My Property, Looking for info and comments.

[nrc17gto]

nrc17gto,

You REALLY need a backhoe! Seriously.

Oh, I fully agree, just my bank account doesn't. I am 28 and have all of these expenses in front of me. Someone looking at the situation from the outside may say just wait until you build your money and get it all done. Well, that's easier said than done when the thoughts of living out there keep running through my head. I would love to run a backhoe for a while especially working on my own land. Maybe I should not have bought the bobcat, although it has been very helpful so far.

Thanks for your reply!

 

[grsthegreat]

nrc17gto,

You REALLY need a backhoe! Seriously.

I'm doing something similar to you in Nevada and I had to dig my foundation, power line ditch, water supply and power to the house and dig my septic tank and leach field. Plus the phone line and utilities to the mother in law house, etc. It just goes on and on.

As far as the septic system is concerned, if you go with a "chamber" system there will only be one inspection instead of a traditional leach field with gravel bed and multiple inspections. These are five foot long half pipe poly pieces that snap together and are very easy to install. I put in a 1000 gallon concrete tank with two 75 foot leach line sections. Make sure you have adequate fall to the septic tank from the house site.

Oh, and did I mention, you need a backhoe! That long power line ditch will be fun if you do it yourself and the backhoe will pay for itself. My ditch had to be deep enough to cover the conduit with a minimum of 5 feet! Get a backhoe. I don't know how anyone could develop land without one.

haha..tell us what you really think :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

i wouldnt mine owning a mini excavator....but after the new tractor purchase i dont see that happening. ive developed 30 acres over 14 years without one. am happy renting the 4 times ive ever needed one. but if your done with yours now, you can store it in my shop...

really, you can store it here, no charge. call for directions

 

[theboman]

When you build... or whatever you do for a home think of SAVING dollars, I didn't think....
We got a new doublewide 2.5 years ago and I wished we got the fireplace (heat when the electric goes off). Buy a generator as big as you can, 3000 watts are great.... Those Honda 3000s are GREAT! Expensive but quite! Handy too!!

HEAT. Try do geothermal. I've never heard one complaint! We are considering a boiler for heat and the water heater since we live in a forest too on 5 acres.... It'll heat your building too if you get a big enough unit. OH, the generator works here too! These units require electricity to pump the water....

Best of luck and there LOTS of experts and experience here!! I love TractorByNet!

 

[Gary Fowler]

Sounds like a great project. Get ready to spend a lot of money to get the utilities in. I just finished my house in Arkansas. Septic cost as mentioned at $5600 sounds reasonable. The perk test and septic permit in Ark was good for 1 year but could be renewed for a small fee. My system cost me $6500 turnkey not including the perk and permit which I got. I had a 1000 gallon septic tank for the 3 BR / 3 Bathroom house (permit is based on number of bedrooms not bathrooms for single family dwelling) and per perk test results had to have 4 each 75 foot field lines. I also had the contractor run my water line to my shop about 250 feet, put in a 500 gallon septic tank for the bathroom there and run septic line back to tie into the house system which was 150 feet. I had plenty of fall and the plumber said it would probably work without a septic tank at the shop, but could give some problems so I elected to spring for the extra solids tank. My area is just caliche type material so digging wasnt a problem. The whole thing was done in about a half day. I had the septic put in prior to the house, so the septic guy came back about 6 months later to tie it in to the house which was all included in the price. I was using the shop bathroom for about a year before completing the house. I did like you are planning, built the shop first and then the house which was really handy for the house builder because he didnt have to provide a port-a-potty for the construction workers so it didnt add cost to my house project.

My thoughts on the electric are that regardless of under ground or above ground, you are going to have to clear a right of way thru your timber. How about running it down the side of your roadway? If you have a lot of rock, your cost will be higher and I wouldnt want to try to put 1100 feet of ditch in underground for electrical. If the power company has a set rate to trench it and install, without any caveat as to type of soil encountered, I would let them do it. If they hit rock bed they would get no more money. If you do it then your digging will get lots more expensive. Also I had separate meters installed for house and shop which was cheaper than trying to put in the electrical at a non existing house and then branch off to the shop underground. I just brought in overhead lines (no charge) to the shop with its on meter. When the house was completed a year and a half later, they came off the same pole feeding my shop and ran underground to the house. My builder did the trench and put in the conduit for no extra charge since he had his back hoe there anyway. You dont find many contractors like that. Power company wanted $9 per foot to install or $5 per foot if I put in the UG conduit which was 75 feet from the pole.
I will throw this idea to you also, I built my shop with a 30x30 main slab with 12 feet sheds on each side except on one side I put a 12 x 8 wide bathroom which I originally intended to put a shower,commode, sink and waterheater but later decided I only needed the sink and commode so it has plenty of room for additional storage areas. This shop I put in 100 amp service so it has plenty of power available that I could have set up a basic housing by adding a kitchen area in the 30 x 30. It is wired, fully insulated and sealed on the inside with 9'10" ceiling and water supply. It cost me $25,500 turnkey by my house contractor that later built my house. I thought that was a good price for the size building. Photo shows completed structure.

