Dig calendar
When the ground is open
Frost shuts some jobs and slows others. This is how the year runs out here.
Septic drain fields
Dug when the ground is workable. We don't put a field in frozen or soaked soil.
May to Oct
Water and sewer lines
Best from spring to fall. Winter work is possible, and the frost adds time and cost.
Apr to Nov
Culverts and driveway crossings
When the ground has thawed and the creek is down.
May to Oct
Builder trenches
Builders dig through the cold. We plan frost and heat on the schedule.
all year
Site walks and written prices
Any month the lot isn't buried in snow.
all year
After the dig
What a septic system asks of you
We set the system. The rest is a few habits, and a pumping company.
Pump every three to five years
That is the usual guidance. A pumping company does it. Your tank size and household decide the real number.
Know where the lids are
We set risers so the lids sit at grade. Mark them and keep a sketch.
Keep weight off the field
No trucks, no stored equipment, no sheds over the drain field.
Flush paper and nothing else
Wipes, grease and paint don't break down in a tank.
Watch the slow drains
A drain that gurgles or backs up is the first sign. Call before the yard goes soft.
Keep the record
The permit, the design and our photos of the pipe. Put them in one folder.
Questions
Season questions
Can you dig in winter?
Sometimes. Frost slows a trench and adds cost, and a septic field isn't dug in frozen ground. Builders' trenches and water lines can go in through the cold. The Dig calendar page shows what runs when.
Do you pump septic tanks?
No. A pumping company does that. We dig out the lids, set risers so they sit at grade, and replace tanks and fields. Most tanks need pumping every three to five years.
How long does a job take?
A water line to a house is often one or two days of digging. A sewer line or a septic tank and field takes longer, depending on length, depth and weather. We give you the days on the estimate, and tell you if frozen ground or rain changes them.
Plan the dig around the season
Tell us what you want in the ground and when. We'll say what the weather allows.