A Perc Test (also known as “Perk Test”, and more formally known as a Percolation Test), is a soil evaluation that tests the rate at which water drains through soil. … In order to determine if a septic system is possible, most county health departments will require a perc test.
What does it mean for land to perk?
The is a perk test done on the land to see what kind of a building can be safely built on it. … A perk test is done on vacant land that does not have access to a public sewer system. The test determines the ability of the land to absorb and process the material from an onsite septic sewer system.
What is perc in real estate?
Perc is real estate jargon for “percolation”, a perfectly good word for the ability of soil to absorb moisture. Still, the word percolation manages to baffle people more accustomed to coffee percolation than septic systems. … Instead, country property typically relies on a technology called a “septic system”.
What is the purpose of a perc test?
Perc tests determine the right and wrong locations for a septic system, and they’re often required by local jurisdictions before a new one can be built or an old one replaced. That’s because septic tanks work by holding wastewater long enough to naturally separate liquids and solids.How do I get land perked?
In most jurisdictions, a perc test is performed when an official from the county health department meets with the owner of the property and/or a licensed excavator to dig a hole and test the drainage rate of the soil on-site (they literally pour water in a hole and time how long it takes to drain through).
How much does it cost to perk land?
Perc testing typically costs $750 to $1,850 or $1,300 on average. On the high end, you might pay as much as $3,000 depending on local regulation and the size of the leach field or infiltration basin needed. A basic assessment costs $150 to $300 for a hand dug hole without specialized equipment.
Do perc tests expire?
Also, perc test results expire after 2-5 years in most locations, so you may need to retest or pay a fee to update the results when you are ready to build.
