Septic Tank Pumping Cost In North America, septic systems are still super popular. One reason is that they are much cheaper than being connected to city sewer and another reason is that there are a lot of areas that do not have access to a centralized city sewer system. The key to keeping your septic apparatus humming along with no problems is proper maintenance. Septic tank cleaning is part of that proper maintenance and many people wonder how much does septic tank pumping actually cost? That is a fair question, but it has a somewhat unfair answer. A good rule of thumb (I love rules of thumb!) is that it will cost between $125 and $250 (or more) to have a septic system cleaned. Why the price variation? Simple. Here is another rule of thumb, the more difficult it is for the septic cleaning guy to access your septic system, the more it will cost you to have it pumped. As you may know, most septic tanks are meant to be buried under ground. If you do not have a septic riser installed, then you or the septic tank guy will have to dig a hole down to the septic container lid. A backbreaking job, no doubt, and the contractor will want to be compensated. If there is digging involved you will be looking at closer to $250 for your septic tank pumping cost. Some people do not even know where their septic tank is; let alone where to find the access lid. Luckily, there are septic system service companies that have special tools used to locate septic containers. One is a simple plumbing snake, with a not-so-simple radio transceiver attached to the end. The plumbing snake is fed through the house pipes and into your septic container. Then the contractor goes out and uses a radio receiver to determine where the end of the plumbing snake is and voila! There is your septic container. A more sophisticated tool is ground penetrating radar (GPR), which can find a septic system much more quickly and with a lot less effort. If either of those tools is required to find your septic apparatus then you can bet that your septic system cleaning cost will be over $250. The bottom line is that the easier it is for the septic system pumper to find and access your septic container the lower your septic tank pumping cost will be. Tips to Minimize Septic Tank Pumping Cost Make sure you know where your septic apparatus is Install a septic riser (you can do this yourself or you can have the septic system pumper do this for you...it may cost a $100 or more, but you will more than make up for that over the years through reduced pumping costs) Have your septic tank cleaned every one to three years to avoid unnecessary drain field damage or back-flow into your house (the frequency will depend on the size of your family and how much water you use...the larger the family, the more water used, the more frequently your septic system will have to be pumped)