Ouch! Expensive system AND a LOT of labor. But, you did it. Congratulations on getting that MAJOR system installed and checked off the "critical" list!
Watched the whole thing…really great job and absolutely love your positive attitude facing such a daunting project. You are an inspiration, young man! All the best going forward to you and family.
I'm sure it's already planned out, but has there been any consideration in saving all the excavated stones for masonry projects (walk ways, retaining walls, ect.) later on? If memory serves me correct on the interior computer plans of the actually home, there was a legendary fireplace at the center of the modern farm house - it would be pretty epic to source the large boulders/stones from the local land for the fireplace.
Yep! We will use them to line the ditch on the edge of the driveway, build raised beds, rubble footings/foundations for future outbuildings, outdoor fireplace, etc. We might use them for a future indoor fireplace, but they are kinda ugly fieldstones so not entirely sure yet 😂 There is basically an unlimited quantity, so we're not even worried about burying a bunch of them lol
New subscriber here and yes I watched the whole video. We are in the process of building a sand mound septic system here in Scott County Arkansas and yes we have loads of rocks and clay type soil. We are on a tight budget so this does kinda scare me but I think we can get it done for much cheaper since we wouldn't need as much materials. This does however help me with how your system was placed and I do like how that mound turned out.
Great video! There's not a ton of information on sand mound systems out there so I appreciate the thoroughness. Did the county draw up what the mound should look like for the size of your home? I haven't found many companies that will do sand mound systems if the land we bought doesn't perc.
I appreciate it! Agreed, I tried doing some research ahead of time and there's not a whole lot out there. The screenshots in this video are from our actual plan, which we paid $400 for a designer (a former surveyor and Septic Enforcement Officer) to come out and stake the mound area, and draw up the plans. He did a great job and it was well worth it (and required) to have a thorough plan. In our locality at least, the system has to accept 100 gallons per day, per bedroom. Ours will accept 500 gallons per day (good for a 5bd house). Our land actually perc tested fantastically due to the coarse rock, it was the 'limiting zone' that was too shallow, which drove the need for a raised bed.
The home of the free and the brave. One of the most regulated societies in the world and with a compliant populace. Our wealth leads us to accept taxes and rules that would have triggered peasant revolts in most societies in most times.
Is there easy access to your tank when the time comes to pump it out? That long distance and seemingly large height drop to the tank will make it difficult and expensive to pump out if they have to do it from near the house. Auxiliary pumps might be needed. Sounds like you have great drainage so hopefully that won’t be needed often (or ever!)
We have to do the same thing at our house. We have existing landscaping so I’m freaking out about how much is going to be destroyed. I’ll be lucky to only pay 40-50k.
Review your plans and procure all the materials yourself to save the 20%+ markup that your contractor will charge to do it for you. Offer your time as a laborer for the contractor to move materials, cut pipes, etc.
We are building new house , 1 hr away from Milwaukee. Your price on everything is super cheap in your state. We have storage of skilled labor in Wisconsin. State of Wisconsin we have permits and have restricted plumbing license to do work.
Okay, I can't thank you enough for posting this video of you doing the septic install. I recently purchased undeveloped land in Tobyhanna PA this year. I'm going to build my retirement home for my wife and me to retire to. I had a local Septic company do the PERC and PROB test, and I need to install the exact system on my property. I don't need to have my Mound System that far away so that helps. But the Mound system will be exactly the same and I only need a Dual 1000 gal tank with a 500 gal Dosing tank. I'm going to install the system myself because I have the equipment to do it. Question, I see you're also in PA are you close to my property? If so can you tell me who you purchased all the Mound system Sand and Stone from and what did you pay per ton? Also any other tips for me for installing my own system would be great!
