[Cob] Locating land for cob building and septic system issues (dkdale at earthlink.net)

[robert vanCreveld]

>  The response to my question of whether installing a septic system on 
> this parcel is possible (I've been told some places are too rocky and 
> it's impossible) was:
>
> "....part of any offer should be with a contingency of a soil survey.  
> Usually paid for by buyer and refunded by seller at close of 
> successful escrow. cost generally 5k to 15k"
>
> Can I assume the soil survey (and is that the same as a perc test?) is 
> done in part to assure compliance with county/state codes as well as 
> the feasibility of installing a septic system?   Also - it sounds as 
> though I will not be reimbursed the 5-15k if the soils test comes back 
> "negative" and I decide not to buy the land because septic is not 
> feasible.  Does anyone else have experience with these issues?
>
>

While I have no experience in CA, I can tell you that in Oregon it is 
typically the seller that holds the bag for septic approval. If you are 
getting a "steal" on the land price, it is most likely because it is 
not approvable for septic.

Make your offer contingent on septic approval by the regulating 
authority. Seller pays. Adjust the purchase price accordingly. $5-!5k 
sounds like an awful lot for this determination. In Oregon I do this 
work for about $1k including application fee to county. It is called a 
"site evaluation".

Do not purchase rural property without a septic approval in your hand. 
Make sure you read the approval and understand what it means as there 
are some types of approval that you may not want due to cost, power or 
area requirements. Talk to the County Sanitarian about the area in 
advance of spending $$. The Sanitarian is usually found in the Planning 
/Development office or in the Health Department ( usually they are 
called onsite sewage treatement or wastewater sanitarians as opposed to 
the mayonnaise dippers that go to restaurants and pools.)
Robert vanCreveld, Consulting Sanitarian