Perk Test

**Cookie** · 06-27-2007, 07:23 PM

I am thinking of having a perk test done on my mountain property to see. I need some information on the details. The basics, how it is done, how long it takes, how eventful is it, the cost and anything else that I should need to know. I know only a little so anything is appreciated. I got my reasons for this, thank you.

Jad, what do you know about this? You always answer my questions,

**Cancel the tall order, I made a few phone calls here to the right people and got the much needed info.

**speedbump** · 06-28-2007, 06:46 AM

I have seen them done with a hand auger, a hand shovel and with a backhoe. It seems the county inspectors have their own way of doing things in different locals. Sometimes they pour water in the hole to see how fast it will soak away and sometimes they just get a handful of dirt and say "Yup, this looks good for draining away water or this clay isn't going to soak up anything" I don't know what the going rate is now days, and it would depend on what type of equipment they use to do the test. You can bet if they drag a backhoe to your home it isn't going to be cheap.

bob...

**Cookie** · 06-28-2007, 07:01 AM

Yep, I got all that information. Cost around 600. I didn't expect it to be cheap, nothing ever is. I got all the much needed information, but, thank you anyways.

**speedbump** · 06-28-2007, 08:36 AM

WoW $600.00??? That sounds outrageous to me.

bob...

**Raucina** · 06-28-2007, 09:06 AM

Either it includes a system design and plans or it allows the county to transfer responsibility to the engineers insurance in case it fails. that means the lawyers of america are responsible for the 450$ tip over the cost of dumping water in a hole.

If its just a perc test, if the result too slow, the next step around here would be 1500-$2000 for a designed system that might cost 7-10M$ to build.

**Mr_Pike** · 06-28-2007, 09:09 AM

600 seems a bit high, but If it is a back hoe test like we have to do here, there is a lot of time, and fuel involved, and I think our guy gets 400-500. I guess gas is expensive in the mountains.

**Cookie** · 06-28-2007, 12:49 PM

Mr. Pike, that is with a back hoe. I reckon that might be high. I guess that is the female price (600).

Male price--450.
Blonde Female--650+

**Raucina** · 06-29-2007, 09:51 AM

Young blonde female price including picnic with wine on site: $125

**GrumpyPlumber** · 06-29-2007, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by Raucina

Young blonde female price including picnic with wine on site: $125

After crawlling off the floor to my seat, I thought it best to say Thank You.

**Cookie** · 06-30-2007, 06:50 AM

Will take that price.

One is only as young as they feel and hair dye is cheap. Besides I love picnics and red wine.

*Grumpy, you can come along to chaperone.

**got_nailed** · 06-30-2007, 11:36 AM

When they did my perk test they looked at the plans for the house and asked what kind of system I thought I wanted. I told them I wanted an over sized tank and to use 500 gallons dry wells. He looked at me and told me that you have to run 2 tank systems.

So I ended up with 3000 gallon main tank a 1000 gallon secondary tank and 6 dry wells (they only wanted 3). I added 3 dry wells to the system because I’m running all of my gutter water into the second tank and I might add a second house down the road. My dry wells have valves on them so I can turn them off and let them dry out. I’m planning on turning one off for 6 months at a time. I’m planning on doing this on a 3 month cycle so at any one time I will only have 2 turned off at a time. They also had me install an air rater in to the second tank.

Where I’m at you most have a 2 tank system and the second tank must be 1000 or more and must have an air rater. You must have the primary tank pumped ever 3 years and the secondary tank pumped ever 10 years. You can feed multiple primary tanks into the secondary tanks as long as the drain field is sized for it.

To get to the good stuff they did my perk test with out leaving the office for $100. He did not even look at a map to see where I lived at. When he cam out to inspect it every thing was covered by dirt and I had 9 man holes for access to every thing. The only 2 he looked at where the second tank to see if I had an air rater and it was working. And he opened the distribution hole and turned them all on (I had 2 turned off).