradeoffs between system types rather than pushing one option.

Getting ready for installation day

Clear access for equipment, mark wells, underground utilities and sprinkler lines, and plan where soil and materials will be staged. Your Centennial installer will call in utility locates before digging. Expect some disturbance to the yard, which is regraded and seeded or restored as part of the job.

Mistakes to avoid on a Centennial installation

The most expensive mistakes happen before the digging starts. Skipping the soil evaluation, choosing a system on price alone, or placing the drain field where future driveways, pools or additions will go all lead to trouble later. Undersizing the tank for the number of bedrooms is another common one. Ask your Centennial installer to walk you through the site plan and explain why each part sits where it does.

Building a system near Centennial

Homes around Centennial that are not on public sewer need a septic system sized to the house and the soil. The site evaluation shapes everything that follows, from the tank size to where the field goes. Plan the layout before other outdoor projects so nothing ends up on top of the field.

What Centennial's soil means for a new system

The USDA soil survey rates most mapped soils near Centennial as very limited for septic absorption fields. New systems here often need a mound, pressure distribution or another engineered design, which your soil test will confirm. Centennial gets about 17 inches of precipitation a year, so water table limits are less common, though your soil test still decides the design. About 3 months below freezing mean pipes and components must sit deep enough or be insulated, and installation is usually easiest outside winter.

Local conditions in Centennial that affect septic installation

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Centennial, the USDA soil survey rates 75% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 23% as somewhat limited and 2% as not limited. The most common drainage class is well drained. Soils like these often call for careful system design, such as a larger drain field, a mound or another engineered system, and a site evaluation before any new installation or replacement.

Centennial averages about 17 inches of precipitation a year, and July is usually the wettest month. Average temperatures stay below freezing for about 3 months a year, with December averaging 28°F, so tank lids and shallow lines benefit from a layer of snow or mulch rather than being cleared bare.

Sources: USDA NRCS Soil Survey (SSURGO), Soil Data Access; NASA POWER long-term climatology. Soil ratings describe mapped soil types near the city center and do not replace a site evaluation of your property.

What the soil around Centennial means for septic installation

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Centennial as 89% well drained, 4% somewhat excessively drained, 3% excessively drained, 3% moderately well drained, 1% somewhat poorly drained. Most of the soil here drains reasonably well, so a conventional trench field is often possible where the lot allows, but the soil test still decides.

Source: USDA NRCS Soil Survey (SSURGO), Soil Data Access

Septic companies near Centennial

These are the septic companies in our directory closest to Centennial, with straight-line distance. Call any of them directly, or send one request and we will pass it to the best match.

TBC Septic, Parker, CO, 12.2 mi
Douglas County Septic, Littleton, CO, 12.3 mi
Plastics Inc, Commerce City, CO, 15.1 mi
Colorado Pumping, Golden, CO, 20.2 mi
All Service Septic, Arvada, CO, 24.7 mi
Cinch Construction LLC, Bennett, CO, 25.9 mi

Septic Installation in nearby towns

We also cover septic installation in these towns near Centennial:

Greenwood Village, 3.1 mi
Lone Tree, 4.2 mi
Cherry Hills Village, 5.5 mi
Parker, 7.5 mi
Englewood, 8 mi
Littleton, 8.3 mi

About Centennial, CO

Centennial is in Arapahoe County, Colorado. About 106,883 people live there, across 30.2 square miles of land (about 3,544 per square mile).

Septic Installation questions in Centennial

Can I install a septic system myself?: Most areas require licensed designers or installers and inspections. Check with the Arapahoe County health department before planning any work yourself.
What is a mound system?: A mound system raises the drain field above the natural soil using sand and fill. It is used where the soil is too shallow, too wet or too slow draining for a conventional field.
Can a replacement system go in the same place?: Sometimes. It depends on the condition of the soil in the old field and local rules. Many replacements use a new area of the yard.
Who approves septic installations in Centennial?: Septic permits are usually handled at the county or state level. Contact the Arapahoe County health department to confirm the requirements for your property.