Can I install a septic system myself?

Most areas require licensed designers or installers and inspections. Check with the Terrebonne Parish 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.

Is SepticTank.com the installer?

No. SepticTank.com connects you with an independent local septic company that serves Houma. That company designs, installs and prices the system.

New Septic Systems for Houma Properties

Whether you are building a new home in Houma 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 Houma and Lockport, Thibodaux will explain the process from site evaluation to final inspection.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Planning a timeline in Houma

A realistic plan starts with the soil evaluation and design, then the permit review, then installation and inspection. Soil testing can depend on weather, and review times vary by county. Building the septic schedule into a home build or replacement plan early helps avoid delays, especially when the old system has already failed.

Questions that prevent problems later

Before work begins in Houma, ask where the tank and field will sit relative to your well, your neighbors and any planned projects. Ask how deep the components will be, how the yard will be restored and what records you will receive when the job is done. Clear answers now save digging up the yard later to find out.

Planning a new system near Houma

A new septic system near Houma 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. Terrebonne Parish 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 Houma's soil means for a new system

The USDA soil survey rates most mapped soils near Houma 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. With about 57 inches of precipitation a year, designers here account for high water tables and runoff when sizing and placing a system.

Local conditions in Houma that affect septic installation

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Houma, 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 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.

Houma averages about 57 inches of precipitation a year, and August is usually the wettest month. January is the coldest month at about 54°F on average, so freezing is rarely the main concern here. Heavy rain and saturated ground are the bigger factors for drain fields.

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 Houma means for septic installation

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Houma as 51% poorly drained, 27% somewhat poorly drained, 21% very poorly drained. With 99% 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 Houma

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

RCS Tank Cleaning Solutions, Houma, LA, 2.9 mi
A1 Vacuum Service, Houma, LA, 5.2 mi
Central Lafourche Septic Tank, Lockport, LA, 10.8 mi
Joe's Septic Contractors Inc, Cut Off, LA, 22.7 mi
Rousse Plumbing LLC, Galliano, LA, 26.5 mi
SZS Consultants Inc, Metairie, LA, 43.1 mi

Septic Installation in nearby towns

We also cover septic installation in these towns near Houma:

Lockport, 11.5 mi
Thibodaux, 16.2 mi

About Houma, LA

Houma is in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. About 31,733 people live there, across 14.5 square miles of land (about 2,193 per square mile).

Septic Installation questions in Houma

Can I install a septic system myself?: Most areas require licensed designers or installers and inspections. Check with the Terrebonne Parish 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.
Is SepticTank.com the installer?: No. SepticTank.com connects you with an independent local septic company that serves Houma. That company designs, installs and prices the system.