Approach - Septic tank & extension

[_kitt_]

Hi,

I'm not experienced with building projects, looking for some advice on the best approach. I have a couple of things to achieve: a septic tank and an extension.

I live in a semi detached house, miles away from the nearest public foul drainage systems, and have an old and failing septic tank shared with my attached neighbour. We have had it inspected but it is beyond repair (cracked, chambers not filling as they should and unable to find run off). We need to replace the tank and between us have decided we will go for our own separate tanks, we've had a quote, my neighbour led this process for 14k + vat + landscaping (each). We will get more quotes, at the moment I don't know if the quote is good or not.

I also want to build a single storey extension which will also house a utility room and a toilet. The man hole cover for the existing drainage is in middle of the site where I would like the extension so I am thinking I had may as well do both jobs at the same time as garden will be turned over to choas to install septic system and the patio where the extension will go will be disturbed to move and connect to drains-spetic tank.

What's the best approach? Do you go separate contractor to do septic tank and drain job and then get another contractor to build the extension. Or is it in the realms of a builder to do both jobs? Also I assume I should get an architect involved, would they likely be able to design a septic tank system as well as the extension or do I approach this in a different way?

Cheers for the steer.

[Freakuk]

I cannot answer this fully.

But I bought a newly converted barn 6 years ago with a septic tank, the barn was converted by a small developer and I believe he did everything, or possibly arranged with a 3rd party to have the septic tank installed and he hooked up the drainage required.

If you're having an extension with a toilet you're going to have to provide drainage anyway, so it would make logical sense to do all this at the same time, or at least complete the septic tank first and lay a waste pipe under your lawn etc to the proposed extension ready for when it has been built.

[Essel]

I used to work for a company that installed, serviced and maintained treatment plants. We usually employed contractors to do the digging then dropped a treatment plant in. We would obviously specify where and how deep for the groundwork. For a domestic plant, your builder would already be on site with equipment so it would make sense to have him do the groundwork. A decent company would specify a suitable tank and take care of the rest.

Marsh industries are a decent tank supplier, you just need a local company for the rest.

[Magooagain]

I will stick my neck out and say it will need to be a treatment plant now and not a septic tank. A quick call to your local building control should yay or nay that.

[_kitt_]

Cheers, ah yes it is a treatment plant we are looking at. Cool so it seem to make sense to do this jobs at the same time re groundworks, maybe a cost saving, maybe not.