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- 1 Pump Truck = $60k/Month
Hello home service operators,
The septic pumping business is often overlooked, but that’s a mistake. There’s BIG money to be made if you have the blueprint. I’m gonna put you on the right track below.
Before we talk pumping for profits, here are today’s resources…
The OAO “Fix My Website Giveaway” is live…it’s free to enter
When my HVAC company needs leads (which is always), I know I can lean on Service Scalers
From $0 to $1.2B in the commercial HVAC industry
A quick primer on the ins and outs of smart HVAC systems
Plumbers using ChatGPT? It’s picking up steam, but is that a good thing?
LSA, GBP, SEO. All great ways to generate leads, but only if you have the knowledge to run the right strategy (get help here)
Slow Season Doesn’t Have to Mean Slow Business
When call volume dips, most shops scramble for ways to fill the board. The truth is, the leads you need are already in your customer list. They’re just waiting to be reactivated.
That’s where Avoca comes in.
Avoca’s AI CSR platform helps you turn traditionally slow months into profitable ones by reaching out to your existing customers automatically.
From unsold estimates to overdue maintenance, Avoca re-engages the people most likely to book again. This keeps your techs busy and your trucks rolling.
The result? More booked jobs. More loyal customers. Less time worrying about the next call.
If you want a full board even during slow seasons, Avoca is the tool that makes it happen.
The $100M Septic Business Blueprint
Septic might not be glamorous, but it is dependable.
I sat down with Micah Findley, co-founder of Homefield, who is building what could become the first national septic brand. His model is simple to understand but hard to execute.
Start with pumping.
Use it to win trust.
Then turn that first call into a lifetime customer.
Start with pumping, build from there
Most septic companies stop at pumping. They make good money moving waste, but the business never scales. The operators who grow past that seven-figure mark do it by layering on services that keep customers coming back.
Homefield treats every pump job as an entry point. Once the customer is in the system, the focus shifts to maintenance, inspections, and repairs. From there, they add installations and replacements. This turns a one-time pump into a recurring relationship.
In one of their Texas markets, a single technician in an F-150 manages more than 2,100 service agreements. That generates about $60,000 per month in predictable revenue. Nearly all of it comes from repeat customers, and they have not spent a dollar on advertising in ten years.
Stack services for margin and loyalty
Pumping is the most visible part of septic work, but it is also the lowest-margin service. The companies that grow are the ones that can deliver full coverage from start to finish.
Repairs: Fix or replace aerators, pumps, and distribution lines when systems fail.
Maintenance: Offer service agreements that include regular inspections and cleaning. These smooth out revenue and help customers avoid costly emergencies.
Installs: Take on residential and commercial installations to capture larger jobs and build market share.
Each additional service line builds resilience. Instead of fighting for the lowest price on a single pump, you become the trusted provider who manages the entire system.
Build recurring revenue through service agreements
Service agreements are where the real business begins. In Texas, many counties require three to four septic inspections per year. For companies that have already established a relationship with homeowners, this regulation becomes a built-in source of repeat income.
Micah’s team saw that one of their founder locations was making nearly $60,000 monthly with one inspector and one truck. That success came from consistency. The technician showed up three times a year, documented every visit, and created long-term stability for both the business and the customer.
These agreements also reduce advertising costs. When most of your work comes from existing customers, you can grow without increasing spend.
Control costs by owning disposal
Every pump truck has to dump its load somewhere. That creates one of the biggest expenses in the industry. Depending on the market, companies pay between 2 and 34 cents per gallon in disposal fees.
Homefield is solving this by vertically integrating its disposal process. Franchisees are encouraged to secure their own dumping options through land application sites or by investing in small wastewater treatment capacity.
Owning that part of the process protects margins, reduces dependency on competitors, and stabilizes pricing. It also gives the operator leverage when local treatment plants start tightening restrictions or raising fees.
Train before you scale
Unlike HVAC or plumbing, there is no formal training pipeline for septic technicians. Most new hires have never worked in the field before. That makes education a major barrier for growth.
Homefield built a month-long training program in Texas to fill that gap. Each new technician rotates through pumping, repairs, maintenance, and installation. They learn how to diagnose issues, talk with customers, and handle documentation for local compliance.
By standardizing that process, Homefield makes it possible to replicate quality across new markets.
A data-driven approach to growth
Before opening a new location, the team maps the total addressable market using public records. Every septic system is permitted, which means they can see exactly how many systems are in the ground and how often they are serviced.
That data tells them whether a market can support long-term operations. It also helps them decide how many service agreements to target in the first five years.
A typical goal is to capture 8 to 10 percent of the market within a defined territory. In counties with 70,000 systems, that means several thousand potential customers under contract.
My takeaway
The opportunity in septic is not about pumping more tanks. It is about building a system that keeps the customer for life.
Start with the pump truck. Add maintenance, repairs, and installs. Secure your disposal costs by owning capacity. Train technicians until they can handle every part of the job. Then use service agreements to create predictable revenue that compounds over time.
When done right, a single pump truck becomes the entry point to a business that runs year-round and grows without relying on constant advertising.
Want to learn more? Listen to my full conversation with Micah Findley from Homefield.
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Could you see yourself pumping your way to serious profits?
It could be the opportunity you’re searching for.
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👊 John
Disclosure: Some of the content and links in this newsletter are sponsored or affiliate links, which means we may receive payment or earn a commission if you click through or purchase. However, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.
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