OUR SERVICES.
residential ossf design
This is our bread and butter! We have assisted homeowners throughout Austin and the surrounding areas in effectively managing their wastewater. Our aim is to provide our clients with systems that will perform reliably. Additionally, we strive to achieve this in the most respectful and helpful manner possible. We want our customers to feel comfortable discussing their needs and desires for their property with us.
commercial ossf design
We have extensive experience working on a variety of commercial systems and are eager to explore any new projects you have in mind. Commercial systems can vary significantly in complexity, so a consultation with Jim is essential to ensure we meet your specific needs and challenges.
additional services
We occasionally provide additional services related to septic systems. These services include, but are not limited to… lift stations additions, subdivision reviews, ossf modifications, soil evaluations, consultations, etc.
Soil Evaluation
The soil evaluation is the initial step in the design process, required by each permitting authority as part of the permit application. The soil evaluation consists of two profile holes being dug in the area of the proposed septic field by either a mini excavator or by hand provided by a contracted source. The soil layers exposed in these holes will be viewed and evaluated by Jim. Jurisdictions such as Travis County, LCRA, Hays County, Williamson County, the City of Austin, etc. will conduct their own site and soil evaluations to ensure that Jim’s assessment aligns with current standards. It is important to note that the profile holes dug on-site must remain open until the permitting authority performs their evaluations, which may occur weeks or even months from Jim’s initial evlaution.
Preliminary Design
Our goal is to provide you with a detailed drawing within one to two weeks of the site visit and soil evaluation. This drawing will indicate the locations of the field area, tanks, and lines leading to the field. Additionally, we will include notes highlighting any aspects that may require further discussion or any missing elements from your site plan such as walkways, water meter, trees, patios, etc. This ensures that you have a comprehensive understanding of the proposed layout and allows us to address any concerns or adjustments prior to completing the septic design.
NOTARy & Filing County Documents
We offer in-house notary services and will notarize all permitting documents for our clients as part of our design fee. Additionally, we handle the filing of all OSSF-related affidavits for most of the surrounding counties in the Austin area. We recognize that navigating the document filing process with the county can be unfamiliar and burdensome for many, so we aim to relieve our clients of this responsibility.
Permit Application
At this point we will send our clients and the permitting authority the official proposed OSSF design. The design will be stamped “Not Approved” until the permitting authority has released the OSSF permit. Clients can use this plan to receive quotes from installers.
Address Jurisdiction Comments
We anticipate receiving initial comments from the OSSF review. Our goal is to respond to these comments within one to two weeks. Each project is unique; some comments may focus more on the site plan, while others may pertain more to the OSSF. We will promptly inform our clients if there are any comments that require their attention or the involvement of someone on their team.
Final Septic Design Packet
Once we have received a permit from the permitting authority we will send our client the OSSF permit and the stamped approved plan.
ADDITIONAL VISITS TO THE SITE
If your permitting authority is the LCRA or Williamson County we may have to return to the site to post required identification markers for the site inspection (this will happen before the application review). Other permitting authorities such as Travis County require the designer to inspect the installed system prior to the installer covering it up for the final inspection. This is all included in our design fee.
Certify Properly Installed System
We hold ourselves to a high standard and we expect the same from installers who bid our projects. We will only certify systems if they are properly installed by a certified installer. Our clients deserve a system that is installed per design.