Septic Tank Locating in Huntsville, AL
Don’t know where your septic tank is? You’re not alone. We trace the line from the house, probe until we hit concrete and dig out the lids with as little damage to your lawn as we can manage. Then we draw you a map so nobody has to search again.
Watch how we find a buried tank
Clues that point to your septic tank
You can save us time, and save yourself digging charges, by checking a few things first. Any one of these helps.
A cleanout pipe
A short white or black pipe with a cap near the foundation. The sewer line runs out of the house in that direction.
Closing papers
Some sale packets include an old septic inspection or a sketch of the system. Check the folder from when you bought the house.
The county permit
In Alabama, a septic permit application includes a plot plan. The county health department may still have it on file for your address.
A patch of lawn that acts different
Grass that browns first in a dry spell over a shallow lid, or a spot that stays greener than the rest.
A slight rise or dip
A rectangle-shaped hump or a settled spot in the yard on the same side the plumbing leaves the house.
Where the bathrooms are
Tanks usually sit on the side of the house closest to the bathrooms and kitchen, where the main line exits.
That’s what finding and digging out buried lids usually adds to a pump-out. The range depends on how deep the lids are, how hard the ground is and whether we need the electronic locator. Locating on its own, without pumping, is quoted on the phone. Either way you know the price before we start.
Call (256) 824-9023Never search for it again
- A sketch with measurementsDistance from two corners of the house to each lid, so anyone can find them.
- Lid depth notedShallow lids are quick next time. If yours sit deep, you’ll know before the next pump-out.
- Sod put backWe cut the turf, set it aside and lay it back once the work is done.
- Mark it if you likeA stepping stone or garden marker over each lid saves the next visit time and money.
Finding tanks in Huntsville yards
Plenty of homes around Huntsville have changed hands several times since the septic system went in, and the paperwork rarely follows. Add a few decades of lawn and landscaping and the lids disappear completely. Heavy clay soil makes probing slower and digging harder, which is why we bring the right probe and the locator instead of guessing with a shovel.
We locate tanks in Huntsville, Madison, Harvest, Meridianville, Hazel Green, New Market, Owens Cross Roads, Gurley and Toney, from small city lots to acreage where the tank can sit a long way from the house.
Septic tank locating questions
How do you find a septic tank?
We start where the main line leaves the house, check any records like the county permit plot plan, then follow the line with a steel probe until we hit the tank. In difficult yards we send an electronic locator down the line and trace its signal from the surface.
How much does it cost to locate a septic tank in Huntsville?
Finding and uncovering buried lids usually adds $75 to $300 to a pump-out, depending on depth, soil and whether we need the locator. Locating on its own is quoted on the phone, and you get the price before we start.
How deep are septic tank lids?
Anywhere from just under the grass to a few feet down. It depends on how the system was installed and how much soil and landscaping has been added since. We note the depth on your sketch.
Will you tear up my yard?
No more than we have to. Probing leaves only small holes, and when we dig we cut the sod, set it aside and lay it back after the work.
Can I find my septic tank myself?
Often you can narrow it down: look for a cleanout pipe near the foundation, check your closing papers and ask the county health department for the permit plot plan. If you find a lid, leave it closed and let us open it.
Can’t find your septic tank?
Call us and we’ll find it, open it and map it.