New Septic Systems for Arlington Heights Properties
Whether you are building a new home in Arlington Heights 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 Arlington Heights and Rolling Meadows, Prospect Heights, Mount Prospect 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.
Types of septic systems
Conventional systems use a tank and a gravity drain field and suit lots with good soil. Where soil is poor, shallow or wet, options include pressure distribution, mound systems, chamber systems, sand filters and aerobic treatment units. Your soil test and local rules decide which types are allowed on your lot.
The permit process for a new system
Installing or replacing a septic system almost always needs approval from the Cook County health department or the state agency that oversees septic systems. The usual steps are a soil evaluation, a stamped design, plan review and one or more inspections during construction. Starting without a permit can mean digging it all up again.
What affects installation cost
The biggest factors are system type, soil conditions, lot access, tank size and local permit requirements. Conventional systems in good soil generally cost the least. Mounds, aerobic units and other engineered systems cost more to build and maintain. Removing an old system and restoring landscaping add to replacement projects.
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.
Questions to ask an installer
Ask who performs the soil evaluation and design, whether they handle permits, what system types they recommend and why, and how long the project will take. Ask about warranty terms and what maintenance the system will need.
Scheduling a septic installation
Start early if you are building or replacing a failing system. Book the soil evaluation first, since everything else depends on it. Ask your installer how long permits are currently taking with the Cook County health department, and plan for weather, especially if the work falls in winter or a rainy season.
What to avoid on a new system near Arlington Heights
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.
Building a system near Arlington Heights
Homes around Arlington Heights 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 Arlington Heights's soil means for a new system
The USDA soil survey rates most mapped soils near Arlington Heights 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. Arlington Heights averages about 39 inches of precipitation a year, which your designer will factor into where the system goes. 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 Arlington Heights that affect septic installation
Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Arlington Heights, the USDA soil survey rates 100% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 0% as somewhat limited and 0% as not limited. The most common drainage class is somewhat poorly 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.
Arlington Heights averages about 39 inches of precipitation a year, and May is usually the wettest month. Average temperatures stay below freezing for about 3 months a year, with January averaging 22°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 Arlington Heights means for septic installation
By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Arlington Heights as 40% somewhat poorly drained, 34% moderately well drained, 17% poorly drained, 8% very poorly drained. With 65% of the soil poorly drained, a new or replacement field here is often larger or raised, and a soil test comes before any design.
Source: USDA NRCS Soil Survey (SSURGO), Soil Data Access
Septic companies near Arlington Heights
These are the septic companies in our directory closest to Arlington Heights, with straight-line distance. Call any of them directly, or send one request and we will pass it to the best match.
- Weidner's Septic Service Inc, Lake Zurich, IL, 7.7 mi
- Folan Sewer & Water Inc, Park Ridge, IL, 10.0 mi
- Tri-County Trenching & Septic, Bensenville, IL, 10.8 mi
- Gerardi Sewer & Water Co, Addison, IL, 13.0 mi
- Les Downer Sanitary Service, Carol Stream, IL, 13.8 mi
- Mayrose Sanitary Service, Melrose Park, IL, 14.8 mi
Septic Installation in nearby towns
We also cover septic installation in these towns near Arlington Heights:
- Rolling Meadows, 2.7 mi
- Prospect Heights, 2.7 mi
- Mount Prospect, 3.2 mi
- Palatine, 3.5 mi
- Wheeling, 3.8 mi
- Buffalo Grove, 4.8 mi
About Arlington Heights, IL
Arlington Heights is in Cook County, Illinois. About 74,495 people live there, across 16.6 square miles of land (about 4,484 per square mile).
Septic Installation questions in Arlington Heights
- How long does septic installation take?
- Installation itself often takes a few days to two weeks. Soil testing, design and permit review can add several weeks, so plan ahead.
- 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.
- 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 Arlington Heights?
- Septic permits are usually handled at the county or state level. Contact the Cook County health department to confirm the requirements for your property.