Septic backing up? Call 803. 2 PUMP IT  ·  Tier 3 certified in SC & GA  ·  Serving the CSRA since 2009

Septic System Installation in the CSRA

Conventional and engineered systems, permit to final inspection, on both sides of the river. Tier 3 certified in South Carolina and Georgia.

Tier 3 certified, SC & GA Licensed, bonded & insured We handle the permit Family run since 2009
The short answer

A new septic system in the CSRA can be a straightforward gravity install on good soil, or a Standard 610 engineered design on a lot that failed its soil evaluation. Carolina Septic is Tier 3 certified in both South Carolina and Georgia, so we can legally install either one, and we handle the permit, the soil evaluation and the final inspection.

When you need a new system

Most installation calls come from one of these six situations. If yours is on this list, we have done it, probably within ten miles of you.

Building a new home

No sewer at the road means a septic permit before the county will issue your building permit. We get it filed early so it is not the thing holding up your slab.

You bought raw land

Before you commit to a house plan, you want to know what the soil will actually take. A site evaluation answers that, and it is cheaper than redesigning a house.

The old system failed for good

When a drainfield is genuinely exhausted, patching it is throwing money away. Replacement needs a permit in both states, same as a new install.

You are adding bedrooms

Tank and drainfield capacity is permitted against bedroom count. Add a bedroom without a permit and you have a system that is undersized and a house that is hard to sell.

Your lot was rejected

A conventional design was denied on soil. That does not mean unbuildable. It usually means engineered, and only a Tier 3 installer can legally do that work in South Carolina.

You are developing a subdivision

Multiple systems, multiple permits, one point of contact and a schedule that fits your build sequence. See our builders page.

How we do it

Five steps, and we do all five. You are not chasing a health department while your framer stands around.

  1. 1
    Site visit and soil evaluation

    We walk the property and look at slope, setbacks, well distance and where a drainfield can actually go, then coordinate the soil evaluation. In South Carolina the site evaluation fee is set by regulation at $150, not the $450 to $2,300 the national websites quote you. Above the Fall Line, which runs right through Augusta, backhoe pits are required for the evaluation.

  2. 2
    Permit application

    SCDES ePermitting on the South Carolina side, county Environmental Health on the Georgia side. Most homeowners have no idea it is a two agency problem depending on which side of the river the property sits on. We file it either way.

  3. 3
    System design

    Tank sizing follows bedroom count in both states: 1,000 gallons up to four bedrooms, then 250 gallons per additional bedroom. In Georgia a garbage grinder adds fifty percent to required tank capacity. If the soil will not take a conventional field, we move to an engineered design with a registered professional engineer and a licensed soil classifier.

  4. 4
    Installation

    Excavation, tank set, distribution box, drainfield lines, backfill and final grade. Most residential installs are a one to three day job on site once the permit is in hand.

  5. 5
    Inspection and handover

    In South Carolina a Tier 3 installer may self inspect their own installation. In Georgia the County Board of Health inspects before backfill, every time, no exceptions. You end up with the permit, the as built and a written scope.

What it costs

PLACEHOLDER: replace with real Carolina Septic ranges before publication.
New septic system, installed
$X,XXX to $XX,XXX

What moves the number: soil type and whether the lot needs an engineered design, bedroom count and therefore tank size, drainfield size, how far the tank sits from the house, site access for equipment, and whether an old system has to come out first. We will tell you which of those apply to your property before we quote it.

See the full cost breakdown →

Why Carolina Septic

Tier 3 in both states

The legal ceiling on what a septic contractor can install. Very few operators in the CSRA hold it in South Carolina and are certified in Georgia as well.

We handle the permit

SCDES on one side, county Environmental Health on the other. You do not file anything.

Sixteen years of installs

In business since 2009, licensed, bonded and insured. Tier 3 renewal requires proof of both every cycle.

Scope and price in writing

You get what we quoted. That is the whole promise and we put it on paper.

We will tell you no

If your drainfield can be repaired instead of replaced, we say so. A replacement is a five figure job and nobody should be sold one they do not need.

Built to pass first time

A failed inspection costs you weeks. Our systems are built to the regulation, not to the estimate.

Recent work

Photo & review placeholder

Two job photos captioned with the town and system type, plus two reviews specific to this service. Waiting on the 62-image library and the review backfill.

Where we do it

We work both sides of the Savannah. Licensed in South Carolina and certified in Georgia, which is rarer in this market than it sounds.

Questions people actually ask

How much does a new septic system cost in the CSRA?
It depends most on soil. A conventional gravity system on good soil is the low end. A Standard 610 engineered system on clay or a high water table is the high end, because it requires an engineer, a soil classifier and considerably more material. Tank size, bedroom count, drainfield size and site access move it further. We quote after the site evaluation, not before.
How long does the whole process take from permit to approved system?
Plan on a few weeks, not a few days. The soil evaluation has to be scheduled, then the permit reviewed. In Georgia the health department has a twenty day decision window. Installation itself is usually one to three days on site. The permit is almost always the long pole.
Do I need a permit to install a septic system in South Carolina?
Yes. Every new or replacement onsite wastewater system needs approval from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services before installation, and without that permit your county will not issue a building permit. The site evaluation fee is set by regulation at $150.
Who does the soil evaluation, and what is a backhoe pit?
In South Carolina the evaluation is done by certified department staff or a licensed Professional Soil Classifier. Above the Fall Line, which passes through Augusta, backhoe pits are required rather than hand borings, because the Piedmont clay profile has to be seen properly.
What size septic tank do I need?
Both states size the tank on bedroom count: 1,000 gallons covers up to four bedrooms, then add 250 gallons for each additional bedroom. Georgia requires fifty percent more tank capacity if the home has a garbage grinder.
How long is a septic permit good for?
Five years in South Carolina. Twelve months in Georgia. That gap catches builders out regularly, and it is one of the practical reasons to work with a contractor licensed on both sides.
What if my lot fails the soil evaluation?
A failed conventional evaluation is not the end. It usually means the property needs an engineered system, a mound, or a bed system. Those require a Tier 3 installer in South Carolina, which is exactly what we are.
How far does a septic tank have to be from a well?
In South Carolina, 75 feet from a private well and 100 feet from a public well. Setbacks also apply to property lines, foundations and surface water, and they are part of what we check on the first site visit.