 

[nrc17gto]

Thanks for the info! My wife and I plan to actually live in the garage for a little bit. Nothing fancy, just a one bedroom with kitchen and one full bathroom. I would like to put some kind of wood burning stove in there since I have so much wood around I could use. This would also come in really handy when I convert it back to a garage.

As for the septic, since my land had been perked in two places, should this be enough for the health department or will I need to have the tests done again? I am coming up on one year so I guess I better do some checking soon in case that is the rule here. Thanks and congratulations on getting your house done, that has got to be a great feeling!

 

[nrc17gto]

Here is a short video I took of the creek yesterday. My Creek

 

[ustmd]

Good video, but that culvert ain't doin' squat for you

 

[nrc17gto]

Good video, but that culvert ain't doin' squat for you

Yeah I know. It is just sitting in place. I have waited to see how the water flows before securing it. I measured for my head wall yesterday and I am going to use that to hold it in place then take my driveway across it.

Nick

 

[nrc17gto]

I spoke with an engineer from the local water company today at my property. He said there is 75 psi at the fire hydrant across the street and that was good. He also said that if it was his property, he would run 2" pipe all the way and 30" deep. According to him, there are no regulations on the installation or even an inspection. You just run the pipe to within 10 ft or so of where you want the meter and then call them to put the meter in. He seemed to think that running the water line above my culvert pipe would be fine if it was encased in 4" pvc and covered by a good bit of dirt.

Nick

 

[grsthegreat]

i agree with the 2" pipe for those distances..... think flow rate.

make sure they use a 2" water meter also...if you can get away with it. My water district always tries to downsize my 2" water meter.....i refuse to let them. what good is placing a 1" meter on a 2" system....kind of like a stopcock.

i really dont know why they bug me about it. its already in place ..not costing them anything. nutty people.

do you get freezing weather ???? why go above ground?? asking for problems

 

[nrc17gto]

i agree with the 2" pipe for those distances..... think flow rate.

make sure they use a 2" water meter also...if you can get away with it. My water district always tries to downsize my 2" water meter.....i refuse to let them. what good is placing a 1" meter on a 2" system....kind of like a stopcock.

i really dont know why they bug me about it. its already in place ..not costing them anything. nutty people.

do you get freezing weather ???? why go above ground?? asking for problems

We do get some freezing weather. I am not going to go above ground, did I convey that somehow? I am going to go above my culvert for my creek, but I am going to be covering it with dirt so it will technically be below ground. I just do not want to try to make it 2 feet deep into the bedrock at the bottom of the creek.

Thanks for the info about the meter, I will make sure to remember that when the time comes. You're right, doesn't make since that they would want to mess with yours for the sake of doing it.

Nick

 

[markrahn]

So to cross the creek, you would put your 2" water line inside of a 4" sch 40 pipe, cross over on the road that you will build on your culvert. this will be covered by how much dirt/fill?

What about years that it would flood? I assume that you would run this across the side of the road so that traffic would not be running over it. you would need to make sure that water erosion wouldn't take the supporting/covering fill away from the pipe and make it susceptible to wash away or freeze.

interesting.

 

[nrc17gto]

So to cross the creek, you would put your 2" water line inside of a 4" sch 40 pipe, cross over on the road that you will build on your culvert. this will be covered by how much dirt/fill?

What about years that it would flood? I assume that you would run this across the side of the road so that traffic would not be running over it. you would need to make sure that water erosion wouldn't take the supporting/covering fill away from the pipe and make it susceptible to wash away or freeze.

interesting.

