Find a Vetted, Licensed Septic Installer in Your Area

Why Finding a Good Septic Installer in Ontario Is Harder Than It Should Be

Ontario has hundreds of licensed septic system installers. A small number of them are excellent. A larger number are adequate. And a meaningful percentage — operating with valid licences but poor workmanship standards, inconsistent inspection habits, or a tendency to cut corners on materials — will leave you with a system that fails years before it should.

The problem is that none of this is visible from a Google search, a Kijiji ad, or a yellow pages listing. A licence number tells you the person passed a qualifying exam. It does not tell you whether they pull their own permits, whether they show up on inspection day, whether they use proper materials, or whether their last three jobs are still functioning properly.

We built our installer network to solve this problem. Every contractor we refer has been screened on the criteria that actually predict good outcomes — not just a valid licence, but a track record of complete jobs, proper permits, honest quotes, and clients who would hire them again. When three of our installers contact you, you are not getting three random names from a directory. You are getting three people we would send to our own properties.

How the Installer Match Works

How We Screen Every Installer in Our Network

We do not accept payment from contractors to be listed, and we have no minimum volume commitment — a contractor who stops delivering good work loses their place in the network regardless of how many jobs they have done for us. Here are the six criteria every installer must pass before their first referral and maintain to stay listed.

Five Questions to Ask Every Installer Before You Sign Anything

Even within a vetted network, you should ask the right questions before signing a contract. These five questions separate the best installers from the adequate ones — and separate the adequate ones from the ones you should walk away from.

What a Good Septic Quote Should Include

Comparing septic quotes is only useful if you are comparing the same scope. Before accepting or rejecting any quote, verify it includes every one of these items. Missing items are not savings — they are surprises on your final invoice.

Quote Item	What to Look For	Warning Sign
Soil evaluation / perc test	Included or already completed with results provided	Not mentioned — likely to be billed as an extra
Building permit fee	Itemised separately — $300–$800 depending on municipality	Absent from quote — you may be expected to handle this yourself
Tank supply and installation	Tank size specified (minimum 3,600 L), type specified (concrete or fibreglass)	Just “septic tank” with no size or material spec
Leaching bed excavation and fill	Cubic metres of fill specified, bed dimensions included	Described vaguely — biggest risk for scope creep charges
Distribution system / pump	Explicitly included if Class 2 or 3 system is required	Not mentioned on a lot that clearly needs pressurized distribution
Site grading and restoration	Scope clearly described — rough grading vs. topsoil vs. seeding	Not mentioned — you may receive a stripped lot with no restoration
Old system removal	Explicitly included — tank pumped, crushed or removed, backfilled	Not mentioned — older tanks left in place can cause future problems
Health unit inspections	Contractor confirms they attend all required inspections	No mention of inspections — a serious warning sign
Workmanship warranty	Written warranty of 1–2 years on workmanship	Verbal only or no warranty mentioned

What Happens If Your Situation Is Complex

An installer referral is the right first step for most straightforward replacement situations. But some situations need a different approach before installers are contacted.

• Failed perc test or Health Unit refusal: Our $1,500 Navigation Package reviews your lot and identifies viable options before you spend time on quotes that may not address the real problem.
• Active system failure with sewage surfacing: Select “Emergency” in the timeline field and we will prioritise your submission immediately — same day wherever possible.
• Planning a bedroom addition or construction project: Consider our Bundle and Save service — coordinating your septic upgrade with construction excavation can save $8,000–$15,000 in mobilization costs in our service area.
• Buying land and need a pre-purchase septic assessment: Our $2,000 Site Assessment Package covers soil evaluation, test holes, and a permit-ready system design — everything you need before committing to a purchase in our service area.

Our Network Covers All of Ontario