Septic System Installation in Fort Collins, CO
Whether you are building a new home in Fort Collins or replacing a system that has reached the end of its life, septic installation is a project that starts with the soil. The right system depends on your lot, your soil and the size of your household.
Request a call and a local septic company that installs systems in Fort Collins and Timnath, Loveland, Windsor will explain the process from site evaluation to final inspection.
From soil test to final inspection
A soil evaluation decides almost everything else. It tells the designer what type of system and how large a field the lot needs. Once plans are approved, installation itself often takes a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the system and the site.
Conventional and alternative systems
A conventional system is the simplest and usually the least expensive to maintain. Alternative systems add pumps, controls or treatment steps so they can work in difficult soil. Around Fort Collins, the soil on your specific lot is what decides which category you fall into.
Working with local regulators
Septic rules exist to protect groundwater and neighbors' wells. Before installation, plans are reviewed for setbacks from wells, property lines and water. Inspectors typically check the work before it is covered. Ask your installer what approvals are needed in Fort Collins and how long review usually takes.
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.
Getting the most from your new system
Good habits protect your investment: spread out laundry, fix leaks promptly, avoid flushing wipes and grease, and pump on schedule. If your system has an alarm, learn what it means and who to call.
Questions for a septic installer
Ask who will do the soil test and design, whether they pull the permit, and which system types they recommend for your lot and why. Ask how long the project will take, what warranty they give, and whether the quote includes restoring the yard. Ask for references from recent jobs near Fort Collins.
How long a new system takes near Fort Collins
Soil testing, design and permit review usually take longer than construction. In Larimer County, wet seasons and frozen ground can delay soil evaluations, and review times vary through the year. Once the permit is in hand, most installations take a few days to a couple of weeks.
What to avoid on a new system near Fort Collins
Avoid choosing an installer on price alone, starting before the permit is approved, or placing the field in a low spot that stays wet. Think about future plans for the yard, since a pool, addition or outbuilding cannot go over the field later.
Planning a new system near Fort Collins
A new septic system near Fort Collins starts with a site visit and a soil evaluation. Those results decide the system type, the tank size and where the drain field can go. Larimer County reviews the design before work begins and inspects it before it is covered. Planning early keeps the project from holding up a closing or a build.
What Fort Collins's soil means for a new system
Soils around Fort Collins range from good to very limited, so the system type depends on the results of the soil test on your lot. Fort Collins gets about 18 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 Fort Collins that affect septic installation
Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Fort Collins, the USDA soil survey rates 56% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 42% as somewhat limited and 2% as not limited. The most common drainage class is well drained. Conditions vary from lot to lot here, so a site evaluation is the only way to know how well a particular yard will handle a drain field.
Fort Collins averages about 18 inches of precipitation a year, and May is usually the wettest month. Average temperatures stay below freezing for about 3 months a year, with December averaging 29°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 Fort Collins means for septic installation
By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Fort Collins as 85% well drained, 8% somewhat poorly drained, 5% poorly drained, 3% very 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 Fort Collins
These are the septic companies in our directory closest to Fort Collins, with straight-line distance. Call any of them directly, or send one request and we will pass it to the best match.
- B & J Septic Service, Loveland, CO, 10.6 mi
- Urgent Services LLC, Greeley, CO, 16.3 mi
- Trans-Colorado Excavation LLC, Greeley, CO, 18.9 mi
- Sullivan Septic, Mead, CO, 21.5 mi
- Front Range Grease Removal Inc, Fort Lupton, CO, 35.5 mi
- Gapter Septic Systems & Excavating, Erie, CO, 37.3 mi
Septic Installation in nearby towns
We also cover septic installation in these towns near Fort Collins:
About Fort Collins, CO
Fort Collins is in Larimer County, Colorado. About 170,376 people live there, across 57.2 square miles of land (about 2,977 per square mile).
Septic Installation questions in Fort Collins
- Can I install a septic system myself?
- Most areas require licensed designers or installers and inspections. Check with the Larimer County health department before planning any work yourself.
- How big does my septic tank need to be?
- Tank size is usually based on the number of bedrooms and local code. Your designer will size the tank and field for your home.
- Do I need a soil test for a new septic system?
- Yes, in nearly all cases. The soil evaluation decides what type of system and how large a field your lot can support.
- Is SepticTank.com the installer?
- No. SepticTank.com connects you with an independent local septic company that serves Fort Collins. That company designs, installs and prices the system.