Congrats on the land! One of our best friend's parents are from Tobyhanna. We're not close, we're just north of Maryland on the MD/PA (Mason Dixon) line. Both #57 stone and sand were $450/load, I think that works out to around $23/ton delivered. It came from a local quarry, nothing special. The sand is basically one step higher than fill screenings, so basically a waste product from the quarry. They can charge so much for it because the DEP put their label on it for people to use in septic systems. So just call up your local quarry and confirm they have "DEP sand". Start with a professionally written plan, study the heck out of it, make your full material list, and start procuring. That's honestly 2/3 of the work.. the rest is just playing in the dirt 😄
@@MasonDixonAcres Thanks so much for replying back to me so fast. I think I finally found a good quarry near me that can supply me with the material needed to build the mound. But its good to know what you paid per ton so I can compare. Good luck with your new home as well. You both are doing such a great job! Please keep the videos coming. I know its not easy to do but I would love to see more as you go. BTW, I might contact you again when I build my house for advice if that's okay. Happy building your dream home!!! and THANK YOU!!!!!!!
@@MasonDixonAcres One last question, Promise. Can you tell me at what phases of the installation did the inspector need to come out? ( Just to give me an general idea, I will also confirm with my local township) 1. I would think he would need to come out to inspect the ground at the location for the Mound system to ensure that it was turned by the track hoe properly before you started to dump the DEP sand. 2. Did he need to come out to check the tanks before you backfilled them? 3. Did he need to inspect the mound system pipes on top to make sure the pvc pipes were installed correctly? Also, I think at this stage, they would also want to see the pump run to see if the pipes on the mound are getting the proper pressure, correct? Also, he would, at this point, inspect the Dosing tank Pump, floats, overflow alarm and wiring? 4. Other?
Great video! Holy cow, the distance between your house and primary tank was loooong, and your ground was VERY rocky! Congrats! How has the system performed since installation?
Great video! I am about to undertake the same project in a few weeks and I am planning to go for it and doing it myself. It will save me anywhere between $20K to $30K based on the estimates i got.
@@MasonDixonAcres Ironically today is the first day after time was changed :). I am doing the plumbing today. I had a "rocky" excavating experience :), but tanks are in and moving along pretty good.
Yikes! The #1 way to extend the system is to put less water into it.. drain your grey water separately into the yard or storage tanks depending where you live
The bacterial slime coats everything and stops drainage in conventional systems. If you put a filter on the outlet pipe, and aerate the primary and secondary tanks for a few hours at night on a timer when the system isn’t being used this should generate more aerobic bacteria that will breakdown down this biofilm
Did you say 200 to 250 feet of pipe before you even GET to any tanks and then another 60 feet for the sand mound! Wow! That’s a lot of feet! What about running into trees?
A very heavy truck will come to clean the sludge out of that tank every year. Don't place it to far from the driveway or build a stone road back to the tank and let grass grow through it. Plan for pumping.
Next time, seperate your rock when you are digging. 2 seperate piles. Easier to tackle. Will cost you 10% more time initially but you will walk away with some clean dirt and rocks you can use for things like lining roads etc.
@Mason Dixon Acres as a general contractor, I know, but it is a much easier necessary step. It is one of those things you learn over time that is always valuable.
Unnecessary $$ and ridiculous $$ regulations in PA to require all this for a septic system, which has an adequate drop in elevation from the house. Especially in a rural area where the ground and soil will perk. Government gone wild. $$$
word of caution make sure you cut and DE root all trees within 35 to 40 feet why you ask root s they will travel long distance to get water and what so ever never plant a weeping willow tree it will kill your system within 3 years and you cant kill the roots they will keep growing take care stay safe
Thank you! We thought the same, and there is one oak tree stump leftover from logging sort of embedded in the bottom side of the berm. The regulations actually require to cut it close to the ground and leave it there to keep the root system intact. The idea is not to disturb the micro organisms that help filter the effluent
So I have a question for yall or anyone on here who would know...so we're going through something sort of similar...we are trying to buy a piece of land, well it failed the perc test, they said it needs a fill and wait and then it will require two tanks and we have to wait a year...so the seller at the mobile home company says we should just look for another piece of land because there might be trouble with appraisal because of the high cost of this type of septic, the cost of the land...all that...can you tell me if that's true...I don't understand what the septic tank, being new, would have to do with affecting the appraisal? Does anybody know anything about this?
