Utilities & Septic
Utilities and septic systems in Bear Lake Valley
A new house needs water, power and somewhere for its wastewater to go, and an old one sometimes needs a line dug up and replaced. We trench, lay the lines and backfill, and we install septic systems, including the complex systems difficult lots require: we hold an Idaho complex septic installer license.
What’s included
Utilities & Septic: what we do
- Septic systems, including complex systems
- Water line trenching and installation
- Sewer line connections
- Conduit for power and communications
- Service line repair and replacement
- Backfill and compaction
Below the frost line
In a valley where the ground freezes deep, a water line that isn’t buried deep enough will freeze, usually in the coldest week of the year. Depth is the whole job.
On a new build, running utilities is part of the same excavation work as the foundation and the driveway, so it makes sense for the same crew to plan all three.
Septic is where the ground matters most. Near the lake the water table can sit close to the surface, and up on the hillsides the soil is often thin over rock. Lots like those can’t take a standard drainfield and need a complex system designed for the site, which is the work our complex installer license covers.
From the job site
Utilities & Septic we’ve done
Running utility lines
Wide trench, clean bottom
Utilities & Septic: common questions
What is a complex septic system, and do I need one?
A complex (or alternative) system is used where a standard tank and drainfield won’t work: a high water table, shallow soil over rock, steep ground or poor soils. The health district decides what a lot needs when it issues the septic permit. Installing a complex system in Idaho takes a complex installer license, which we hold.
How deep do water lines need to be around Bear Lake?
Deep — below the frost line, which in this valley is a good deal deeper than in warmer parts of Idaho. The exact requirement comes from the water provider and the county or city code for where you are, and we dig to it.
Can you bring utilities to a lot before we build?
Yes. Running water, sewer and power to a building site is often done with the road and the foundation excavation, while the equipment is already there.
Also from us
Other work we do
New Homes
Houses and cabins from bare ground to move-in, with the excavation and foundation done in-house.
Read moreRemodels & Additions
Kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and the extra room the house never had.
Read moreExcavation & Foundations
Basements and footings, lot clearing, grading, and the digging everything else depends on.
Read moreTalk to us about utilities & septic.
Tell us what you want to build, fix or dig, and where. You’ll be talking to someone from the valley who knows the ground.