the Cost of Septic Tank Cleaning

One devastatingly hot summer my stupid septic tank decided to go on the fritz. I was completely shocked to find out that it would cost me so much for a simple cleaning! The only company in my area wanted to charge me three-hundred fifty dollars for the initial cleaning. The only other company that was even relatively close wanted to charge about four-hundred plus a fee for coming out to my "rural area". Needless to say, I went with the cheaper company. Basically I was paying for a small group of men to come out to my home with their big truck and vacuum out my septic tank. They uncapped my tank and then dropped down the hose. Once it was inside, they turned on a giant vacuum within the machine and away it all went. There were no materials that I was made aware of but I did have to pay an extra fifty or sixty dollars to have the sewage dumped. It was my understanding that the sewage dump fee was included in the initial cleaning fee but apparently I was dead wrong. Always read your fine print people or you're likely to get seriously burned.

I really feel like I got completely ripped off. No one mentioned that I would have to pay a separate sewage dumping fee until everything was already done and I got the bill. I think they did it that way so I could not contest the bill. If I would have know all this crap was going to go on, I would have swallowed my pride (and money) and went with the more expensive company. At least the alternate company would have given me a guarantee for my money. All I got was a big goose egg and a bill to boot. Besides the mysterious fee I was not told about, all in all my service was okay. I wasn't super excited about it. My septic tank ran like it did before its melt down. No better and no worse. I was kind of hoping it would run a bit better than it did before. I really feel that I over payed for an extremely crappy service. It was a brainless job. Lower the hose, turn on the vacuum and suck the poo. Basic and simple. So why did I end up with a super high bill and a less than par service?

The one thing I would tell other people seeking similar advice is to research, research, and then research some more! You should know everything you possibly can about your septic tank cleaning company. Find out if they charge any hidden fees. When talking to their secretary or sales rep, tell him or her that you want to know the TOTAL cost of all of their services. That way they can not lie out of their fees. Do not let a company bully you. If they are mean about something, then they do not need your service. If they do happen to lie and still bill you unaccordingly, you can contest the bill in a court. I just wish I would have found a similar website like this one, to compare my services and prices. If I would have known then what I know now, I would have been more thorough with my research on the companies. All in all, I would tell you to throughly research every company in your area. Get to know the people behind the name and if you feel like you have gotten the answers you need, go for the lowest price and best cleaning service.