Behind The Price
Where this guidance comes from.
Reviewed completed-job line items
We checked actual charged line items on 13 distinct completed records and retained 10 septic-service jobs scheduled November 7, 2024–September 15, 2026. We excluded a deposit-only record, a job whose septic evaluation had quantity zero, and a combined well/septic disconnection that could not be separated. The 10 retained jobs include three replacement projects ($8,145–$15,494), three full pump-outs, one partial pump-out, one evaluation, one filter cleaning, and one pipe repair. The headline covers only the three replacements; the smaller services have their own examples below. One combined replacement included a 10% package discount. These are historical examples, including older pumping work, not guaranteed current prices. Your written proposal controls.
Scope: About $8,000–$15,500 is the rounded planning range for three reviewed replacement projects: one 1,060-gallon tank replacement with a permit, and two combined 1,060-gallon tank and 200-GPD drainfield replacements. Evaluation, pumping, filter service, and pipe repair cost much less and appear below.
10 distinct completed jobs reviewed for this guide.
Scheduled November 7, 2024–September 15, 2026.
Reviewed September 16, 2026.
Planning range from reviewed work.
Different work. Different price.
Septic evaluation
About $350
One completed evaluation in March 2026 charged $350. Pumping and replacement were not included.
Full septic tank pumping
About $500
Three completed pump-outs in November–December 2024 each charged $500. These older examples need a current written price.
Partial pumping
About $300
One February 2025 visit stopped after partial pumping because of dirt in the tank. This is not a full-pump-out starting price.
Septic filter cleaning
About $85
One September 2025 outlet-filter cleaning. A filter service is not a full septic evaluation or tank pumping.
Small septic pipe repair
About $600
One August 2025 job charged $595 to replace about two feet of pipe. Larger excavation or line replacement needs its own scope.
1,060-gallon tank replacement with permit
About $8,200
One April 2026 project charged $8,145: $7,695 for the tank scope and $450 for the permit. The drainfield was not replaced.
Tank and 200-GPD drainfield together
About $14,300–$15,500
Two completed projects, November 2025 and September 2026, charged $14,349.60 and $15,494. Permit and discount treatment differed; compare the full proposal.
Drainfield-only replacement
Written proposal
The two combined jobs each listed a $7,799 field line before any package discount. That is a component price, not a verified standalone project total.
What changes the price at your property?
- Tank replacement versus drainfield replacement, or both.
- Required tank size, drainfield capacity, site conditions, and permit requirements.
- Mound construction, soil removal or fill, access, and required surveys.
- Pumps, landscaping, irrigation, and restoration beyond the base package.
What the work covers.
- The tank, drainfield, pumping, or repair work expressly listed in your written proposal.
- Permitting only as stated in the individual proposal; two reviewed replacement invoices listed a separate $450 permit line.
- Rough cleanup and backfill where included in the replacement scope.
What may be separate.
- A tank-only price does not include a new drainfield.
- Deposit amounts are not complete installation prices and are not added twice.
- Sod, landscaping, irrigation, finish grading, surveys, extra fill, pumps and larger capacities where not included in the proposal.
Before you approve the work.
Make sure your written proposal explains the diagnosis, the work included, any separate items, and the total price. If something is unclear, ask. We want you to understand your options before you decide.