Civil Engineering Services
A percolation, or perc, test measures how quickly water moves into soil at a proposed wastewater dispersal depth. The result is used with soil conditions, setbacks, groundwater or bedrock separation, and the septic layout.
Service overview
A useful perc investigation begins with the proposed home, access, wells, property constraints, and likely disposal area. Calicore plans test locations to evaluate a realistic primary and reserve system layout.
The resulting report documents the test procedure, observed soil conditions, measured infiltration behavior, limitations, and the design basis required by the reviewing jurisdiction.
Step by step
The exact scope is matched to the project, but a typical assignment follows these steps.
We start with the project location, proposed building, bedroom count or use, wells, access, slopes, and likely wastewater disposal area.
The required number, depth, location, preparation, timing, witnessing, and documentation of test holes are checked before excavation.
Holes are placed to represent a feasible primary and reserve area rather than wherever digging happens to be easiest.
The holes are prepared or presoaked as required, water-level changes are measured at the specified intervals, and the readings and calculations are reported.
The report relates the results to the proposed disposal area and identifies the additional soil evaluation or design work needed for permitting.
Review criteria
A measured infiltration rate is only one part of septic approval. Reviewers also need to know where and how the test was performed and whether the tested area can support a complete system layout.
Requirements vary by city, county, special district, parcel, and project type. Calicore confirms the current requirements with the reviewing agency before finalizing the scope.
What you receive
Common project needs
Local testing guides
Start with the guide for your project area. Each page explains who normally reviews the work, what information the reviewer needs, how the field test is performed, and which local site conditions commonly affect an onsite wastewater system. This community directory will continue to expand as additional local sources are reviewed.
Find a local guide to the percolation-test process, onsite wastewater review, and common parcel constraints in your community. The actual soil rate and usable disposal area are established by field testing—not by a city name or a regional soil description.
Read the regional permitting guideThese community guides explain how local environmental health review, Nevada onsite-sewage rules, soils, groundwater, slope, and available space can affect a septic project. Requirements are confirmed for the parcel before testing begins.
Read the regional permitting guideFrequently asked
They should represent a feasible disposal area after considering the proposed structures, wells, setbacks, slopes, access, and reserve area. Calicore helps refine the testing area from that site information.
No. Approval also depends on soil profile, groundwater or limiting layers, setbacks, system layout, design criteria, and the reviewing agency.
Request a proposal
Send a short description of the work, any plans, specifications, or photographs you have, and tell us what you need the service to provide. Include a project location if it applies.
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