I am not sure how much dirt I would put on top of the 4" pvc. There would of course be some below it on top of the culvert, then maybe around 2' in all directions? I am in the process of determining the best way to build a head wall for the culvert. A head wall, on both ends, should retain the dirt and avoid erosion right? I would say the 3' culvert could handle all but a major flood. As far as a flood, I guess I will have to cross that bridge when I get there.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[tommu56]

Use concrete n bags pinned with rebar for the head walls
Look up eddiewalkers build on one for his lake.

tom

 

[markrahn]

nrc17gto Re: My Property, Looking for info and comments.

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I am not sure how much dirt I would put on top of the 4" pvc. There would of course be some below it on top of the culvert, then maybe around 2' in all directions? I am in the process of determining the best way to build a head wall for the culvert. A head wall, on both ends, should retain the dirt and avoid erosion right? I would say the 3' culvert could handle all but a major flood. As far as a flood, I guess I will have to cross that bridge when I get there.

So, would you build the upstream and downstream headwall from bank to bank of the creek. I guess that actually you would have to go even wider to ensure that you cover bank to bank on the level of the final grade of the road surface. that may run into some concrete. Not sure how wide the creek is. This is doable, but will take some planning. I plan better (I think) if I am studying the situation from a folding chair with my favorite frosty adult beverage

Are there any civil engineers here on TBN?

 

[nrc17gto]

Use concrete n bags pinned with rebar for the head walls
Look up eddiewalkers build on one for his lake.

tom

Why do you suggest concrete in bags? I was going to have the local concrete company come by when they have a little extra on the truck and pour it in a form that we make.

I started reading eddiewalker's thread a while back because it just seemed interesting. Unfortunately I have not made it through 177 pages, that is pretty much a short novel!

Thanks!

 

[nrc17gto]

So, would you build the upstream and downstream headwall from bank to bank of the creek. I guess that actually you would have to go even wider to ensure that you cover bank to bank on the level of the final grade of the road surface. that may run into some concrete. Not sure how wide the creek is. This is doable, but will take some planning. I plan better (I think) if I am studying the situation from a folding chair with my favorite frosty adult beverage

Are there any civil engineers here on TBN?

I am planning on doing it bank to bank. Before thinking through it completely, dug out a good section of the bank when removing some trees that were in the way last summer. I wish now I had just cut the trees out and left the bank packed nicely. It did give me good bobcat experience though after just purchasing it. The creek is not real wide, I posted a video a page or so back that may give you an idea. It stays mostly dry most of the time until a good rain comes.

Maybe I should try your method of planning:drink: It might give me a whole new perspective.

Thanks.

 

[Trafficman]

nrc17gto,

You'll need a big BH. :licking: Think of it as an investment. Use it until you're done, then sell it. You probably won't get as much as you paid for it but probably less than the cost of a rental & way more convenient. You'll save $$ by being able to work when you can.
Geothermal doesn't have to be vertical, horizontal works too. That BH can make a trench to lay your pipe in to get the BTUs you need to make it efficient. :2cents: Going deep saves footprint, but costs $$$, Going horizontal save $$$ but costs land. You can also look into solar hot water for radiant heat if you have a good southern exposure. Best to be a fairly good plumber though. :laughing: My sister has a place that we put solar and geothermal in her place in Berkley Springs, WV. She had to add a hot tub to help regulate the heating. :drool: My BX22 was hard pressed in those hills. LOTS of ROCKS, BIG ROCKS. Some as big as my truck. :shocked: Too big to move as is. Feather & wedges may be your friend too. :cool2:
Putting your electrical underground makes a lot of sense if you get any significant snow. :thumbsup: Especially if you're on a dead end line (you are), 1st to go out, last to be fixed. :mur: Putting it underground will protect that line from snow, ice, deadfall, & critters frying themselves across it. Not to mention being a pita to mow around pole & keep a 40ft ROW clear. HTH
T-Man

 

[ultrarunner]

Does the water company charge significantly more for 2" meter?

Where I am 5/8 and 3/4 run the same at $36 every two months.

A 2" meter is $154 every two months and considered commercial.

 

[grsthegreat]

Does the water company charge significantly more for 2" meter?

Where I am 5/8 and 3/4 run the same at $36 every two months.

A 2" meter is $154 every two months and considered commercial.

hmm, not sure , but here where i live its the same charge as the 1" meters. guess it all depends on local. i wouldn't understand why they would charge more, your paying for what water you use, not what meter you have. guess anyway they can charge more they will