What order should you plan utilities in?
Start with the question that can stop everything: wastewater. A septic system needs suitable soil and room, and its location limits where the well and house can go. Next comes water, then power, then heat, then communications. Decide the house site only after you know where the septic field and well can legally sit.
Draw the property on paper with a rough scale and mark property lines, setbacks, slopes, wet areas and the road. Update it as you gather facts.
Write the plan down in a single notebook or binder before you speak to any contractor. A short list of questions for the health department, the building office, the electric provider and the water supplier keeps conversations focused and helps you compare answers. Take notes during each call, and ask for names and direct phone numbers so you can follow up.
How do you plan wastewater first?
Contact your county or state health department and ask how soil evaluations, designs and permits work. Soil conditions and the water table decide what type of system is allowed. A designer or sanitarian typically evaluates the site. Ask which professionals are approved locally and how long the process takes. The NRCS Web Soil Survey gives a rough preview of soils, but on-site evaluation decides.
Keep septic fields clear of heavy traffic, and keep livestock, driveways and structures away from them. Plan the location with future expansion in mind.
Think about the long term as you place the system. Septic fields and wells have limited lifespans and may need repair or replacement in the future, so leave access for equipment and avoid building over the area. Ask the designer about a reserve area, which some health departments require, so a replacement field has somewhere to go.
How do you plan water supply?
Options include a drilled well, a connection to a public system, a spring or a hauled supply with a cistern. Each comes with permit, testing and cost questions that your health department can explain. For a well, ask licensed local drillers about typical depths, water quality concerns and what the permit process involves.
Think beyond the house. Animals, gardens and fire protection use water too, and a pump needs power. Plan frost protection for lines and spigots, because freeze damage is a common and expensive repair.
- Household demand and peak use
- Livestock and garden water points
- Frost-protected lines to barns and hydrants
- Water testing before first use and on a regular schedule
- Backup supply when the power is out
How do you plan electric service?
Call your electric provider early and ask about service availability, extension costs, required easements and timelines. Decide where the meter and panel will sit, and ask whether outbuildings need separate service. Underground lines to barns and shops should be planned before the driveway and landscaping.
Hire licensed electricians for wiring, and ask your building office which permits and inspections apply. Poor wiring in barns is a fire risk, since dust, moisture and animals are hard on electrical systems.
What about heat, fuel and communications?
Heating choices include electric systems, fuel delivered to a tank, wood and others. Each has installation rules, storage requirements and safety needs, and codes cover chimneys and tanks. Ask your building office and fire department what they require, and ask your insurer what it expects.
Decide on internet and phone early, since running conduit while trenches are open costs less than digging again later.
Think also about backup heat and power during storms. If the main system fails in winter, how will the house stay safe? Carbon monoxide alarms, working smoke alarms and a plan for extended outages protect your family, and any generator or heater should be installed and used following the manufacturer's instructions and local rules.
How do you budget and schedule the work?
List each system as a cost category: design and permits, drilling, excavation, materials, labor, utility fees, inspections and testing, and a reserve. Get written quotes from at least two licensed local contractors for each major item, and ask about timelines, since drillers and excavators are often booked well in advance.
Share your site drawing with all contractors so they can coordinate trench locations. Keep copies of permits, as-built drawings and warranties in your homestead records. Take photos of buried lines before they are covered, so you know where they run years later.
Keep copies of every permit and inspection sign-off in a single folder, since lenders, insurers and future buyers often ask to see them years later.
Key takeaways
- Plan wastewater and septic soil first because it limits everything else.
- Place the house after the well, septic field and setbacks are known.
- Call the electric provider early about extension cost and timeline.
- Use licensed professionals where rules require them.
- Photograph and map buried lines before backfilling.
Sources and further reading
Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Homestead & Small Farm Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.