How Do We Get a Septic System Installed?

Reader Contribution by Jennifer Kongs
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The Small Home, Big Decisions series follows Jennifer and her husband, Tyler, as they build a self-reliant homestead on a piece of country property in northeastern Kansas. The series will delve into questions that arise during their building process and the decisions they make along the way. The posts are a work in progress, written as their home-building adventure unfolds.

Let me preface this post with the most important piece of advice that we can offer to anyone preparing to buy land and build a home: Check the zoning and permitting regulations for the county the land is located in before you commit. Let me also say upfront that we did not do this, which is the main reason we wanted to start this blog — so that everyone who reads our posts can hopefully learn from our now very public mistakes. (To be honest, nothing insurmountable has come up, but we’ve had some close calls, including the one we’ll cover in this post.) And, lastly, let me offer one last background note: My wise grandfather, who spent his career as an engineer, warned me to complete a perc test on the soil before we purchased the land, and I did not heed his advice. Not that it would have changed anything, but it would have helped us make more informed decisions from the outset. Now, without further ado …

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