Septic tank emptying cost/frequency?

[ccgirl]

We moved into a home in 11/07 that has septic, we've never had any experience with it before. My dh is looking into getting our tank emptied, how much would you expect to pay? How often do you get yours taken care of? Oh, and one quote he got was $200 for every 1000 pounds(?) of waste, is that a good deal or would we likely spend more with him than someone who offered one flat fee? Thanks for tolerating some dumb questions...

We pump ours every 2 years. We waited 3 years this past one and it was up to the tippity top. Got a big talking to by the pumping guy about how it could cost a lot more than just the pumping fee if we keep doing that. Anyway, I was $300. It is a 4 BR septic. It was a flat fee.

 

[seashoreCM]

Our last house, we pumped when we put in on the market. It had been 18 years and the septic guy said it still did not really NEED to be pumped. We do not worry about TP, but we don't flush any "feminine stuff" of any kind. Also, we barely use the garbage disposal. We are a family of six and use a lot of water. Only 2 loads of laundry a day?? I WISH!

Then your educated guess for the next pumping would be 18 more years in the future assuming the same usage habits. Now this doesn't mean anything because you sold the house and the next family will have different usage habits.

... it was up to the tippity top. Got a big talking to by the pumping guy about how it could cost a lot more than just the pumping fee if we keep doing that. ...

If just the foam (scum) was up to the tippity top then you were probably due for pumping. If the liquid was up to the tippity top you may already have a leach field problem.