Can I install a septic system myself?

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

Who approves septic installations in Memphis?

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

New Septic Systems for Memphis Properties

Whether you are building a new home in Memphis 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 Memphis and Germantown, Southaven, Horn Lake 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.

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.

The permit process for a new system

Installing or replacing a septic system almost always needs approval from the Shelby 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.

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.

Protecting your investment

A new system can last decades with basic care. Know where every part is, avoid planting trees near the field, send roof water away from it, and keep grease, wipes and chemicals out of the drains. Schedule the first inspection and pumping so you have a baseline for later visits.

Choosing an installation company

Look for experience with the soils and systems common around Memphis and Germantown, Southaven, Horn Lake, clear written quotes and a plan for permits and inspections. A good installer explains tradeoffs between system types rather than pushing one option.

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 Shelby County health department, and plan for weather, especially if the work falls in winter or a rainy season.

Mistakes to avoid on a Memphis 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 Memphis installer to walk you through the site plan and explain why each part sits where it does.

Building a system near Memphis

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

The USDA soil survey rates most mapped soils near Memphis 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 53 inches of precipitation a year, designers here account for high water tables and runoff when sizing and placing a system.

Local conditions in Memphis that affect septic installation

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Memphis, the USDA soil survey rates 75% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 25% 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.

Memphis averages about 53 inches of precipitation a year, and April is usually the wettest month. January is the coldest month at about 39°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 Memphis means for septic installation

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Memphis as 51% well drained, 26% moderately well drained, 23% somewhat poorly drained. With 23% 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 Memphis

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

BST, Memphis, TN, 6.2 mi
Protank Limited, Olive Branch, MS, 11.2 mi
Holmes Services, Memphis, TN, 11.2 mi
Midsouth Septic Service, Arlington, TN, 20.0 mi
Marshall Septic Service, Hernando, MS, 23.2 mi
Nichols Septic Tank Co, Byhalia, MS, 26.4 mi

Septic Installation in nearby towns

We also cover septic installation in these towns near Memphis:

Germantown, 10.6 mi
Southaven, 10.9 mi
Horn Lake, 11.8 mi
Bartlett, 12 mi
Olive Branch, 12.8 mi
West Memphis, 13.4 mi

About Memphis, TN

Memphis is in Shelby County, Tennessee. About 618,639 people live there, across 296.2 square miles of land (about 2,089 per square mile).

Septic Installation questions in Memphis

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