My Property, Looking for info and comments.

[nrc17gto]

I am a new member. Have been looking around finding great information on this site for a while now. So to start with, hello everybody!

My wife and I were looking for a home with acreage where we grew up and currently live, Mt. Juliet, TN. We looked for a while but could not find anything we could afford with the acreage we wanted.

I did not really want to buy raw land because of the stress and money involved with a new home. But, on a whim, I went to an auction one morning back in May and ended up leaving with nearly 19 acres!

The land was about 90% wooded. We have put some serious work into it since purchasing and have made some real progress. I have the driveway nearly completely prepped and half of it has gravel on it. We are getting to the point where we are going to have to start spending the money.

The property has an entrance that is 50 feet wide and 1100 feet long. Obviously this is adding some costs to my estimates.

We have decided to build a pole barn/garage that we will live in for an undetermined amount of time until we can get started on the house. It is going to be 40' x 50' x12'. I am a bit of a gear head and love working on my own stuff, so this will be converted to an awesome shop one day. I have a pretty good idea where I am going to get all of the material and my dad and me are going to build it.

There are several things I am new to and am trying to figure out so any comments or information you have are greatly valued.

1. Electric. This is going to need to run ~1600 feet back to the building location. The electric company says it needs 20' on each side of the pole. I am going to have them come out so I can confirm the initial persons rules but here is what I have been told. First 300' free including one pole. Next 1000' is $7/ft. Anything more is $5/ft. If they go under ground, we have to cut the trench and they charge more per ft than overhead (don't have the exact $ in front of me). I hate to cut a '40 foot path through my property but don't see much of an option.

2. Water supply. The meter altitude and the building altitude are going to be close to the same, I'd say withing 20'. It will go down hill and then back up before reaching the building site. Any suggestions on running this length of water line? I do have a creek about 10' wide I have to cross that is solid rock on the bottom. It is more of a wet weather creek and has less than an inch in it most of the time. Water company said should run at least 2" pipe and 24" deep, any thoughts?

3. Septic. I have not started looking into this area yet. I am a bit scared honestly with so many other big costs. Anyone have thoughts or ideas of costs for a 3 br house?

Crossing the creek is another issue but I believe we are going to build a header wall over the upstream end of the 3' pipe we have to keep all in place.

Remember, I am going to be hooking all up to the garage initially and living there for a while. I am on a VERY tight budget and love the satisfaction of hard work. Bought a bobcat 753 last year after reading on here the bad opinions of a Farmpro tractor I was looking at. The bobcat is great, just wish I had pto options.

I will try to get some pictures up soon, I have taken a TON.

Thanks,
Nick

 

[crash325]

Hi & Welcome,

Here is my 2c. If you don't have a back hoe for you cat, get one. The septic, leach line and water line trench will cost more than the BH.

Build a bridge across the creek and you should be able to run an insulated water line across under or beside the bridge.

If you want under ground electric it may be possible to put in the water line ditch. Check the required seperation that electric co requires. Find out about crossing the bridge with it at the same time.

Just something to think about. Hope it helps.

 

[ustmd]

Welcome to the forum.

Sounds like you kumped into the deep end, but in a good way.

The price from your co-op doesn't sound bad. In 2001, we paid $5/foot with no charge for the polls, so 300 feet free and $7 per foot afterwards is not bad.

The other other piece of advice is that you might want to investigate #3 first, especially concerning a septic permit. You might have trouble getting a residential power account or water account without a septic permit. Also, I would hate run everything to where I wanted the buildings, only to find out that the area won"t qualify for a septic permit from the county.

Good luck

 

[nrc17gto]

Thanks for the welcomes!

Crash325: From what a quick call told me, the water company wanted the line under the creek. I am going to have the person come out to give me more detail and hopefully more options.

I was thinking I could rent a trencher or rock saw to dig the water line ditch. It that ignorant of me?

Ustmd: I am going to find out more about the septic before breaking ground. The property had two perk sites when I bought it. One for a 3br and one for a 4br. There are probably other places as well but these are the two on the plat. Is this enough for the septic company, or what else is needed?

