Time to get a septic tank for your home? Perhaps you need to replace an old septic tank or expand to accommodate changes to your home or living situation.

But how big of a septic tank do you need?

Try out our handy septic tank calculator to get an idea of the size tank you need.

As always, check in with your local laws and regulations as they will provide proper guidance so that your home will be able to get a valid certificate of occupancy (“C of O”). Septic laws can vary by region so read up or talk to a licensed, well-reviewed local contractor before undertaking any projects.

Keep in mind septic tank size is generally not dictated by usage of the home. So if you have a 4 bedroom home of 2500 square feet, the septic tank will be the same size regardless of whether the home is used full-time or part-time. A vacation home or part-time home will need less maintenance (septic pumping) than a similar or even a smaller home that is used full-time. Larger tanks will need to be pumped less often as well.

So, in short, don’t confuse septic usage with septic size! You can of course opt for a larger septic that needs to be pumped less often, but you won’t want to opt for a smaller septic just because you aren’t going to be living in the home year-round. If you were to sell or rent that home it has the size capacity for more people then you’ll need the full-sized septic.