New Septic Systems for Reno Properties
Whether you are building a new home in Reno 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 Reno and Sparks 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 Reno, the soil on your specific lot is what decides which category you fall into.
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.
What you are paying for in a new system
A new system quote covers the soil evaluation and design, permits, the tank, pipe and field materials, excavation and backfill, and the final inspection. Ask whether site restoration such as grading and seeding is included, and whether the quote assumes a conventional system or an engineered one.
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.
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 Reno.
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 Washoe County health department, and plan for weather, especially if the work falls in winter or a rainy season.
Questions that prevent problems later
Before work begins in Reno, 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 Reno
A new septic system near Reno 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. Washoe 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 Reno's soil means for a new system
The USDA soil survey rates most mapped soils near Reno 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. Reno averages about 21 inches of precipitation a year, which your designer will factor into where the system goes. About 2 months below freezing mean pipes and components must sit deep enough or be insulated, and installation is usually easiest outside winter.
Local conditions in Reno that affect septic installation
Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Reno, the USDA soil survey rates 96% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 4% 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.
Reno averages about 21 inches of precipitation a year, and December is usually the wettest month. Average temperatures stay below freezing for about 2 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 Reno means for septic installation
By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Reno as 96% well drained, 2% poorly drained, 2% 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 Reno
These are the septic companies in our directory closest to Reno, with straight-line distance. Call any of them directly, or send one request and we will pass it to the best match.
- Bonanza Septic Service, Mound House, NV, 25.4 mi
- Country Auto Sales, Carson City, NV, 26.4 mi
- Bobula's Septic Service, Gardnerville, NV, 45.6 mi
Septic Installation in nearby towns
We also cover septic installation in these towns near Reno:
- Sparks, 7.4 mi
About Reno, NV
Reno is in Washoe County, Nevada. About 274,915 people live there, across 109.0 square miles of land (about 2,522 per square mile).
Septic Installation questions in Reno
- Can I install a septic system myself?
- Most areas require licensed designers or installers and inspections. Check with the Washoe 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 Reno. That company designs, installs and prices the system.