Thanks!
Nick

 

[boggen]

for the creek. you will most likely need a backhoe. a larger size one. that can at very min reach 2/3rds across the creek. a trencher will more likely end up stuck and sunk in a creak bed. due to the chain saw on them on go out so far.

not sure how the inspector for water will want things. but the pipe under creek might need to be encased in concrete or plastic pipe then another metal pipe around it. there concern is if a pipe leaks, you not getting sick because creek water got into your water line. ((and it doesn't mater how the pipe got a leak, it is if the pipe leaks))

as far as a zoning map. duh... duh... what is the websites. do a search for maps. like google earth. for "aerial view" there is a few other websites besides google earth and regular google maps for driving directions. that give pretty good pictures. along with *mind blank again* showing the hills of your land. being able to have a print out. and then taking markers of different colors to show were this and that will be. ((even if it looks like a 2yr old chicken scratches)) can really aid you and inspectors, and things that get contracted out. IE the electrical line or part of it.

septic systems. can be a real pain to build. due to most likely multi inspections need to be done as it gets dug out, and multi steps of installation and pressure testing.

=============
to be honest, if you have background of doing these things or helping someone else do them. i would honestly invest in a backhoe. either for a skid steer, or a tractor that has a backhoe. pay up front. save yourself labor charges for someone else doing it. this also helps ya avoid rental costs of renting a backhoe as well.

for me. by the time i would of rented a backhoe. done everything i needed to do with it. vs going out and buying a tractor with a backhoe. i spent a couple thousand dollars more for the tractor with a backhoe. and i would have to say now. it has been paying for itself pretty good with some minor little projects that have came up. problem is. the little smaller backhoes for a skid steer vs a larger size backhoe and tractor. the little skid steer backhoes. sometimes don't have the reach / digging depth. that is some times needed. for building sheds, and a home, and putting in trenchs, and picking things up and moving them about. you can get around things but. just saying *shrugs*

 

[ultrarunner]

New a couple that did something similar in TN...

They ended up putting in well and went Solar... it's been a couple of years and they still say it was the right decision for them.

Just a thought.

 

[nrc17gto]

Not much chance of getting stuck in this creek. This picture was during the summer so it was completely dry but usually doesn't have but a few inches unless a flood comes through. The bottom is solid bed rock.

0924101540 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Here is a pic of the creek with the pipe temporarily in place.

1113101601 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

As for the maps. I have made a good number of them with different overlays. I am an IT pro so I enjoy using the computer to do a multitude of things to plan and model. Every heard of google skethup? I have the house and garage completely designed. Lots of fun and costs nothing!

Thanks for your comments. I wish I could afford a backhoe right now, the bobcat was my choice of machinery at the time and cannot currently afford another piece of machinery.

 

[nrc17gto]

New a couple that did something similar in TN...

They ended up putting in well and went Solar... it's been a couple of years and they still say it was the right decision for them.

Just a thought.

Gosh, I wish I could go solar. I have heard that it is extremely expensive. I am not trying to be a cheap skate, just trying to get out there as soon as possible.

Thanks!

 

[grsthegreat]

er..before id allocate a 40 foot swath thru my property, id go underground. Here in Idaho they charge $10.foot if they install, allot less if i provide the trench (depends on allot of variables). i HATE overhead especially in a treed area.

Id bring in a 400 amp main service if i was you, set on a pedestal half way between proposed shop and future house. then feed odd 200 amps to each structure. this gives you allot of future possibilities. i use a 400 amp meter section that included 2-200 amp breakers and a small 30 space panel here myself. (I'm an electrical contractor). have set allot of these over the last 30 years.

the small panel allows for outbuildings, wells, landscape work, etc.

I'm not sure what kind of soil conditions you encounter out there, but here we have decomposed granite. I have to set my water down 5 feet, fill 2 feet of dirt, then place elect, phone,catv or gas. then cover. nothing less than 24" below surface. i always rent an excavator when digging, and i can dig 5 foot deep tranches x 100 feet long in less than 1 hour. when doing 2 foot deep tranches, we generally progress at 200-300 feet per hour with a mini excavator.

i never go that fast with a loader mounted backhoe. the excavator is just soooooo much faster. at $150.00 per day rental here, it never has made any sense to buy a backhoe attachment for me.

as for water, for those distances stick to 2" pipes. You will get too much of a restriction in flow with 1" pips...like only 1/4 the flow rates.

solar....pleeeeease. Ive played around with this. too expensive and too much work . OK for a small house on 1 acre. but if you want a shop, air compressors,welders,etc....i don't ever see how it would work.

here in Idaho, my septic tank, install and permit was less than $1,200.00
complete.

one further thing with my situation. when digging the trenches, we brought up the decomposed granite (DG), and refilled the trenches with sand mixture. then used the DG for all the roads on the property. i have 30 acres here, with lots of paths and roads.

