{"id":10994,"date":"2025-09-10T15:14:49","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T19:14:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/?p=10994"},"modified":"2025-09-10T15:50:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T19:50:05","slug":"why-septic-testing-should-be-part-of-every-land-purchase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/why-septic-testing-should-be-part-of-every-land-purchase\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Septic Testing Should Be Part of Every Land Purchase"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If you\u2019re looking to buy land to build a house, there\u2019s one critical question you need answered before closing: Does the land perk? In other words, can the soil support a septic system?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For rural properties without municipal sewer access, a septic system is the only way to handle wastewater. Without the right soil test results or septic permit, your \u201cdream property\u201d may turn out to be unbuildable, or require a costly engineered system that blows your budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During a <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalland.podbean.com\/e\/all-tings-septic-systems-everything-you-need-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">recent episode<\/a> of the National Land Podcast, <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/real-estate-agent\/robert-waddell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Land Professional Robert Waddell<\/a> and Tyler Sgro, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.davishorizons.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CEO of Davis Horizons<\/a>, explained why soil testing for septic should be a top priority when purchasing land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Septic Systems Determine Buildability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>No septic approval means no house. A soil test confirms whether your property can support a septic drain field and what type of system you\u2019ll need. As septic specialist Tyler Sgro put it, \u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as free land. Someone\u2019s brother gifts them, hey, here\u2019s 20 acres. And there\u2019s a reason he probably wanted to gift them that 20 acres: because it\u2019s terrible for soil and septic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine buying land, designing your dream home, and then discovering your lot only perks for a 2-bedroom septic system, not the 4-bedroom house you planned. If your land doesn\u2019t perk, you may only have the option of an expensive engineered septic system, or no buildable option at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Septic Costs Can Make or Break Your Budget<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A conventional septic system for a 3\u20134 bedroom home typically costs $5,000\u2013$10,000. But if poor soil or a high water table forces you into an engineered solution, the price can soar to $30,000\u2013$40,000+.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Land Professional Robert Waddell explained why buyers worry, stating, \u201cPeople hear the nightmare stories of systems being engineered, systems that are exuberant amounts of money, 30, $40,000 systems. And they\u2019re scared that that could be their case when buying property.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Knowing septic costs upfront lets you factor them into your <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/what-to-do-before-starting-your-land-search\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">land purchase budget<\/a> and avoid surprises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Soil and Space Matter More Than You Think<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Just because your neighbor has a conventional septic system doesn\u2019t guarantee your land will perk. Soil texture, drainage, seasonal high water tables, and available space all affect septic approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tyler noted, \u201cSometimes the issue is we have good soil, not enough space. Other times, we have plenty of space and not good soil. But these are all things that can influence\u2026which direction the results may take us to an engineered or non-engineered solution.\u201d A professional soil test<strong> <\/strong>is the only way to know for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Bottom Line: Don\u2019t Buy Land Without a Soil Test<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When buying rural property, asking about septic systems is just as important as asking the price per acre. Septic testing ensures your property is buildable, protects your budget, and helps you plan for the right size home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Working with an <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/real-estate-agents\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">experienced Land Professional<\/a><strong> <\/strong>and a trusted soil scientist or septic professional is the best way to avoid costly mistakes and make sure your property supports your long-term goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019re looking to buy land to build a house, there\u2019s one critical question you need answered before closing: Does the land perk? In other words, can the soil support a septic system? For rural properties without municipal sewer access, a septic system is the only way to handle wastewater. Without the right soil test &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/why-septic-testing-should-be-part-of-every-land-purchase\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Why Septic Testing Should Be Part of Every Land Purchase&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":10997,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[747],"tags":[375,1924,1922,1926,1923,1927,1925],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.7.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why Septic Testing Should Be Part of Every Land Purchase - National Land Realty News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Septic testing should be top of mind for anyone buying land to build a home. Read more about what to know about septic systems here!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/why-septic-testing-should-be-part-of-every-land-purchase\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Septic Testing Should Be Part of Every Land Purchase - National Land Realty News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Septic testing should be top of mind for anyone buying land to build a home. Read more about what to know about septic systems here!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/why-septic-testing-should-be-part-of-every-land-purchase\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"National Land Realty News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/nationallandrealty\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-10T19:14:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-10T19:50:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AdobeStock_451120251-scaled.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1204\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Bryce Berglund\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ThisIsYourLand\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ThisIsYourLand\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Bryce Berglund\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/why-septic-testing-should-be-part-of-every-land-purchase\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/why-septic-testing-should-be-part-of-every-land-purchase\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Bryce Berglund\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/39e0dd0bb361da93467d0796bf0a20fe\"},\"headline\":\"Why Septic Testing Should Be Part of Every Land Purchase\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-10T19:14:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-10T19:50:05+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/why-septic-testing-should-be-part-of-every-land-purchase\/\"},\"wordCount\":515,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"buying land\",\"perk\",\"septic system\",\"septic test\",\"septic testing\",\"soil test\",\"waste management\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Buying Land\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/why-septic-testing-should-be-part-of-every-land-purchase\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/why-septic-testing-should-be-part-of-every-land-purchase\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/why-septic-testing-should-be-part-of-every-land-purchase\/\",\"name\":\"Why Septic Testing Should Be Part of Every Land Purchase - National Land Realty News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/nationalland.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-10T19:14:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-10T19:50:05+00:00\",\"description\":\"Septic testing should be top of mind for anyone buying land to build a home. 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