Can I install a septic system myself?

Most areas require licensed designers or installers and inspections. Check with the San Juan 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.

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 Farmington. That company designs, installs and prices the system.

Septic System Installation in Farmington, NM

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

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.

Choosing a system for your lot

Your lot decides more than your budget does. Good, deep soil allows a conventional tank and field. Tight lots, high water tables and clay often call for an engineered option such as a mound, pressure dosed field or aerobic unit. A designer explains which systems are allowed on your property.

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

Soil and site conditions drive most of the difference. A flat lot with deep, well-drained soil is simpler than a sloped lot with clay or high groundwater. Access for equipment and the distance from the house also matter.

Caring for a new septic system

Keep a copy of the design and as-built drawing, schedule your first pumping as recommended, and keep vehicles and structures off the tank and field. Plant only grass over the dispersal area and direct roof and yard runoff away from it. Systems with pumps or treatment units need regular service to stay under warranty.

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.

Getting ready for installation day

Clear access for equipment, mark wells, underground utilities and sprinkler lines, and plan where soil and materials will be staged. Your Farmington installer will call in utility locates before digging. Expect some disturbance to the yard, which is regraded and seeded or restored as part of the job.

Mistakes to avoid on a Farmington installation

The most expensive mistakes happen before the digging starts. Skipping the soil evaluation, choosing a system on price alone, or placing the drain field where future driveways, pools or additions will go all lead to trouble later. Undersizing the tank for the number of bedrooms is another common one. Ask your Farmington installer to walk you through the site plan and explain why each part sits where it does.

New septic systems in San Juan County

New and replacement systems in San Juan County go through the San Juan County health department, which reviews designs and inspects the work. Soil conditions change from one part of the county to another, so a design that suits a lot in Farmington may differ from one in Bloomfield, Aztec. A local installer knows those differences.

What Farmington's soil means for a new system

Soils around Farmington range from good to very limited, so the system type depends on the results of the soil test on your lot. Farmington gets about 14 inches of precipitation a year, so water table limits are less common, though your soil test still decides the design. 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 Farmington that affect septic installation

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Farmington, the USDA soil survey rates 54% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 30% as somewhat limited and 16% 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.

Farmington averages about 14 inches of precipitation a year, and September is usually the wettest month. Average temperatures stay below freezing for about 2 months a year, with January 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 Farmington means for septic installation

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Farmington as 69% well drained, 12% somewhat excessively drained, 12% poorly drained, 5% somewhat poorly drained, 2% excessively 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 Farmington

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

Abc Concrete, Farmington, NM, 3.1 mi
Allen Septic Tank Service, Farmington, NM, 6.1 mi
D J's Backhoe Service, Fruitland, NM, 11.4 mi
3-D Septic & Pumping LLC, Bloomfield, NM, 12.3 mi
Serrano's Portable Toilets, Bloomfield, NM, 14.0 mi
All Good Septic Toilet Service, Bloomfield, NM, 14.0 mi

Septic Installation in nearby towns

We also cover septic installation in these towns near Farmington:

Bloomfield, 11.5 mi
Aztec, 12.4 mi

About Farmington, NM

Farmington is in San Juan County, New Mexico. About 46,237 people live there, across 34.5 square miles of land (about 1,342 per square mile).

Septic Installation questions in Farmington

Can I install a septic system myself?: Most areas require licensed designers or installers and inspections. Check with the San Juan 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.
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 Farmington. That company designs, installs and prices the system.