On a new build in Ontario, septic tank installation starts months before the excavator arrives, because the City won’t issue your building permit until the septic permit is in hand.
Most people picture the install as a few loud days with a machine in the yard. That part is real, and it’s covered step by step below. But on new construction the digging is the short part. The soil test, design and permit take longer, and they decide where the house, well and driveway can go.
A typical scenario: the house plans are drawn and the builder has a start date before anyone asks about the septic. The soil needs a raised bed, the bed has to go where the garage was drawn, and the start slides by weeks.
This guide covers what it takes to get a septic system installed on a new home in the City of Kawartha Lakes: the septic-first rule, the install day by day, a realistic timeline, and how to pick the installer.
The Quick Answer
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| What comes first on a new build? | The septic permit. In Kawartha Lakes the building permit can’t be issued until the septic permit is |
| Who designs the system? | A designer qualified in the on-site sewage systems category (BCIN), or an engineer |
| Who installs it? | A registered installer with a qualified supervisor, or the owner on their own property |
| How long is the install itself? | 2 to 5 days on site for most conventional systems |
| How long is the whole process? | About 5 to 10 weeks from first site visit to an inspected, backfilled system |
| Which inspections? | A site visit before the permit, an inspection before backfill, then final sign-off |
| What does it cost? | Most conventional systems $15,000 to $25,000; raised beds $25,000 to $45,000 |
The Septic-First Rule in Ontario
In Ontario, you sort out the septic before you break ground, not after the house is framed.
Under Part 8 of the Ontario Building Code, any new home that won’t connect to municipal sewer needs a permitted on-site sewage system. In the City of Kawartha Lakes, the Building and Septic Division handles both permits. The City encourages you to apply for both at once, but the building permit won’t be issued until the septic permit is. On vacant land, it also wants a lot grading and drainage plan approved first.
That holds in Lindsay, Fenelon Falls, Coboconk and everywhere else in the City. The septic layout decides where the house, well, driveway and outbuildings can sit. Get it wrong and you redraw the site plan. Our septic permit guide covers the paperwork.
Planning a new build in Kawartha Lakes? Call us at (705) 702-5526 before you finalize your site plan.
The Septic Installation Process for New Construction
Installing a septic system in Ontario on a new build follows six stages. Skip one and you pay for it later.
Step 1: Site Evaluation and Soil Testing
A designer tests how fast the soil drains and digs test pits to check depth to bedrock and the seasonal high water table. Frozen soil can’t be tested properly, so a winter purchase usually means a spring evaluation. The results decide what the lot can support, where the bed goes and how big it is.
Step 2: System Design
The designer draws the tank, the bed, the pipe runs and the setbacks from the well, water, lot lines and house. Size comes from the Building Code’s daily design flow, based mainly on bedrooms. Our guide to leaching bed size and depth shows the math, and the septic tank size guide covers the tank.
Step 3: Septic Permit Application
The design goes to the Building Division with the application and fee. A City inspector visits to look at the test holes and site before the permit is issued. Review typically takes 2 to 4 weeks, closer to 6 if Kawartha Conservation also reviews a waterfront lot.
Step 4: Coordination With Your Builder
The house, well and bed all have setbacks from each other, so the builder, well driller and installer should work from one site plan. The plumbing exit from the foundation has to sit at a height the tank can accept, and the bed area should be flagged off so construction traffic doesn’t compact it.
Step 5: Installation
Some builders set the tank early while machines are on site; others build the bed near the end so trucks stay off it. Either way, the Building Code won’t allow a new house to be occupied until its sewage system is complete and operational.
Step 6: Inspection and Final Sign-Off
The City inspects before anything is covered, then a final inspection closes the permit. Both are detailed below.
Septic Tank Installation, Step by Step: How a New System Gets Installed
Here’s what a crew does once the permit is issued, in the usual order. Raised beds, pump systems and tight access push the 2 to 5 days toward the long end. Our septic system diagram labels each part if you want to picture it first.
1. Layout and staking
The installer stakes out the tank, bed and any pump chamber from the drawing, measured off the house, well and lot lines. Elevations are set with a laser level so everything flows downhill from the house, or to a pump where the design calls for one.
2. Excavation for the tank
The tank hole is dug to the depth on the drawing, a bit wider than the tank for working room. Sandy soil may need the walls sloped back for safety. Rock in the north end of the City, around Norland and Coboconk, can slow this step down a lot.
3. Bedding and levelling
The floor of the hole gets a compacted, level base of granular material or sand, as the design and tank maker specify. A tank sitting on a rock point or soft spot can crack or tilt, and a tilted tank throws off its inlet and outlet levels.
