How long does riser installation take?

Usually a few hours, often done during a pumping visit.

Can risers be installed on any tank?

Most concrete and plastic tanks can accept risers. Your septic company will check the openings and choose matching parts.

Can I mow over a septic riser?

Most lids sit at grade so you can mow around them easily. Avoid driving heavy equipment over them unless they are traffic rated.

Do I need a permit to add risers?

Usually not, but some areas have rules. Check with the Marathon County health department or ask your septic company.

Septic Tank Risers for Wausau Homes

If your septic company has to dig up the lid every time they visit, a riser can pay for itself. Risers extend the tank openings to the surface and are capped with lids that lock.

Request a call and a company working in Wausau will explain the options and install risers on your tank.

How risers and lids work

The riser bonds or bolts to the tank opening and is sealed to keep groundwater and soil out. It is cut to reach just at or above grade. The lid sits on top so the tank can be opened by hand without a shovel. Some lids are insulated for cold weather.

Benefits of adding risers

Risers cut the time and cost of every pumping and inspection, since no digging is needed. They make it easy to check the effluent filter, spot problems early and show inspectors the tank during a home sale. They also protect your lawn from repeated digging.

Installing risers on an existing tank

Nearly any concrete or plastic tank can accept risers. The installer matches the riser to the opening size and material, seals it to keep water out, and secures the lid. Lids should always be fastened so children and pets cannot open them.

Riser safety

Septic tanks contain gases and deep liquid, so lids must stay secured. Use lids with screws or locks, replace cracked lids promptly and never leave an opening uncovered. Keep vehicles off riser lids unless they are rated for traffic.

What a riser job costs depends on

The price depends on how many openings get risers, how deep the tank is buried, whether plastic or concrete is used, and whether the job is done during a pumping visit. Deeper tanks need taller risers and more digging, which adds labor time.

What to ask about riser installation

Ask how many openings your tank has and which ones should get risers, what material they install, how the risers are sealed to the tank, and how the lids are secured. Ask whether combining the job with pumping lowers the total cost.

Choosing risers and lids for a Wausau tank

Risers come in plastic and concrete. Plastic risers are light, easy to cut to height and resist corrosion, which makes them the most common choice for existing tanks. Concrete risers are heavy and durable and are sometimes used on concrete tanks or where traffic is a concern. Lids should be secured with screws or a lock, and insulated lids are available for colder areas.

Living with risers

With risers in place, future pumping and inspections are faster and cleaner. Keep the lids visible, do not cover them with mulch or landscaping, and check every so often that the screws are tight and the lids are not cracked.

Is your tank a good candidate

Most tanks can take risers, but the value depends on how deep the lids are and how often the tank is opened. Ask your Wausau septic company how deep your lids sit, how much digging costs on each visit, and whether an effluent filter is installed. Those answers usually make the decision easy.

Risers and routine service in Wausau

Once risers are in, a Wausau septic company can open the tank in minutes. That makes it easier to keep a regular pumping schedule and to check the baffles and filter each time. Some homeowners add a riser over the outlet filter too, so it can be cleaned between pumpings.

Risers and lids for Wausau weather

Where soils are rated very limited, as most mapped soils near Wausau are, frequent checks of the tank and filter help protect the drain field. Risers make those checks quick. Wausau averages about 34 inches of precipitation a year, so ask for sealed joints that keep rain and groundwater out. With about 5 months below freezing, an insulated lid can help protect the tank opening in winter.

Local conditions in Wausau that affect septic riser and lid installation

Among the mapped soils within about two miles of central Wausau, the USDA soil survey rates 89% as very limited for septic absorption fields, 11% 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.

Wausau averages about 34 inches of precipitation a year, and June is usually the wettest month. Average temperatures stay below freezing for about 5 months a year, with January averaging 12°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 Wausau means for septic riser and lid installation

By drainage class, the USDA soil survey maps the land around Wausau as 36% well drained, 23% somewhat poorly drained, 15% moderately well drained, 9% excessively drained, 8% poorly drained, 6% somewhat excessively drained, 3% very poorly drained. Risers bring the tank lids to the surface, which makes regular pumping and inspection quicker and cleaner.

Source: USDA NRCS Soil Survey (SSURGO), Soil Data Access

Septic companies near Wausau

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

Modern Sewer Inc, Wausau, WI, 1.3 mi
Stanke Septic, Wausau, WI, 4.6 mi
Schmidt's Septic Service LLC, Merrill, WI, 17.2 mi
Country Pumpers, Mosinee, WI, 18.6 mi
Kautza Septic, Aniwa, WI, 20.1 mi
Zabler Septic Service LLC, Stratford, WI, 21.7 mi

Septic Riser and Lid Installation in nearby towns

We also cover septic riser and lid installation in these towns near Wausau:

Schofield, 3.6 mi
Rothschild, 6.2 mi
Weston, 6.8 mi
Maine, 6.9 mi
Marathon City, 10.1 mi
Kronenwetter, 10.2 mi

About Wausau, WI

Wausau is in Marathon County, Wisconsin. About 39,968 people live there, across 19.2 square miles of land (about 2,079 per square mile).

Septic Riser and Lid Installation questions in Wausau

How long does riser installation take?: Usually a few hours, often done during a pumping visit.
Can risers be installed on any tank?: Most concrete and plastic tanks can accept risers. Your septic company will check the openings and choose matching parts.
Can I mow over a septic riser?: Most lids sit at grade so you can mow around them easily. Avoid driving heavy equipment over them unless they are traffic rated.
Do I need a permit to add risers?: Usually not, but some areas have rules. Check with the Marathon County health department or ask your septic company.