Maybe they are indicating that the total investment cost to prepare the land and septic is so high that your money is better spent finding a different lot with higher quality drainage that doesn’t require so much preparation.
@@MasonDixonAcres not sure of they are allowed....but the current mound is apparently only half the size of what is needed. Needless to say , cuts will end made. Audible...gone. Restaurants gone..summer vacation...gone....lol!
I appreciate the very detailed information. You did great! We'd like to collab with you, and we'd love you to check your email/inbox for more info. Thank you!🙂
I will never need this system, let alone build one. Yet I watched the whole thing. Very interesting. Great job!
Haha awesome!! It was a cool experience!
I wouldn't have thought of the water bottle form for the silicone. Congrats on the septic system!
Me either, certainly not "NEC approved" but I guess that's what real world experience looks like!
Appreciate all the detail and showing the good and bad!
Yes friends. We commend you. Totally giving this a try in the spring.
With the right equipment it's certainly not rocket science! You got this 💪
Ouch! Expensive system AND a LOT of labor. But, you did it. Congratulations on getting that MAJOR system installed and checked off the "critical" list!
Haha definitely, Glad to have it in!
Watched the whole thing…really great job and absolutely love your positive attitude facing such a daunting project. You are an inspiration, young man! All the best going forward to you and family.
Thanks so much for the kind words!! Definitely a big project, glad to have it in the books. Many more to come in the build process 😆
Great video and so much good information!
Thanks so much!!
I'm sure it's already planned out, but has there been any consideration in saving all the excavated stones for masonry projects (walk ways, retaining walls, ect.) later on? If memory serves me correct on the interior computer plans of the actually home, there was a legendary fireplace at the center of the modern farm house - it would be pretty epic to source the large boulders/stones from the local land for the fireplace.
Yep! We will use them to line the ditch on the edge of the driveway, build raised beds, rubble footings/foundations for future outbuildings, outdoor fireplace, etc. We might use them for a future indoor fireplace, but they are kinda ugly fieldstones so not entirely sure yet 😂 There is basically an unlimited quantity, so we're not even worried about burying a bunch of them lol
New subscriber here and yes I watched the whole video. We are in the process of building a sand mound septic system here in Scott County Arkansas and yes we have loads of rocks and clay type soil. We are on a tight budget so this does kinda scare me but I think we can get it done for much cheaper since we wouldn't need as much materials. This does however help me with how your system was placed and I do like how that mound turned out.
Glad it helped! Best of luck with the project.
@@MasonDixonAcres Thank you...👍👍
You deserve more subs. Keep it up.
In-Laws can be the best! Well Done
Yes!! Shoutout to Mark 🙌
No doubt Shite is indeed expensive.
Ya could build a castle or two 🏰 with all that rock.
Great productions
Great video! There's not a ton of information on sand mound systems out there so I appreciate the thoroughness. Did the county draw up what the mound should look like for the size of your home? I haven't found many companies that will do sand mound systems if the land we bought doesn't perc.
I appreciate it! Agreed, I tried doing some research ahead of time and there's not a whole lot out there. The screenshots in this video are from our actual plan, which we paid $400 for a designer (a former surveyor and Septic Enforcement Officer) to come out and stake the mound area, and draw up the plans. He did a great job and it was well worth it (and required) to have a thorough plan. In our locality at least, the system has to accept 100 gallons per day, per bedroom. Ours will accept 500 gallons per day (good for a 5bd house). Our land actually perc tested fantastically due to the coarse rock, it was the 'limiting zone' that was too shallow, which drove the need for a raised bed.
My town required me to build a concrete wall around the mound. Rebar..footings...the whole thing.
The home of the free and the brave. One of the most regulated societies in the world and with a compliant populace. Our wealth leads us to accept taxes and rules that would have triggered peasant revolts in most societies in most times.
Those rocks and boulders are valuable and make excellent landscaping! Otherwise, you can sell it at great prices to shave your costs of that septic 👍
Exactly! Definitely not letting them go to waste
Very cool❤
We are having to do the same thing, ugh... what a pain it has been.