4. Setting the tank
- Concrete tanks weigh several tonnes and are lowered in by boom truck, crane or a large excavator, so the truck needs a clear route. Once set, they rarely move.
- Poly and fibreglass tanks are light enough for tight lots a boom truck can’t reach. The catch is buoyancy: where the water table is high, an empty plastic tank can float up and shear its pipes. The design should specify anchoring, such as straps to a concrete deadman or a poured collar, and the installer should backfill it the way the manufacturer’s instructions say.
Our concrete vs poly vs fibreglass comparison covers which material suits which lot.
5. Inlet and outlet connections and slope
The building sewer connects to the tank inlet, and the outlet pipe runs on to the bed or pump chamber. The sewer needs a steady, even fall with no sags where solids can settle, and the outlet sits lower than the inlet so liquid moves through. Most new designs add an effluent filter at the outlet.
6. Risers and lids
Risers bring the tank openings up to grade so the tank can be pumped and checked without digging. They’re cheap to add on a new install. Lids must be secure so nobody can open them by accident.
7. The pump chamber, if needed
If the bed sits above the tank, or the design uses pressure distribution, effluent collects in a pump chamber. The installer sets the chamber, pump and floats and runs wiring to an alarm panel. The electrical hookup is done by a licensed electrician.
8. The distribution box
On a gravity bed, a distribution box splits the effluent between the trenches. It has to sit dead level on a firm base, because a box that settles or heaves sends most of the flow down one trench. Pressurized beds use a header pipe instead.
9. Building the trenches or bed
Trenches are dug to the depth and spacing on the drawing, typically 600 to 900 mm deep. Washed stone goes in, perforated pipe is laid at the designer’s grade, and more stone and a filter layer go on top. Some designs use plastic chambers instead; see septic leaching chambers in Ontario. On a raised bed, imported sand is placed and shaped first.
10. City inspection before backfill
Before anything is covered, the owner or installer books the City’s inspection. The inspector checks tank size and placement, pipe grades, stone depth, bed size and setbacks against the design. The Building Code gives the inspector up to five days after notice to inspect a sewage system, so good installers book ahead. If something is off, it gets fixed and reinspected, which beats digging up a finished bed.
11. Backfill, cover and grading
After the inspection passes, the system is covered to the depth on the drawing, backfilled carefully so pipes aren’t knocked out of line, and graded so surface water sheds away from the bed.
12. Seeding
Topsoil and grass seed go on last. Grass is the right cover for a bed. Expect the area to look rough until it fills in, which usually takes most of a growing season.
Timeline: From Permit Application to Final Sign-Off
A realistic septic timeline for a new build in the City of Kawartha Lakes:
| Phase | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Site evaluation and soil testing | 1 to 2 weeks (waits for thaw in winter) |
| System design | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Permit application, site visit and review | 2 to 4 weeks, up to 6 with Conservation Authority review |
| Waiting for the installer | A few days to several weeks in peak season |
| Installation on site | 2 to 5 days |
| Inspection before backfill | Within five days of notice under the Code |
| Backfill, grading and seeding | 1 to 2 days |
| Final inspection | System must be complete and operational before the house is occupied |
Total: roughly 5 to 10 weeks from the first site visit to an inspected, backfilled system.
Start at least three months before you plan to break ground. From April through October, permit reviews stretch and installers book up, so for a spring or summer start, begin in winter. Design can start on frozen ground; the soil test usually can’t.
System Options for New Builds
Conventional system (tank and leaching bed). A tank settles out solids and effluent flows by gravity to an in-ground trench bed where the soil finishes the treatment. It suits lots with decent soil depth and room, and it’s the cheapest and simplest to maintain.
Raised bed system. If rock or the water table is too close to the surface, a raised bed builds the treatment area up with imported sand. It’s common in the north of the City where Canadian Shield rock sits near the surface, and on low, wet lots. Raised beds need more room than they look, because their setbacks grow with their height.
Tertiary treatment unit. For small lots, poor soil or sensitive waterfront, a treatment unit cleans effluent to a higher standard before it reaches the soil, using aerobic treatment rather than a conventional anaerobic tank. These cost the most and need a maintenance contract, but they can make a tight lot buildable.
Pump system. When the bed sits uphill from the tank, a pump chamber sends effluent up under pressure, which gives the designer more freedom on bed placement.
Your designer picks the system from the soil results and lot layout. Our overview of septic system rules in Kawartha Lakes covers the local layer on top of the provincial code.
What a New Septic Installation Costs
Most conventional systems on a new build in Ontario come in between $15,000 and $25,000 installed, and raised beds run $25,000 to $45,000, with design, soil testing and the City’s permit fee on top of construction. For the line-by-line numbers, see our septic system installation and replacement cost guide.
