Frequently Asked Questions

No. Columbia Septic Tanks is an information and referral service. We do not hold a South Carolina septic installer license and we do not own equipment. Every installation, pumping, repair, and inspection is done by an independent SC-licensed contractor from our Midlands network — we make the introduction, the contractor does the work.

Nothing. Quotes from contractors in our network are free and non-binding. You are never obligated to book a job because you asked for a number. If a contractor tries to charge for a routine estimate, please tell us — that is not how the network is supposed to operate.

Typically within one business day. The network is still growing, so response times will improve as we add contractors in each county. Urgent situations — sewage backing up, ATU alarms sounding, standing water over the drain field — get moved to the front of the queue when you flag them in your request.

Columbia and the Midlands: Richland County, Lexington County, and the surrounding towns including Lexington, Irmo, West Columbia, Blythewood, Chapin, Elgin, Gaston, and Pelion. See the city pages for details. Outside that zone? Tell us anyway — we will point you toward the closest resource we know about.

Contractors and lending partners pay to be part of our network. That is how any referral service works and we are required by law to disclose it. It also creates a real incentive to send you to contractors who do good work — the network only continues if homeowners keep coming back with their next job or their neighbor's job.

No. Your quote request goes to a small handful of vetted contractors in your specific area, not to a national marketplace that resells the same lead multiple times. Full details in the privacy policy and the TCPA consent page.

Tell us. That is exactly what the complaints policy is for. We investigate, mediate where a fix is possible, and remove contractors from the referral rotation when there is a pattern. If the issue is on the licensing side (unpermitted work, code violations), we will help you file with SCDES or the SC Contractor Licensing Board.

We are not a lender and do not make credit decisions. If financing is part of your project, independent third-party lenders can present monthly-payment options, subject to credit approval. See the financing disclosure for how the referral works and how we are compensated.

For a typical household (three to four people, 1,000-gallon tank), most Midlands homes benefit from pumping every three to five years. Larger households, homes with garbage disposals, and homes on older systems often need it more frequently. See our pumping schedule guide for details.

Slow drains that were fine last month, sewage odors near the field, unusually lush or green grass in a stripe pattern above the field, standing water after normal rainfall, and gurgling in the plumbing. If two or more of these appear together, get an inspection before it becomes a full backup. Details on the failure signs page.

Yes. SCDES (formerly DHEC) permits installations, replacements, and most major repairs. Richland and Lexington County health departments handle site evaluations and inspections. Pumping and minor component repairs generally do not require a permit, but code work does. Our contractors pull the permits as part of the job — you should never be asked to pull it yourself.

You submit the contact form with your details and what you need. We match you with one to two vetted independent contractors serving your ZIP. They reach out, confirm scope, and schedule a site visit or quote as appropriate. You choose whether to move forward. We check in with you afterward to make sure the work landed well.

A conventional gravity system relies on the natural soil to filter effluent from the tank through a network of drain-field pipes. A mound system builds up an engineered layer of sand and gravel above ground when the native soil or water table cannot support a conventional field. Mound systems are common on Lake Murray watershed properties and areas with high water tables. See our mound systems page.