What Does Septic Work Cost in Campbell River?
Campbell River Septic charges $400 to $750 for a single-family tank pump-out and $18,000 to $30,000 for a new Type 1 system. We bring these straightforward price ranges to homeowners in Campbell River, Willow Point, and Quadra Island. We walk your lot in person before we give you a final written quote.
Updated September 2026
Here are the price ranges we charge for septic work across north Vancouver Island.
A new system is the biggest number we quote. Learn what our septic system installation includes when we put equipment in your yard.
What does routine septic work cost?
A single-family tank pump-out runs $400 to $750.
Routine maintenance tasks are the least expensive jobs we do. You get a pump-out and a clean filter, plus a scheduled maintenance visit, for a few hundred dollars each. We provide an initial estimate before visiting, then confirm your final written price on site.
| Work | Range |
|---|---|
| Tank pump-out (single family) | $400 – $750 |
| Effluent filter clean or replace | $150 – $300 |
| Tank lid or riser install | $350 – $800 |
| Locating and uncovering a buried tank | $150 – $400 |
| Blockage or line clearing | $300 – $700 |
| Scheduled maintenance visit | $200 – $450 |
| After-hours emergency callout | $350 – $650 |
What does a repair cost?
A partial drain field repair runs $2,500 to $8,000. A full replacement runs $12,000 to $25,000.
Repairs cover a very wide range. Replacing a float switch is a small job. Replacing the whole field is the biggest repair there is. Call us when your drains first slow down and you are usually at the small end of that range.
| Work | Range |
|---|---|
| Distribution box replacement | $800 – $2,500 |
| Pump, float or alarm replacement | $600 – $1,800 |
| Drain field repair (partial) | $2,500 – $8,000 |
| Tank replacement only | $6,000 – $12,000 |
| Full drain field replacement | $12,000 – $25,000 |
What does a new system cost?
A new Type 1 system runs $18,000 to $30,000; a Type 2 runs $25,000 to $45,000 or more.
A Type 1 system uses a basic tank and a drain field to process sewage. A Type 2 system adds a treatment unit that brings effluent under 45 mg/L suspended solids and under 45 mg/L five-day biochemical oxygen demand. A sand mound or pressure-dosed system sits in the same bracket as a Type 2.
| Work | Range |
|---|---|
| New Type 1 system (tank and gravity field) | $18,000 – $30,000 |
| New Type 2 system (treatment unit) | $25,000 – $45,000+ |
| New Type 3 system (built to a professional's design) | Custom quote on request |
| Sand mound or pressure-dosed system | $25,000 – $45,000 |
| Site and soil assessment | $1,200 – $2,500 |
| System design | $1,500 – $3,500 |
| Pre-purchase or real-estate inspection | $400 – $800 |
We bundle your Island Health filing into the design fee so you never see a separate charge.
What changes the price on your lot?
Two neighbouring parcels often need two different systems, because the soil changes over short distances.
We choose your drain field style based on what the soil does with water. That choice drives most of your total cost. How much wastewater your home produces each day decides how large we must build your system. How close we can get a machine to the work changes the price too. On an older property, finding your tank at all adds $150 to $400.
We price all of that from a site walk, not from a phone call.
How do we turn this range into your number?
A choked effluent filter and a worn-out dispersal field both show up as a slow drain in your kitchen.
These ranges are wide because one symptom can sit at either end of them. A slow drain can be a choked effluent filter at the cheap end, or a dispersal field at the end of its life at the expensive end. You will notice slow drains in your kitchen either way.
So we come out, get the lids off and look at it, and then you get one number rather than a range. That quote visit costs you nothing.
Where the money actually goes on a new system
A Type 2 system adds a treatment unit ahead of the field, and the unit is most of the difference in price.
For a new build, the septic tank itself is usually only a small part of your total bill. The difference between an $18,000 and a $45,000 installation depends on how much treatment your soil needs.
A Type 1 system uses a septic tank and a gravity drain field, making it the simplest thing we install. A Type 2 system adds a treatment unit that brings effluent under 45 mg/L suspended solids and under 45 mg/L five-day biochemical oxygen demand. Sand mounds and pressure-dosed systems run $25,000 to $45,000 because they require pumps, controls, and ongoing power.
What is the cheapest thing you can spend on your system?
An effluent filter is $150 to $300. A full drain field replacement is $12,000 to $25,000.
Cleaning your effluent filter prevents costly damage to your drain field. We locate buried tanks for $150 to $400 and install risers for $350 to $800 so you can easily access your tank. Your effluent filter traps solid waste in the tank. This protects your drain field, which is the most expensive part to replace.
If you neglect routine maintenance, your septic system can fail years ahead of schedule. A $400 to $750 pump-out with a clean filter on a sensible cycle protects a field that costs $12,000 to $25,000 to replace. We write your maintenance plan specifically for your equipment so you stay on a proper service schedule.
What does the paperwork cost?
Island Health charges $50.00 per property for a records request. That is its fee, not ours.
Our site and soil assessment runs $1,200 to $2,500. We charge $1,500 to $3,500 for system design, and we include the Island Health filing in that cost. If you need Island Health's own records for the property, that runs through its Request for Release of Information form at $50.00 per property.
See what a new system involves, or what a repair involves on a system already in the ground. We serve Campbell River, Willow Point, Campbellton, Quadra Island, and Oyster River.
We handle septic jobs across the Strathcona Regional District, working in Campbellton, Willow Point, Quadra Island, Oyster River, and everywhere in between.
For a price on your own property rather than a range, request a free quote.