Had I known about Above Grade, years ago, I would have saved thousands of dollars and untold frustration! Dustan seems to be the only local septic professional who thoroughly knows what systems are needed where and how each of them functions, especially the new, sensitive, bio-barrier system on my property. On his first visit, he caught and fixed at least three mistakes (that caused problems) made by the installer and were missed by the County Inspector and other septic specialists. When additional professionals are needed to fix problems (i.e., hauling soil, pumping tanks) he provides references to companies that are just as trustworthy as his. When he has questions, he contacts the manufacturer directly and gets the information he needs, immediately. He sits on regulatory boards that create the septic rules and there he advocates on behalf of homeowners, as well as the environment. His wife, Candace, is also knowledgeable, compassionate, friendly and helpful. I highly recommend their company for any septic system you use!!! read more

They didn't provide the full service that they quoted. Since they didn't have the proper equipment with them, they proceeded with the tests listed on the quoted without finishing the first task. Now I am at the same place as before they arrived with needing more work done. The main purpose of the work was to locate the service ports. If this wasn't able to be completed, then no other work should have been done until this could be finished. No call to verify next steps, nothing. This is not how to run a business. The owner mentions that the quote was for a set amount of time. This is not true. It specifically states $600 for 3 hours of work, then has an hourly rate after that. It makes no sense to do the inspection without finding the service ports. Now I am in the same position as I was before they came out, but down $1200 read more

Dustan and Tyler inspected my septic and did a small repair as part of my house sale. Thorough, professional, nice guys.

As Architect, I have referred Above Grade Septic to many of my clients for the Department of Health's required Inspection of an Existing Septic System. When my Gravity Septic System failed, I knew who to call. They installed a completely New System for me. The knowledgable and friendly staff made this unwanted situation as painless as possible. The New System is " State of the Art " and works wonderfully. Thanks to the entire staff J. Stephen Peterson, Architect read more

Quick service, did what I needed (baffle install) and did it the right way at a reasonable price. Recommended

I've now used Above Grade at two homes and have had great experience each time. The first time they helped us figure out what had gone haywire with our drainfield, and once we realized we needed a new one, after getting the design and permits done with a specialist, they were able to install our new drainfield in a funky spot down a hill. They were efficient, and the inspector told us it was one of the more impressive drainfields he saw. Then we bought a new house- and they were one of the first contractors I had out to assess the septic and sand pump filter. We've done several phases of updates to our system to keep it working most efficiently. I basically don't want to ever think about septic and they help that happen. When we've had emergencies- they've been very responsive. Dustan and Candace are the only people I trust to mess with our septic and we recommend them to all our friends and neighbors. read more

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY! They charged almost double the initial quote, didn't tell me they needed to do more than what was quoted before doing it and then totally lied about it. Then, it took them MONTHS to complete the paperwork for the permit to be closed and I had to get the inspector to even reach out to them to see what was going on. We had to get an attorney to help push this along. Absolute nightmare. read more

I read all the great reviews, all the recommendations and thought this was the best option, that wasn't my case. The crew came out to inspect and charged me. They then charged me for a drainage field assessment, another visit, digging two huge trenches. The crew seemed great but this left us unable to use water at a normal rate as per their advice and unable to use a large portion of the garden. It seems once the drainage field assessment came back good, the job was no longer worth their time. Rather than telling me this, I tried emailing and calling numerous times to get an answer on next steps and timelines, they just ignored me. No more email responses and only voicemails on any phone call. All I was looking for was some transparency, even if it was just this job is too small for us currently. Based on this experience this isn't a company I'd use in the future or recommend to others. read more

I left a 5 star review here for Dustan and his crew five years ago after an unpleasant Xmas septic surprise. Just had another septic surprise last weekend. Dustan came out on very short notice and sorted out our problem quickly. As always, I'm really impressed with Dustan. You can tell that Dustan really likes his work! He clearly enjoys problem solving septic issues. Very good at the engineering aspects of septic systems. He's definitely not afraid to go the extra mile to diagnose problems and uses best evidence to make decisions and offer recommendations. Very good communicator. Stands by his work. Rates are very reasonable. Another 5 star review from me! read more

Absolutely first rate in all phases of our project. Don't hesitate... use these folks if you need septic services.

