Co-Owner · May 14, 2026
What you don't see matters most
When homeowners think of a septic tank, they usually assume it's as simple as a single tank buried in the yard. They most likely know these sizes vary, but that's the extent of it.
But a septic system is more like an iceberg. What you see (or think you see) is only a tiny fraction of what's actually there. In reality, most of the system is underground, and extends far beyond the tank that holds the wastewater. It also does critical work that you'd never notice if you keep your tank pumped out every five years. In fact, the full footprint of a septic system often takes up as much space, if not more, than a home itself.
Most homeowners aren't septic installation experts, so what can you expect if you need a new system? Here's what goes into putting one in, step by step.
Step 1: Design starts before a shovel hits dirt
Before installation, design takes precedence, and there's a lot of design work ahead of the installation. Every system starts with a site evaluation and soil test to determine whether your land can support a septic system. If it can, it also determines how much capacity your house needs.
A licensed Designated Representative looks at the soil, how high the groundwater sits, and how the property is laid out. From there, the DR designs the system based on:
- Number of bedrooms
- Estimated daily wastewater flow
- Local Health Department requirements
Step 2: Bidding Process
Once the site evaluation and design are done, we move on to the bid. That's where we turn all the work into a clear, itemized estimate. Our bid usually covers materials, labor, equipment, digging, putting in the tank and drain field, and anything tricky about your site. We keep the bid clear and accurate, so you know exactly what's included and why before we start building.
Step 3: Excavation
Once the bid's done, the digging begins. Believe it or not, it's a lot more than digging a hole and dropping in a tank. We'll dig out:
- A pit for the septic tank
- Trenches for drain lines (These are also known as lateral lines)
- Pathways for connecting pipes
Everything is dug at exact specifications, which we get from the Arkansas Health Department, so wastewater can properly flow through the entire system.
Step 4: Putting in the tank
If the pits for the tank and the trenches for the drain lines are the skeleton of the system, the tank is its beating heart. Home tanks vary by the size of the house. A licensed Designated Representative sets that size in the design, and we install the tank it calls for.
Once it's in, here's how the tank works:
- Scum: Lighter materials, fats, and oils float to the top. Bacteria remains present throughout the entire tank, and feeds and digests on waste, causing some to sink.
- Sludge: The heavier material sinks to the bottom. The bacteria also feed on this, processing the dense layer found sitting in your tank.
- Effluent (liquid wastewater): In the middle is the relatively clear liquid layer, which is what eventually flows out to the drain field after initial treatment.
This separation, and namely the bacteria within, is very critical: Without it, solids would clog the system very quickly.
Step 5: The drain field
It's easy to think the tank is most of the septic system, but it isn't. It's the star of the show, but there's a much bigger system working after the waste is processed. That's the drain field, and it's the biggest reason septic systems take up so much room.
The field is a network of underground trenches and chambers that disperse treated wastewater back into the soil. Its size depends entirely on:
- Soil absorption rate
- Water usage
- Local Regulations
Two houses built exactly the same can need completely different drain field sizes, all because of the soil they sit on. That's why your septic system can easily be bigger than your house.
Step 6: Connections and backfill
Once the tank and drain field are in, everything gets connected.
- Pipes from the house get connected to the tank.
- Distribution systems get connected to evenly spread wastewater.
- Pipes from the tank get connected to the drain field.
A portion of the system is then backfilled in line with inspections, which protects components without compacting soil tightly. If the entire system was filled at this time, officials would be unable to perform the entire inspection.
Step 7: Inspection and final approval
Before the system goes into use, it has to pass that inspection and meet local rules. The installers run their own checks, and then the Arkansas Health Department makes sure the whole system is up to code. Once the state signs off, it's all systems go!
Conclusion
A properly installed septic system is an engineered on-site wastewater treatment system. Most of it is completely invisible, and it does work you'll never see.
That's why installation isn't something to cut corners on. A poorly installed system can lead to:
- Costly repairs
- Environmental hazards
- Complete system failure
But when it's installed by BBB Septic, it does its job for decades, so long as you pump it regularly. We at BBB Septic know installations, and we understand the real value and complexity lies beneath the surface.