Yep it’s quite an undertaking! Can’t imagine someone having to do this with an actual yard 😂
Wonderful. You've got a system built on a slope that requires a pump to work.
Is there easy access to your tank when the time comes to pump it out? That long distance and seemingly large height drop to the tank will make it difficult and expensive to pump out if they have to do it from near the house. Auxiliary pumps might be needed. Sounds like you have great drainage so hopefully that won’t be needed often (or ever!)
Yep each tank has a manhole cover in the top where pumping would happen from
We have to do the same thing at our house. We have existing landscaping so I’m freaking out about how much is going to be destroyed. I’ll be lucky to only pay 40-50k.
Yikes 😬 get creative to save some 💰!
@@MasonDixonAcres What are some aspects of the project do you think could be done by someone with little operator experience?
Review your plans and procure all the materials yourself to save the 20%+ markup that your contractor will charge to do it for you. Offer your time as a laborer for the contractor to move materials, cut pipes, etc.
We are building new house , 1 hr away from Milwaukee.
Your price on everything is super cheap in your state. We have storage of skilled labor in Wisconsin. State of Wisconsin we have permits and have restricted plumbing license to do work.
Hi Alex,
Great videos; thanks so much for sharing.
You chose to use cement septic; as opposed to plastic/vinyl septic tanks.
Why ?
John Willis
It's just standard in our area, never gave a thought to plastic
Okay, I can't thank you enough for posting this video of you doing the septic install. I recently purchased undeveloped land in Tobyhanna PA this year. I'm going to build my retirement home for my wife and me to retire to. I had a local Septic company do the PERC and PROB test, and I need to install the exact system on my property. I don't need to have my Mound System that far away so that helps. But the Mound system will be exactly the same and I only need a Dual 1000 gal tank with a 500 gal Dosing tank. I'm going to install the system myself because I have the equipment to do it. Question, I see you're also in PA are you close to my property? If so can you tell me who you purchased all the Mound system Sand and Stone from and what did you pay per ton? Also any other tips for me for installing my own system would be great!
Congrats on the land! One of our best friend's parents are from Tobyhanna. We're not close, we're just north of Maryland on the MD/PA (Mason Dixon) line. Both #57 stone and sand were $450/load, I think that works out to around $23/ton delivered. It came from a local quarry, nothing special. The sand is basically one step higher than fill screenings, so basically a waste product from the quarry. They can charge so much for it because the DEP put their label on it for people to use in septic systems. So just call up your local quarry and confirm they have "DEP sand". Start with a professionally written plan, study the heck out of it, make your full material list, and start procuring. That's honestly 2/3 of the work.. the rest is just playing in the dirt 😄
@@MasonDixonAcres Thanks so much for replying back to me so fast. I think I finally found a good quarry near me that can supply me with the material needed to build the mound. But its good to know what you paid per ton so I can compare. Good luck with your new home as well. You both are doing such a great job! Please keep the videos coming. I know its not easy to do but I would love to see more as you go. BTW, I might contact you again when I build my house for advice if that's okay. Happy building your dream home!!! and THANK YOU!!!!!!!
Haha no problem at all! Good luck with the system, you got it. We will have videos for every step of the way, getting caught up on editing now.
@@MasonDixonAcres One last question, Promise. Can you tell me at what phases of the installation did the inspector need to come out? ( Just to give me an general idea, I will also confirm with my local township)
1. I would think he would need to come out to inspect the ground at the location for the Mound system to ensure that it was turned by the track hoe properly before you started to dump the DEP sand.
2. Did he need to come out to check the tanks before you backfilled them?
3. Did he need to inspect the mound system pipes on top to make sure the pvc pipes were installed correctly? Also, I think at this stage, they would also want to see the pump run to see if the pipes on the mound are getting the proper pressure, correct? Also, he would, at this point, inspect the Dosing tank Pump, floats, overflow alarm and wiring?
4. Other?
Thanks a lot this was very helpful!
Of course!!
