It happens with many RV owners and do it yourselfers: You envision something that could be changed about your home or land and wonder what it would cost to do it. The project could be remodeling your kitchen, redoing your bathroom, or in this case, installing RV hookups on land.
Of course, the answer is always “It depends” on what you want and how much you are willing to do yourself. We’ll explore some options for you and go over some pricing regarding building the things your RV needs for use on your own land.
The cost of installing RV hookups on land does indeed depend greatly on what you want and what you are willing to do yourself. It can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. Let’s explore a few options.
Parking pad and post
One of the first steps to installing anything, including electric or water, or to install a post. A “post” is really just a weather safe box where the water and electric lines can come up from the ground in one spot, making them easy to reach.
You’ll also want to make a parking pad for your RV. Why a parking pad? Ideally, you shouldn’t park your RV on grass or dirt because rain can make it difficult to move your RV. A parking pad is ideal to provide a proper, level surface, that’s easy to exit.
Pricing on the parking pad varies greatly. Doing it yourself and using gravel (which while not perfectly level, is certainly an option) could run you around $300 depending on the cost of material. Concrete parking pads that are as wide as many RV’s and have the length to allow all tires to touch the ground can run upwards of $3000 when installed by a pro. For reference, your pad should be four weet wider and four feet longer than your RV.
Installing water hookups on land
We’ll start with what should be the easiest one – installing RV water hookups on land. First, if you are wondering why you would need to install water hookups when you are just go inside – think about it. An RV can also be an escape from the regular routines of your house – or a way to keep too much family from actually staying at your house – just have them or you go in the RV. There are probably a few more reasons why, too.
Installing water hookups for your RV generally involves digging a trench from your existing water source over to the post on the parking pad.
It’s entirely possible that you have an unused or underused outdoor spigot that you could simply run a hose to for your RV. Thisi is by far the cheapest way to get water hooked up and could cost under $100 to get the hose of the right length.
If you don’t have an exterior spigot or it isn’t anywhere near the RV (this could happen if you have well water), then running adding plumbing to your existing system might be necessary.
We recommend hiring a plumber in this situation. While the answer of how much depends entirely on what you need. Professional water installation normally costs around $700 to add the ability to flex your sewer out onto the parking pad, depending on distance and complexity.
You’ll want to start by digging a trench below the frost line to avoid having the hoses and pipes freeze. It is possible to do this by yourself, but you could also rent a digger from a hardware or local rental store. Be sure to have the power company scan the area for water, electrical, and sewage pipes first.
Installing electrical for RV hookup
Electrical is a bit more dangerous for the average person to setup, but can be done by a do it yourselfer in a few situations.
If your RV happens to be less than 100 feet away from a power source, you could simply connect a heavy gauge extension cord from the outlet to your RV. This is the ideal scenario for some, since purchasing a longer extension guard of a high grade is relatively cheap at less than $100.
If your RV has 30 amp or 50 amp plugs, you are better off hiring a professional to help. While most any electrical shock can be harmful, a more powerful electrical shock from a more complicated energy system is also more likely.
You could actually use the same trenching or digging you did with the water hook up. An electrician will likely charge around $1200 to install a power line that extends from your residence out about 100 feet to an RV station.
Another reason to hire a professional for the purpose is that the professional should know the sizing, length, and gauge of wiring to install. Doing these incorrectly can cause electrical problems within the RV and the house.
In the end, getting electrical hookups can cost anywhere from $100 to $1200 depending on the complexity of the project and your abilities.
Installing a sewage hookup – how much does it cost?
Sewage can be easy, if you already have a septic tank or a direct line to your sewer. Some properties come with this – also, ensure that your city allows for you to pump sewage directly into a sewer. You’ll only need a hose and a coupling for this, and that’s very cheap.
You can also add an in ground septic tank, though it’s by far the most expensive option. Between digging a hole for the septic tank and installing it, the septic tank could run around $6,000.
The septic tank should cost around $2000-$3000 for an RV specific septic tank.
Talk to your city about options for draining sewage into a local sewer or one at your house.
Costs depend on what you want
The overall cost depends on how your land is setup and the local laws that govern sewers. You could spend $8000 or more having a professional hook up sewer.
Could it be worth learning how?
As you can tell from the above references – you can save significant money by doing many of these items by yourself. Thousands of dollars worth.
Especially for the areas of making the concrete pad, water, and sewage – you can learn processed by watching Youtube, assuming you have the physical ability to dig a trench and connect items. We don’t suggest changing electrical unless you really know how.
Conclusion
RV ownership comes with some costs, especially if you want to make your home function the same way for your RV that an RV park does. Most homes aren’t quite built equipped to supply outside power, though some are ready for water or sewage. A good do it yourselfer can always change this, though an expert electrician or contractor might be require if you are unable to dig a trench.
Is it worth doing? It sure can be if you plan to use your RV at home alot, and especially if you can safely and cheaply do it by yourself. Adding these projects can also make your home more valuable for potential resale value to a fellow RV owners – so consider it an investment, too.
