Septic systems in Boulder County and the surrounding county regions require detail-oriented septic engineering plans. If you intend to install, upgrade, or modify your septic system, we would like to provide you with rapid access to booking these technical engineering services.
Book Septic Test Pits & Engineering
Test Pits = starting at $550 *Required*
Engineering = starting at $1,995 *Required*
Why You Need Septic Engineering
Your county requires that you secure engineering plans in order to successfully file a permit to upgrade, install, or modify your septic system. Therefore, you are legally required to procure engineering plans in order to comply with state regulations governing waste water treatment systems. The engineers we work with are highly skilled with decades of experience designing waste water treatment systems. You will need septic engineering plans in order to begin the process of securing a bid and starting work on your septic project.
Why You Need Test Pits for Engineering
Test pits are required in order for your septic engineers to properly review soil conditions to determine the location of your septic tank and leach fields. This information is required in order to secure an accurate bid from your excavation service provider. Those who provide you with “estimates” or “bids” prior to reviewing engineering plans are subject to change their estimated costs once the engineering plans are provided. Test pits reveal whether your terrain contains rock, the location of the water table, and stability of soil and other elements which are required information for your necessary engineering plans. You will need septic engineering test pits in order to provide your engineers with critical information that impacts the design of your state-mandated engineering plans.
What Do Septic Engineering Plans Achieve?
Through securing septic engineering plans in Boulder, Colorado and surrounding counties, the county in which you reside will provide you with approval of your septic installation project, so long as the plans are completed by a team who knows how to ensure that your property and septic design meets the county's code requirements. You will need engineering plans in order to ensure that you are able to complete your county-approved septic project.
How Long Does Septic Engineering Take?
Septic engineering plans in Boulder, Colorado and surrounding areas are typically produced within 14 to 21 days of paying for the engineer's services. These engineering services include a site visit, soil review, design of septic system, selection of appropriate tank size and leach field dimensions. This is a highly technical process which requires a professionally trained and licensed engineer to complete your engineering plans in preparation for submission to your county for permitting. Engineering plans also enable septic installation professionals to properly bid your project regarding time and materials.
What type of Septic System will I need?
In order for your septic engineer to determine what type of system you will need to install on your property, your septic engineer in Boulder, Colorado and the surrounding counties require some familiarity with the local soil types. When starting the process of any type of septic engineering or excavation project, it is important to loosely identify the type of soil you are working with in your soil bed. Types of soil, according to OSHA, are broken down into four categories: stable rock, type A soil, type B soil, or type C soil. Please note that in many areas, it is legally necessary to employ the services of a competent professional such as a surveyor or septic engineer to identify what type of soil you are working with in order for your county to approve your project.
Septic engineers in Boulder, CO recognize that the "rock" soil type is classified as any natural, solid, mineral matter that can be excavated with vertical sides and remain intact while exposed. This includes large mineral deposits, large stones, boulders, shelves, and various types of fossil, petrified wood, or artifacts composed of solid matter, such as ancient foundations and old buildings. This type of soil is separate from the rest of the categories, given that it cannot be moved or manipulated in the same way as other types of soil. Typically, much more exhaustive techniques need to be employed when moving this large and solid soil type, presenting a difficult project that may even warrant the use of explosives.
Septic engineers in the Boulder County and surrounding areas recognize that Type A cohesive soils are defined as having an unconfined compressive strength of 1.5 tons per square foot (tsf) (144 kPa) or greater. Septic engineers in Boulder may explain to you that examples of this hardy and robust soil may include clay, silty clay, sandy clay and clay loam. Furthermore, OSHA defines certain conditions as that which preclude soil from being classified as Type A. For example, septic engineers will recognize that no soil is type A if it is fissured or has been previously disturbed. For an exhaustive overview of these principles, see the OSHA handbook for soil classification on Google. These types of soils are typically very robust and difficult to dig through, especially if they have been exposed to moisture and allowed to harden. That being said, they do not possess the consistency of rock and are still able to be manipulated with traditional excavation implements. To determine the type of soil on your property, you will need test pits and a septic engineer to review your property and advise on the appropriate septic engineering design plan.
Septic engineers in Boulder County also recognize that "Type B" soil is still defined as cohesive soil, which possesses an unconfined compressive strength greater than 0.5 tsf (48 kPa) but less than 1.5 tsf (144 kPa). An addition to this category is what is called granular cohesionless soils. Your septic engineers may explain that this includes angular gravel, crushed rock, silt, silt loam, sandy loam and, in some cases, silty clay loam and sandy clay loam. See the OSHA handbook for soil classifications for in-depth analysis. Your septic engineers will recognize this soil type and explain that this is much easier to move, as opposed to the clay like materials of type A. It is much more malleable than type A as well, but also possesses much more cohesion and density than type C, which is loose and less cohesive.
Septic engineers in Boulder County will also explain that "Type C" soil is defined as having an unconfined compressive strength of 0.5 tsf (48 kPa) or less. This is by far the loosest of the categories and includes granular soils such as gravel, sand and loamy sand. An interesting addition to this category is submerged soil, or soil from which water is freely seeping. It also includes submerged rock that is not stable, or material in a sloped, layered system where the layers dip into the excavation or with a slope of four horizontal to one vertical (4H:1V) or steeper. These additions notwithstanding, this type of soil is typically associated with the very loose material that is both very easily moved, but also lacks cohesion, or ability to stay together in a mass. This can make this type of soil very easy to move for your septic installation excavator, but problematic for keeping it in one place.
As previously mentioned, it is typically necessary to defer to a professional surveyor or septic engineer when classifying this soil, and they may require test pits in order to verify the type of soil on your property. Being able to identify this soil as a property owner can be very helpful if you are planning a large excavation project on your personal property.