There just aren't enough words to say how FABULOUS this company is. I love working with Dustin. He is fair and does the BEST job. Dustin put in a new septic system for us in 2011 and the pump went out in this awful snowy/icy weather and he and his crew...came out ASAP and replaced the pump and we are good to go! Thank you! read more

When you have a septic issue you need help as soon as possible. Above Grade was able to connect us with someone who could pump out our tank within a half hour and they were able to come out the next day to install a new pump in our septic. We really appreciate their fast service, working through the rain, and taking the time to help us understand our septic system better. Would recommend to anyone with a septic. read more

Dustin with Above Grade Septic goes the extra mile....Dustin was good enough to pick up his phone on a Saturday night and help us with our septic/sewer problem until it was solved and fixed... We are most grateful, not only for Dustin's willingness to take care of our very ugly sewer/septic problem on a weekend...but also for his knowledge and expertise of an essential part of our day to day living...just simply being able to take a shower and use the toilet ...is a very big deal when it's not working.......Thank you Dustin!!!! Highly recommend... read more

When my septic alarm went off on the weekend, Above Grade where the only ones they didn't ask me to wait until Monday. Not only did they come on Sunday and fix the problem, I was able to see that had I waited until Monday, the tank capacity would've been exceeded. They are always courteous, helpful and very reasonably priced. Recommended. read more

This review is based on their communication (or lack thereof) and not their work as we didn't get that far. The lack of communication and amount of miscommunications was really unnerving. Never could get the main guy to call us and talk directly - supposedly due to him having phone issues. And then called to reschedule the work on the day it was due - since he was behind with another job. Really an unfortunate situation. read more

Special thanks to Tara, who helped schedule our septic pumping. I called thinking we needed a simple pumping because our drains had been getting slower and slower. She was very patient and helpful, especially since I had no idea how our system was set up and the last time it had been emptied. I called late in the afternoon on Thursday, hoping to have the system pumped the following Monday. She took the time to call that Thursday at closing time, letting me know that although she had not been able to provide a firm time yet she would get back to me the next day with specifics. Friday morning we had the unpleasant experience of our toilet backing up into the tub (gross!!) so I relayed the information when she called, planning to spend the weekend with little to no water usage. She was able to pull some strings and had a crew out later that day on Friday, saving our weekend! read more

I prefer to work with industry experts who have great interpersonal skills while exceeding client expectations. I've recommended Above Grade Septic for my clients and they consistently provide a positive experience with superior customer service! Whether a routine inspection, repair or install, Above Grade is your number one option! Dawna ~ Broker/Owner Snohomes Realty. read more

I had my drain field fail a little while back and Dustin came out to have a look. He was honest about what I would be able to do and not do, since I was so close to the sewer line. He helped connect everything to the sewer. He handled my hostile neighbor with professionalism. Recently I found some crazy wires and piping in the back yard, thinking it was part of an even older septic on the property, Dustin came out to take a look at no charge. I really feel like they had my best interest in mind and I highly recommend them. read more

Saved the day! Needed inspection done for county within 24 hours! Dustin came at 8am, did the job, filed report with county with Tara on the phone without any delays! Without them, my deal could not have closed on time with many unhappy people! Thank you Tara and Dustin for AMAZING work! You are now my go to septic company! read more

