Soil Grid Surveys for Septic Approval
Where there is no municipal sewer, a property cannot be built on until the ground itself has been evaluated and an area approved for subsurface sewage disposal. That evaluation is done by a soil scientist working across a physical grid staked on the property - and laying out that grid, accurately and in a position that ties to the survey, is our part of the job.
What This Service Covers
A soil grid is a systematic pattern of staked, labeled points covering the area being evaluated, set at the spacing the soil scientist calls for. It exists so the soil evaluation is orderly and repeatable: every test location has a known position, the results map to real ground, and the approved area can later be shown in its true location on a plat or site plan rather than sketched approximately.
This is coordinated work between separate professionals, and it is worth being clear about who does what. The soil evaluation and the soil map are the soil scientist's work. The permit decision belongs to the reviewing health authority. What we contribute is the layout and the survey: the grid on the ground, tied to your boundary, and the approved disposal area carried onto the recorded document where the project requires it - the way our published nine-tract example plat carries the state subsurface sewage disposal approval block on its face.
How the Work Runs
Scope the grid.
We confirm with you and your soil scientist which area needs to be covered and at what spacing, so the layout matches what the evaluation and the reviewer will expect.
Stake the grid.
The crew lays out and stakes the grid points, labeled and flagged so the soil scientist can work from them directly, and ties them to the survey control for the property.
Carry the result onto the survey.
Once the evaluation is complete, the approved disposal area is shown in its correct position on the plat or site plan - which is what makes it usable for a subdivision approval or a building permit.
What You Get
- A staked, labeled soil grid on the ground at the spacing your soil scientist requires
- Grid points tied to the property survey, so the evaluated area has a documented location
- The approved disposal area shown on the plat or site plan where the project calls for it
- Coordination between the soil work and the boundary or subdivision survey
What Affects Timing
- The size of the area to be gridded and the spacing the evaluation requires
- Terrain and vegetation - a wooded or steep area takes longer to lay out
- The soil scientist's own schedule, and the reviewing authority's, both outside our control
- Whether boundary or subdivision work is being performed on the same trip
- Our current field schedule
When You Need This Survey
- Building a new home on property without municipal sewer
- Dividing land into lots that will each need their own septic system
- Replacing, repairing, or expanding an existing system
- When a reviewer asks for a soil map before approving a plat or issuing a permit
- Early in any rural project, before a house or lot layout is committed to
Questions We Hear About Soil Grid Surveys
Who actually does the soil testing?
A soil scientist - a separate professional from the surveyor. They evaluate and map the soils and prepare what the reviewing authority needs; we lay out and stake the grid they work across, and tie it to your survey so the approved area lands in the right place on your plat or site plan.
Do I need this before I can build?
If the property will use a septic system rather than municipal sewer, an approved disposal area is normally required before a permit is issued - which makes this one of the first things to schedule on a rural build, not one of the last. Discovering late that the best building site does not have suitable soils is an expensive way to learn it.
Can the soil grid be done at the same time as my boundary survey?
Yes, and it usually should be. One mobilization covers both, the grid ties directly to the boundary control, and the approved area ends up on the same sheet as the lines - which is exactly what a subdivision review or a building permit wants to see.
Content reviewed by Jacob Doss, Licensed Surveyor (TN RLS 3333 | KY PLS 4612), Doss Land Surveying, LLC. Serving Macon, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Clay, and Jackson Counties, TN, and Allen and Monroe Counties, KY. We also take on projects throughout the rest of Tennessee and Kentucky - just ask.
Building where there is no sewer? Get the soil grid scheduled early.
(615) 670-9856info@dosssurveying.comServing Macon, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Clay, and Jackson Counties, TN, and Allen and Monroe Counties, KY.
We also take on projects throughout the rest of Tennessee and Kentucky - just ask.