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I'm under contract for a ~50 acre lot. My buyer's agent who is used to much smaller lots put a successful perc test as a contingency but I am thinking of waiving that. Makes sense or no?
I am leaning towards waiving for the following reasons: 1. Still knee deep snow on the ground. Giving my cheap snowshoes a workout. 2. It is doubtful it is even locally legal to do it in the winter. 3. Other houses up and down the street and behind the property with almost identical soil survey results--https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/...oilSurvey.aspx 4. Multiple potential build sites and I haven't decided on where. The test pits should theoretically be under the leach field location. Hard to do that if I don't know where I want the house. 5. In the unlikely event I can't find a place that can pass the perc test in the entire lot, there are alternate septic designs that I can throw money at. 99. I don't feel like dealing with it now.
So, given the fact that I don't know where I want a house, there are other not ancient houses with similar soil nearby, there are alternate building sites and/or septic system possibilities, does it make sense to waive the perc test contingency?
If you are good with the real possibility of having to install some sort of alternative, more expensive waste containment/processing system......I would go for it.
Maybe get a fairly accurate price-estimate on the alternative system.
Depending on your specific geographic location, an alternative septic system would not be a deal breaker. If your percolation was really horrible due to dense clay or a high water table, your expense would entail having to purchase and truck in select material to be used in your field area and usually an expansion area, as required by the local health department.
It’s definitely an additional expense, however there are ways around dealing with problematic soil conditions.
Since there are other houses nearby, you would be able to determine the local soil conditions as well as the average depth and water recovery rates for drilled wells in that area. The local board of health department as well as local well drillers and septic system engineers would be able to provide you with accurate information as to what you will encounter with your septic and domestic water system in that area.
The mere fact that the present owner doesn’t/hasn’t have/had a prec test done already raises a red flag for me. Don’t care where it is- I’d just keep looking.
If you are good with the real possibility of having to install some sort of alternative, more expensive waste containment/processing system......I would go for it.
Maybe get a fairly accurate price-estimate on the alternative system.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rickcin
Depending on your specific geographic location, an alternative septic system would not be a deal breaker. If your percolation was really horrible due to dense clay or a high water table, your expense would entail having to purchase and truck in select material to be used in your field area and usually an expansion area, as required by the local health department.
It’s definitely an additional expense, however there are ways around dealing with problematic soil conditions.
Since there are other houses nearby, you would be able to determine the local soil conditions as well as the average depth and water recovery rates for drilled wells in that area. The local board of health department as well as local well drillers and septic system engineers would be able to provide you with accurate information as to what you will encounter with your septic and domestic water system in that area.
All. Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty sure I won't have a problem as most installers around there are used to being creative, but I know if I fall back to an alternate system it will add significant cost. It's only money.
Rickcin, yep, I've been double checking with water well records as well. While the records are spotty, it gives me a decent idea of average depth to bedrock, water table, total depth of wells, and a hugely varied GPM rate.
Never buy land that you plan on building a residence on without making passing a perk test a contingency of the purchase. ( unless there is sewer to the property line)
Built my home in sw CO in 1980 and they wanted me to pay for a perc. test and I told them to stuff it as I knew it would fail.Just put in a tank and lagoon like everybody else no problem if you have land to spare.When in Rome as they say.
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