Can I install a septic system myself?

Most areas require licensed designers or installers and inspections. Check with the McHenry 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 Harvard?

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

Septic System Installation in Harvard, IL

Replacing a failed system or installing one for a new build in Harvard 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.

The steps of a new septic installation

Expect five stages: site and soil evaluation, system design, permit approval, construction, and inspection before the trenches are covered. Weather and permit review times affect the schedule more than the digging itself, which often takes only a few days once everything is approved.

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.

Permits and approvals

New and replacement systems almost always need a permit. Expect a soil evaluation, a design that meets local code, plan review and at least one inspection during installation. the McHenry County health department or your state agency sets the requirements, and many installers handle the application for you.

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.

The first years with a new system

Keep the design drawing and the final inspection report somewhere safe. Pump on the schedule your installer recommends, use water steadily rather than all at once, and keep vehicles and new structures off the tank and field. Let grass establish over the field before heavy use of the yard.

Before you sign

Make sure the contract lists the system type, the scope of work, permit responsibilities, the timeline, cleanup and warranty. Ask how weather or unexpected site conditions will be handled.

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 McHenry 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 Harvard

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 Harvard

Homes around Harvard 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 Harvard's soil means for a new system

The USDA soil survey rates most mapped soils near Harvard 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. Harvard averages about 38 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 Harvard that affect septic installation

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Harvard, the USDA soil survey rates 93% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 7% as somewhat limited and 0% 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.

Harvard averages about 38 inches of precipitation a year, and June is usually the wettest month. Average temperatures stay below freezing for about 3 months a year, with January averaging 20°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 Harvard means for septic installation

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Harvard as 42% well drained, 17% poorly drained, 13% somewhat poorly drained, 13% moderately well drained, 8% somewhat excessively drained, 7% very poorly drained, 1% excessively drained. With 37% 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 Harvard

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

Crystal Lake Septic, Woodstock, IL, 9.5 mi
Flitcroft Septic Tank Cleaning, Delavan, WI, 13.0 mi
J & J Sanitary Disposal Service, Delavan, WI, 14.6 mi
Flitcroft Septic Systems Inc, Delavan, WI, 14.9 mi
Ernies Septic Tank Service, Marengo, IL, 15.2 mi
Rechel Septic Systems, Johnsburg, IL, 18.3 mi

Septic Installation in nearby towns

We also cover septic installation in these towns near Harvard:

Capron, 6.4 mi
Walworth, 7.1 mi
Sharon, 7.3 mi
Fontana-on-Geneva Lake, 8.5 mi
Hebron, 9.8 mi
Williams Bay, 11 mi

About Harvard, IL

Harvard is in McHenry County, Illinois. About 9,356 people live there, across 8.4 square miles of land (about 1,117 per square mile).

Septic Installation questions in Harvard

Can I install a septic system myself?: Most areas require licensed designers or installers and inspections. Check with the McHenry 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 Harvard?: Septic permits are usually handled at the county or state level. Contact the McHenry County health department to confirm the requirements for your property.