Quick summary - they're honest, affordable, and they really go the extra mile to give you the best possible workmanship and customer service that you are going to find! I'd give them 6 out of 5 stars if I could. Now, my story: Our septic drain field backed up on the day before our wedding - Murphy's Law in full effect! After a temporary fix by pumping the tank, the first service-provider I had called (which will remain unnamed) bled me dry of cash with a few possible fixes over the next two weeks. Finally, they determined I needed a new drain field and sent me a contract. They wanted half up front, for a drain field they hadn't even designed yet. I sought out a few bids and contacted Above Grade. I called on a Saturday hoping to leave a message and get a call back on Monday. I got Dustan right away, and after talking things over for about an hour (on a Saturday!), I had learned that I could get a design from the county for under $100 - the first service-provider wanted $500 to create a design! Then, I could get bids on a known design and get a much better idea of the cost. The design ended up being more complicated than I wanted it to be, but given the location of my house on the lot and it's grade, I had expected as much. Once I had the design, I got a number of bids, including from the first provider (highest bidder), and Above Grade. While Above Grade wasn't the lowest bidder, they clearly provided the most detailed assessment of what I would need, what it would cost, and where there might be unknowns that they couldn't account for. I highly, highly, highly recommend Above Grade. They will give you honest answers to the questions you have, and to questions you may not even know to ask, all along the way. read more

Quality professional, exceptional customer service. My call was answered right away and the owner Dustan was very through in evaluating what might be wrong with my septic. The amount of time he spent talking with me on the phone explaining what he thought was going wrong, suggestions on what the best course of action would be as well as the care and maintenance of a septic system was of great value and it instilled in me a great deal of confidence in his ability to get the job done right. Thankfully Dustan was able to come to my home the same day I called and fix the plugged up septic clean out. The cost was very reasonable and I plan on utilizing Above Grade Septic in the future to replace the older clean out pipe that was part of the problem I had with my septic system today. Highly recommended. Prompt. read more

After calling multiple septic companies and leaving messages to obtain a quote to pump and inspect our septic system, I decided to use Above Grade Septic for several reasons: 1.) Exemplary customer service! Shortly after leaving a message for a call back, Dustin called back and explained their process and was able to schedule an appointment to have our septic tanks pumped in the same week. 2.) Expert Knowledge On the day the pumping occured, both he and Travis arrived early to prep for the pump truck. Dustin reviewed the scope of the job while Travis took various measurments of liquid levels, performed pump and filter checks, etc. prepping the system for pumping. Both Travis and Dustin answered ALL of my questions in great detail and even provided valuable information which I was completely unaware of. 3.) Trustworthy & Professional After the tanks were pumped and it was time for payment, the tank truck charge ended up being more than he had originally quoted. After paying the gentleman directly, I mentioned this to Dustin who immediately stated he would adjust the final billing to reflect the mistake. I also purchased a custom filter which they would have to return later to install. I also mentioned to him that I wanted my septic system to be "worry free" and asked if they had a monthly payment plan that included a system "check-up" every 6 months, pumping every 3 years, and in the event of an emergency situation, I could call for immediate assistance. Without hesitation he responded SURE and told me he would get back to me with a price. On the day of installation, Travis arrived early (NOT LATE), and immediately went to work. Once again, he took the time to answer all of my questions in detail. When the job was complete, Travis handed me an invoice for services rendered (which included the adjustment for the pumping), and a VERY REASONABLE monthly maintenance quote. We have since had them recalibrate our system, flush the lines, a repair. I highly recommend AGS for all of your septic system needs. read more

Dustan seemed nice enough although it took awhile to get him out to look at my septic problem. After he looked it over he said he would work up a quote and get back to me. Never did hear back from him. Strange way to run a business. read more

We had a really terrible experience with another (suspiciously well reviewed on on Yelp) septic company who quoted us about 1/3 the cost of installing the system designed to repair our septic. We had already gone through the process of approval with county and were left with a 15k+ price difference to sort out and no care or concern on the part of the other company, who was dishonest with their bid and then disappeared when asked to honor their estimate. I reached out to Above Grade and a few other companies and was met with honest, up front answers. In the end, we moved forward with another company while waiting for the bid from Above Grade, but their bid was on par with the others we received from four companies. While we didn't have the system installed by Above Grade, I can recommend them. I can't tell you how important it is to work with a septic company that is honest, up front, answers their phone and returns calls. They explain the process well, keep contracts, and do proper research before throwing numbers at a project so that you have a REAL idea of what an expensive septic repair will really cost you. Bonus with AGS: they seem to care, too. I wouldn't hesitate to call them! read more