Great video! Holy cow, the distance between your house and primary tank was loooong, and your ground was VERY rocky! Congrats! How has the system performed since installation?
Have you considered aerated septic system? It has a bigger tank but won't need a drain field
There were a few alternatives that probably could have worked but sand mound was the closest to traditional and requires fairly little maintenance!
Great video! I am about to undertake the same project in a few weeks and I am planning to go for it and doing it myself. It will save me anywhere between $20K to $30K based on the estimates i got.
You can do it! A good plan is key
@@MasonDixonAcres Ironically today is the first day after time was changed :). I am doing the plumbing today. I had a "rocky" excavating experience :), but tanks are in and moving along pretty good.
I have one of these..raised mound leach field..ours is only good for 20-25 years..been here 20 years..times a ticking..and the price has dbld
Yikes! The #1 way to extend the system is to put less water into it.. drain your grey water separately into the yard or storage tanks depending where you live
The bacterial slime coats everything and stops drainage in conventional systems. If you put a filter on the outlet pipe, and aerate the primary and secondary tanks for a few hours at night on a timer when the system isn’t being used this should generate more aerobic bacteria that will breakdown down this biofilm
LOL trailer hitch into the shin.
glad you caught that 😂
Poop Water! Cracked me up buddy!
I cracked up at that myself when editing this 😂
Did you say 200 to 250 feet of pipe before you even GET to any tanks and then another 60 feet for the sand mound! Wow! That’s a lot of feet! What about running into trees?
A very heavy truck will come to clean the sludge out of that tank every year. Don't place it to far from the driveway or build a stone road back to the tank and let grass grow through it. Plan for pumping.
How much did it cost you to build the house and septic with land just curious
We have detailed cost videos you can check out
Do they not allowed Leitchfield’s anymore because it looks like you have gravity on your side
The rocky soil prevented a traditional septic design
Next time, seperate your rock when you are digging. 2 seperate piles. Easier to tackle. Will cost you 10% more time initially but you will walk away with some clean dirt and rocks you can use for things like lining roads etc.
much easier said than done 😅
@Mason Dixon Acres as a general contractor, I know, but it is a much easier necessary step. It is one of those things you learn over time that is always valuable.
Unnecessary $$ and ridiculous $$ regulations in PA to require all this for a septic system, which has an adequate drop in elevation from the house. Especially in a rural area where the ground and soil will perk. Government gone wild. $$$
word of caution make sure you cut and DE root all trees within 35 to 40 feet why you ask root s they will travel long distance to get water and what so ever never plant a weeping willow tree it will kill your system within 3 years and you cant kill the roots they will keep growing take care stay safe
Thank you! We thought the same, and there is one oak tree stump leftover from logging sort of embedded in the bottom side of the berm. The regulations actually require to cut it close to the ground and leave it there to keep the root system intact. The idea is not to disturb the micro organisms that help filter the effluent
So I have a question for yall or anyone on here who would know...so we're going through something sort of similar...we are trying to buy a piece of land, well it failed the perc test, they said it needs a fill and wait and then it will require two tanks and we have to wait a year...so the seller at the mobile home company says we should just look for another piece of land because there might be trouble with appraisal because of the high cost of this type of septic, the cost of the land...all that...can you tell me if that's true...I don't understand what the septic tank, being new, would have to do with affecting the appraisal? Does anybody know anything about this?
Maybe they are indicating that the total investment cost to prepare the land and septic is so high that your money is better spent finding a different lot with higher quality drainage that doesn’t require so much preparation.
its so rocky
We are so screwed . Our mound is leaking and will most likely need replacement with a mini treatment plant for at least 50 K.
oh no! See if they will let you do another mound if you have the space
@@MasonDixonAcres not sure of they are allowed....but the current mound is apparently only half the size of what is needed. Needless to say , cuts will end made. Audible...gone. Restaurants gone..summer vacation...gone....lol!
Such is life 😓
Don’t tell them and do it yourself
Can y'all do a green septic option?
I appreciate the very detailed information. You did great! We'd like to collab with you, and we'd love you to check your email/inbox for more info. Thank you!🙂