811 · Aerobic septic system · Authorized agent (Texas) · Burn ban · Casing · Consulting forester · Culvert · Drain field · Electric co-op · Forestry mulching · Frost line · Frost-free hydrant · Grading · Grout (well) · ICC 500 · FEMA P-361 · Lowboy · OSSF · Pad (house pad) · Perc test · Pitless adapter · Post-frame building · Pressure tank · Setback · Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO) · Soil profile · Stumpage · Timber cruise · Transformer · Web Soil Survey
- 811
- The free national "call before you dig" number. Utilities come mark buried lines before trenching, septic pits, or post holes.
- Aerobic septic system
- A septic system that adds air to treat wastewater more fully, often used where soil is poor. Usually needs a maintenance contract; in Texas, new aerobic systems commonly need one.
- Authorized agent (Texas)
- A county or district that TCEQ has authorized to issue septic (OSSF) permits locally.
- Burn ban
- A temporary order that bans or limits outdoor burning, usually in dry weather. Check before burning brush from clearing.
- Casing
- The steel or plastic pipe that lines a drilled well and keeps the hole open and surface water out.
- Consulting forester
- A forester who works for the landowner, not the timber buyer, to plan and manage a timber sale. Often paid a percentage of the sale.
- Culvert
- A pipe under a driveway or road that lets a ditch or stream pass underneath. Driveway culverts often need a county or state road permit.
- Drain field
- The part of a septic system where treated water soaks into the soil. Also called a leach field or dispersal area.
- Electric co-op
- A member-owned power company common in rural areas. The co-op usually sets the rules and fees for a new service to your land.
- Forestry mulching
- Clearing brush and small trees with one machine that grinds them into mulch where they stand, instead of pushing, piling, and burning.
- Frost line
- How deep the ground freezes in winter. Water lines and footings go below it.
- Frost-free hydrant
- A yard hydrant that drains below the frost line when shut off, so it does not freeze and burst.
- Grading
- Shaping the ground so water drains away from a house pad, barn, or driveway.
- Grout (well)
- Sealing material packed around a well casing to keep surface water from running down the outside of the pipe.
- ICC 500
- The building standard for storm shelters. Ask a shelter seller for the test report showing the unit meets it.
- FEMA P-361
- FEMA's design guide for safe rooms, which goes beyond ICC 500 in some areas.
- Lowboy
- A low trailer that hauls heavy equipment like dozers and excavators. Needs room on your road and driveway to get in and turn.
- OSSF
- On-site sewage facility: the Texas term for a septic system.
- Pad (house pad)
- A level, compacted area of soil or stone where a house, barn, or shop will sit.
- Perc test
- A percolation test: it measures how fast water soaks into your soil, to help decide if and what kind of septic system can go in.
- Pitless adapter
- A fitting on a well casing below the frost line that lets the water line leave the well underground.
- Post-frame building
- Another name for a pole barn: posts set in the ground or on piers hold up the roof and walls.
- Pressure tank
- The tank that stores well water under pressure so the pump doesn't start every time you open a tap.
- Setback
- A minimum required distance, like between a well and a septic field, or a building and a property line.
- Sewage Enforcement Officer (SEO)
- In Pennsylvania, the local official who reviews soil tests and issues on-lot septic permits for your municipality.
- Soil profile
- A pit dug so a soil scientist or tester can see soil layers. Used with or instead of a perc test to design a septic system.
- Stumpage
- The price a timber buyer pays a landowner for standing trees.
- Timber cruise
- A survey of a woodlot that estimates how much timber is there and what it is worth.
- Transformer
- Utility equipment that steps power down for your service. A new one may be needed for a long rural run.
- Web Soil Survey
- A free USDA map of soil types. Useful for an early read on your land, but it is not a perc test.
General definitions. Your state or county may use a term in a narrower way. See county guides.