How Much Does it Cost to Have Water and Electric and Eeptic on a Piece of Land

Answered by LCD: Obviously, varies widely by local water and bedrock conditions, soil permeability, etc - but VERY, VERY roughly commonly $5000-10000 range for water and septic in areas without specific water depth (either too deep or too shallow) or quality issues are common numbers - but a lot of properties run $20,000-30,000 range too. Especially if deep or very shallow groundwater (which increase well and septic costs respectively), or if there are septic systems and wells all around you so locating one on your property at the required distance from each other is a problem.

In fact, that issue is a common reason to include a well and septic location and soil permebility suitability survey in your purchase contingency items - buy the property without doing that and you risk ending up with either a very expensive solution or even trucking and tankage for one or both. NOT fun or cheap having to truck in water every few days to a week (depending on if doing yourself with a pickup or having a tanker come), or having to tank sewage and have the tank pumped every week or two - we have neighbors in one or both those situations - NOT fun for them. Not to mention the cost and what that does to resale value.

Electric, assuming powerline exists at or real near your property line already, typically a thousand or so to a couple or few thousand to and including the meter and its box - sometimes less if easy run, can be much more in some areas where the utility is cash-poor and looking to cash in on new construction.

You did not say anything about natural gas, if in the area - typically around same cost range as electric - rarely below $1000 or over about $2500 unless run to the house is quite long.

Telephone / cable TV - check with your developer/architect. Commonly free or nominal $100-200 charge, but in some areas, particularly if line has to come more than a house or two away, can run more.

Don't forget site development too - clearing and grubbing, driveway and parking, etc. And foundation, depending on frost penetration depth and soils/groundwater conditions, can easily add a good few thouand at a minimum and commonly $20,000-30,000 for all those.

Note these are really totally ROUGH numbers - just to give you a wild idea, assuming you had no idea at all.

Below is a similar question with sample answer on well and septic - more in the Home >Septic and Home > Well and Pump (Pump and Well ?) sections under Browse Projects, at lower left.

But to get permits (building and well/septic and probably land development/planning and zoning permits too, you should be starting with a local Architect or Civil Engineeering/Land Development firm with experience in vacant land development in your area.

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