Septic system installers know how to move dirt and lay pipe. Al Roggenkamp believes two other skills are a must for running a successful business — good public relations skills and an understanding of soil science.

Roggenkamp, owner of Al Roggenkamp & Sons Excavating & Trenching near Wadena, Minn., recalls installing his first septic system, a concrete block seepage pit with curved, open-joint blocks made by a local silo company, for a widow who added onto her home to have indoor plumbing more than 35 years ago. There have been scores of regulations in the industry since.

“The biggest change is the separation from the water table and protection for the water table,” Roggenkamp says. “It’s one of the best things Minnesota has done for the environment.” That’s important, he says, and to install systems correctly requires paying attention to what soil borings and perc tests indicate.

His farming background and excavating experience in 19 central and northern Minnesota counties have helped teach him about a variety of soils and the types of systems that will work in each. Installation of residential septic systems makes up about 50 to 60 percent of the company’s work.

Installer, designer, inspector

“I believe we are a frontrunner in the field because we have all the licensing,” says Roggenkamp, who advocates continuing education for himself and his crew. He is a soil and site evaluator and is a licensed designer, installer and state inspector.

Contractors appreciate having an installer who can also design the system. And, he notes, inspecting other contractors’ installations is a good sideline business. “It’s also a fast track of education,” Roggenkamp says. “If you’re inspecting other people’s work, you see what they are doing wrong and right.”

A common problem he sees is installers trying to take shortcuts that don’t meet guidelines on separation from the water table. Some installers ignore mottled soil that indicates the historic high-water mark in their bore samples. As a result, they install the incorrect system and fail inspection.

At the same time, Roggenkamp finds his installation experience benefits him when he is inspected. He even admits he enjoys friendly arguments with inspectors when they question methods he uses.

Amateur soil scientist

“The most important thing I’ve learned about is the soils,” Roggenkamp says. He attends individual septic treatment systems workshops offered through the University of Minnesota at locations throughout the state.

“When I got tossed into this in the late 1970s, we weren’t soil scientists,” he says. “We aren’t now either, but we’re a lot closer. We need to pay attention to the soils more than ever. Soil boring is the most important tool, and the second is the perc test. I always have an initial assumption of what type system it will be when I go to a site, but it’s the biggest mistake you can make to act solely on an assumption.”

With everything from sand to loam to clay in his region, he has designed systems for many conditions. None have been exactly alike because there are variables: the water table, runoff, soil texture, soil permeability, and percolation, along with the lifestyle needs of individual households.

In difficult areas, Roggenkamp takes as many as 15 bore samples to help plan the best design. For example, on lakeshore properties, the most obvious place may not be the best place if it has less than a 3-foot separation and requires a more expensive mound. “Everybody thinks a mound system is a big Band-Aid for everything,” he says. “But it doesn’t always fit, and other ways can save money. Sometimes it just takes more pipe to get to a site farther away.”

If he can install a pressurized rock bed system with a lift station pump instead, he can save clients $1,000 to $1,500. Pressurized rock bed systems are common in his area, and so are at-grade and mound systems. Because of sandy soils, gravity-fed systems seldom meet Minnesota’s new requirements.

“Another thing we do is test sand in local gravel pits in the area,” Roggenkamp says. “If it’s suitable sand that’s locally available, we can save customers money by not having to buy washed aggregate for mounds.”

PR and education

Still, there is more to installing than soils and science. “You’ve got to be personable in this business,” Roggenkamp says. “It’s just good business to make sure you have a long discussion with the homeowner. If you can’t talk to a person at length, you can’t glean the information you need to get the right system.”

As a designer, he spends an hour to an hour and a half with clients and has them go through an extensive questionnaire, whether or not the county he’s working in requires it. As a designer (and an installer who wants to please his customers), he needs to know as many details as possible: What plumbing is on the second floor? Is there a grinder pump in the basement? A high-capacity washer? A hot tub? How many people live in the home? How many showers do they take?

“People who tend to overuse water need to keep in mind that the average daily usage per household is written into the design,” he says. “Minnesota standards specify 150 gallons of wastewater per day, per bedroom in the home. If that is exceeded, heavy usage will cause drainfield saturation and eventual failure.”

With the detailed information, he can better design the system, increasing tank size, using a two-compartment tank, or enlarging the drainfield. Since he often designs and installs, he has more control to put in the right system for the customer.

Loyalty and family

Another component of Roggenkamp’s business is finding high-quality local goods and services. Being loyal to local businesses is important to him as a community-minded resident and as a businessman.

For example, while inspecting another installer’s work, Roggenkamp liked the quality of the tank, made by Wippler Precast out of Pine River, Minn. He tried one of the company’s tanks and has continued exclusively with them because “the tanks are user-friendly, and the drivers are always on time, and they never get lost.”

He also buys equipment from one dealership, buys sand from the pits he has inspected, and works with the same electricians and septic tank pumper. “When you shop around for subcontractors, you never get the service that you do when you exclusively use certain subcontractors,” he explains.

Roggenkamp’s biggest loyalty is to his family. “I can’t say enough about my help,” he says. “I’ve been fortunate to have my children working for me.” Sons Louis and Luke, and son-in-law Nathan Riedel work full time. Jeanne, his wife of nearly 38 years, takes care of the bookwork. Through the years, all six of the couple’s children have worked for the business. Erv Salo (not a family member) works full time in summer and part time in winter.

“We farmed too, and I think farm kids have an edge because they learn to build, weld and fix things,” Roggenkamp says. He tries to keep on top of all new licensing requirements. Two employees are a step away from being licensed to design systems. Roggenkamp and two crew members are also master plumbers, with restricted licenses to work in cities with a population under 5,000.

Diversified operation

With his diversified excavating operation, Roggenkamp has equipment for all aspects of septic system installation. He buys backhoes and skid-steers from a New Holland dealer and custom orders four-lever controls instead of joysticks.

Roggenkamp & Sons owns two skid-steer loaders and two four-wheel- drive, 110-hp backhoe loaders. The fleet includes four tandem-axle gravel trucks — three Fords and a GMC — all purchased used. “We can haul our own aggregate from local pits and save ourselves and our clients a few bucks,” Roggenkamp says.

As a business owner, Roggenkamp thinks it’s important to keep costs down for everyone, while still meeting regulations to protect the groundwater. And when systems fail — a pump dies or a pipe settles — the company fixes it: “It’s important to stand behind your work. There’s not an installer who can say they never made a mistake.”