Choosing a Septic System Installer in Ontario
Licensing: designer vs installer. Ontario treats these as separate roles:
- The designer must be qualified and registered under the Building Code in the on-site sewage systems category (a BCIN), unless a professional engineer or architect takes responsibility for the design.
- The installer, if they’re in the business of building or servicing septic systems, must be registered with the province and name a qualified supervisor, with their own BCIN, on the permit application.
- An owner building a system on their own property is the exception (see the FAQ below).
Our guide to septic designers, installers and engineers explains who does what, and how to verify a septic contractor’s credentials shows how to check a number in five minutes.
Questions to ask septic installation contractors:
- What are your firm’s and supervisor’s BCINs, and who is designing the system?
- Who applies for the permit and books the inspections?
- How many new-build systems have you installed, and can I speak to a recent customer?
- Which tank material do you plan to use on my lot, and why?
- If the soil doesn’t match the design once you dig, what happens to the price?
- Can I see your liability insurance and WSIB clearance?
What a written quote should include: system type and tank size in litres, matching the design; soil testing and design, or a note they’re done; the permit and who pulls it; excavation, materials and installation; any pump chamber, alarm, distribution box, effluent filter and risers; inspections; backfill and what restoration means (rough grade, or topsoil and seed); site clearing; and what can change the price. Our guide to what a septic quote should include goes through each line.
Building in Kawartha Lakes? Our septic system installation service covers new builds from the first site visit to final sign-off, and we’ll tell you plainly if your lot needs an engineer.
Common Mistakes That Delay Builds
1. Treating the septic as an afterthought. The house gets designed first and the septic is squeezed into what’s left, which causes setback problems and sometimes a site redesign. Plan them together.
2. Skipping the site evaluation before buying the lot. Not every lot can take a conventional system, and some need expensive ones. If you’re buying vacant land, get the soil looked at before you close.
3. Underestimating the timeline. Builders who assume the septic permit takes a week lose a month.
4. Letting trucks drive over the bed area. Concrete trucks, deliveries and the excavator all compact soil, and a bed built in compacted soil starts life at a disadvantage. Flag the area off from the start.
5. Hiring an installer who isn’t registered. A business installing septic systems needs provincial registration and a qualified supervisor on the permit. Without them, expect delays at the permit stage, and work that doesn’t match the approved design can be ordered opened up and corrected.
6. Ignoring local rules. Waterfront lots in Kawartha Lakes can bring zoning setbacks and Kawartha Conservation review on top of the Building Code. Check them before the design is final.
Don’t let your septic hold up your build. Book a consultation or call (705) 702-5526 and we’ll get your new construction septic system planned, permitted and installed on schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a septic permit before a building permit in Ontario?
Yes. For a new home without municipal sewer, the septic permit has to be issued before the building permit. In Kawartha Lakes you can apply for both together, but the building permit waits for the septic one. Our septic permit guide walks through the application.
How long does it take to install a septic system?
The physical install takes 2 to 5 days for most systems. The whole process, from site evaluation to an inspected, backfilled system, takes about 5 to 10 weeks, and the permit stage is usually the longest part. Frozen ground or a Conservation Authority review can add weeks.
How do you put in a septic tank?
Stake the layout, dig the hole, lay a level compacted base, lower the tank in by boom truck or excavator, and anchor it if it’s poly and the groundwater is high. Then connect the building sewer and outlet, add risers, and set any pump chamber and the distribution box. The trenches are built next, the City inspects, and the site is covered, graded and seeded.
Can you install a septic system yourself in Ontario?
Yes, on your own property. An owner can do the construction without an installer’s registration, but you still need a proper design, a permit and the same inspections, and the work has to match the drawing. It’s realistic for someone with excavation experience on a simple site, and a risky way to learn on a new build with a schedule. See our guide to installing your own septic system in Ontario.
What size septic tank do I need for a new home?
Under the Ontario Building Code, a house’s tank must hold at least 3,600 litres or twice the daily design flow, whichever is larger. For most one- to three-bedroom homes that’s 3,600 litres. A four-bedroom house works out to at least 4,000 litres and a five-bedroom to at least 5,000 litres, before any extra for a large floor area or many fixtures. Your designer sets the exact size; the tank size calculator gives a quick estimate.
Get Your New Build Started Right
Your septic system will handle your household’s wastewater for the next 25 to 30 years. Start with it: hire a qualified designer, get the soil evaluated early, choose a registered installer, keep trucks off the bed area, and give yourself time for permits.
We handle septic system installation for new builds across Kawartha Lakes, including Lindsay, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls and Coboconk, with no travel surcharge anywhere in the City. Once it’s running, regular maintenance keeps it going for decades.
Call (705) 702-5526 or book online to start planning your new construction septic system.