Before purchasing any vacant property you should have a site & soil evaluation (soil test). This consists of a certified soil tester (CST) meeting with you and evaluating your property and determining where you would like to place your new home or commercial building.

A site & soil evaluation consists of a CST going into an open pit (see picture) to determine soil color, texture, structure, consistency, boundary, root structure and estimated ground water tables. With this evaluation a CST will determine the soils loading rate (how much water can be applied on the soil per day per square foot of soil) based on the number of bedrooms or gallons per day (gpd) to determine the size and type of septic systems.

Lastly, a soil sheet is filled out along with a drawing/plot plan to scale and given to the clients. Soils must be completed or on file at the local County Zoning Office to obtain a sanitary permit for a septic system before a building permit can be issued.

NOT A "PERC TEST"

Actual "perc tests" which used to be the common method for determining the design of "POWTS" (Private Onsite Wastewater Treatment System), was the method where water was literally poured into holes in the ground for the purpose of measuring just how far into the ground a certain amount of water would go in a certain amount of time, thus determining the soils percolation rate. The perc method is no longer the accepted method in Wisconsin of "soil testing", as the information gathered is far too limited for making accurate determinations of important soil characteristics.

WI DEPT OF COMMERCE CREDENTIAL/LICENSE SEARCH -
http://apps.commerce.state.wi.us/SB_Credential/SB_CredentialApp