 

[ultrarunner]

Here's the link to the couple in TN that went off-grid... and no, they didn't have a shop to power.

Going Off Grid in East Tennessee (motorhome, design, install) - (TN) - City-Data Forum

 

[grsthegreat]

Here's the link to the couple in TN that went off-grid... and no, they didn't have a shop to power.

Going Off Grid in East Tennessee (motorhome, design, install) - (TN) - City-Data Forum

yes, for a house its nice....expensive but nice.

but try and run my CNC plasma cutter with solar..... wont happen. And what really pisses me off, is all the federal funding going into wind farms up here in Idaho, and also Washington. yet every time i drive past these farms......out of 200 wind machines. 2 are moving. whats with that??

 

[nrc17gto]

ultrarunner- That's some pretty property. Neat concept but just not for me.

grsthegreat- $1,200 for septic? I wish I could get out that cheap but I seriously doubt it. Then again, I do not know much about septic systems.....yet.

I like the idea of the excavator. We are pretty rocky here in TN. My property has its share of rock but most seems to be in concentrated areas. If I rented just the excavator, do you think that would get the water line all done? I am sure it would not dig through the creek bed rock but may do the rest.

 

[mojoinco]

Take a look and see what your neighbors properties have. You may find that someone is closer (and cheaper) to buy some utility right of way to your place (that helps them too). Or maybe they could use some money.

A visit to your County permitting office out to get you a good start on the septic issues.

Think about a used RV trailer in the barn. Keeps the construction costs (and wasted time) down, and since it's indoors, you don't need to worry about the weather getting to it (hot, cold or wet). Just make sure you vent the stove and heater outdoors.

 

[markrahn]

I am fixing to install my septic. 250.00 for permit, 250.00 for a septic engineer. 900 for a 1250 gallon dual chamber concrete septic tank, delivered in the hole. I have to have 280 feet of leech line, total line to get to the leach field is about 100 foot. minii excavator rental 160 a day. the septic rock will run me about 500. and the landscape fabric will be another 100.00.

I plan to do it all myself. I was given a quote for turnkey of 5600.00


I like playing with machines in dirt and I know how to check for a 1/4 inch drop.

 

[nrc17gto]

mojoinco- Thanks for the idea. This was a large chunk of land that was split up and sold. Mine was the largest tract. I am back behind everyone with my 1100' entrance. All of the other tracts are up on the road where they can just connect to electric easily. What I am trying to say is, there is no one close enough for me to benefit by doing this. I am at least hoping, that someone else may need to use my connection and I will get a little pay in the future.

markrahn- I got excited for a minute when I seen Wilson County. Then I saw TX I am in Wilson County, TN. I thought maybe I had some close numbers to work with. I like playing in the dirt too, I am not sure how much the county will let me do here with my septic tank, but I plan to find out. Thanks!

I have attached a rough idea of my plat. The black X is about where the house and garage will go. The red line is roughly how the creek runs.

 

[tommu56]

I'd vote for the under ground.
Run high voltage back to the site and a pad mounted transformer back there.

Well and septic if possible.

Get a couple of quotes for the trench and include the septic tank / drain field contractor (he is allready on site and should be cheaper).

 

[beeforty]

I went underground when I built my house, used up the free length the power co. gave me and put in the pedestal mount with my meter on it. Now I can run power anywhere outside. Keeps the meter reader away from the house but I didn't have your long run. I dug my own trenches, they inspect them for lack of rock, put in large conduit and pack the fill, so their power puller doen't pull your conduit out of the ground when they pull the wire thru. Definitely make sure you can get septic and water or else no permit for house. I also lived in a used single wide mobile for 2 years that I picked up for $2500 while building and working. Had to get a permit for it, but it was cheaper than renting, sold it when I was done.

 

[nrc17gto]

Well, I found my notes from the electric company. It looks like we would have to dig the trench for the underground line and it is still $15 a foot. I can't hardly swing that. Wish I could, maybe I will fall into some wealth soon.

I have had several people mention using a well. How realistic of an option is this? Any thoughts on the cost versus my 1600' water line?

 

[grsthegreat]

Well, I found my notes from the electric company. It looks like we would have to dig the trench for the underground line and it is still $15 a foot. I can't hardly swing that. Wish I could, maybe I will fall into some wealth soon.

I have had several people mention using a well. How realistic of an option is this? Any thoughts on the cost versus my 1600' water line?

mn..your elect company is real expensive. were $10/ft if they do everything...its like 5-6 if we provide trench and backfill

 

[Raspy]

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.