A $70,000 well and a $35,000 septic: the hidden costs of building on raw land

Start with the well. Every water well in Nevada has to be drilled by a licensed well driller, the state Division of Water Resources says, so an owner cannot cut that line with his own labor. A domestic well needs no water-rights permit if it serves one single-family home and draws no more than 2 acre-feet a year, about 651,700 gallons. It generally cannot be drilled at all where a public water system can serve the parcel.

Depth drives the drilling bill. The division runs an online search of well drilling reports filed by licensed drillers, and the logs for neighboring parcels show how deep those wells were drilled. That is the closest thing to a free estimate a buyer can get.

Septic cost follows the soil. In Clark County, the Southern Nevada Health District reviews every new system. It asks for a percolation test with a boring log or a geotechnical report, with a boring at least 5 feet below the planned leach field, plus a scaled site plan with distances to the house, well and lot lines. It issues new septic permits only where the nearest sewer connection is more than 400 feet away. Good soil allows a conventional tank with gravel trenches or plastic chambers. Shallow soil, high groundwater or a small lot can force a mound, an aerobic treatment unit or a sand filter. The EPA says those need pumps or ongoing maintenance, and that sand filters cost more than a conventional system.

Who may do the work is a local call. The district asks for an authorization letter only when someone other than the owner pulls the permit, so a Clark County owner can file it, though the design still goes through plan review. The poster said a licensed installer is required where he is building. Before closing on land, get the neighbors' well logs, a written driller quote and a soil test, and ask the health district which septic type the lot will need.