NJ Licensed Professional Engineer · 30+ years
Site engineering for New Jersey properties.
Septic and SludgeHammer aerobic system design, variance applications, grading and drainage, stormwater and site plans. You work directly with the engineer: fast turnaround and plans built to get approved.
- Engineer
- Thomas N. Ott, PE
- License
- PE · NJ 42426 · NY 078223
- Experience
- 30+ years
- Counties
- Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Bergen, Essex
- Clients
- Homeowners, builders, realtors, attorneys
- Turnaround
- Fast. Direct line to the engineer.
Services
Engineering for the ground your project sits on
From a failing septic before a closing to a new home on a sloped lot, every job gets the same thing: a clear scope, a fair fee and plans that hold up at review.
Septic System Design
New and replacement septic systems designed to N.J.A.C. 7:9A, including failing systems that have to be fixed before a sale.
Learn moreAdvanced Treatment Systems
SludgeHammer aerobic septic system design, plus other aerobic and alternative treatment for tight lots, high groundwater and failing fields.
Learn moreVariance Applications
Plans and testimony for bulk and use variances before zoning and planning boards, prepared by a former zoning board member.
Learn moreGrading & Drainage
Lot grading plans for permits, and drainage solutions for water in basements, yards and next door.
Learn moreStormwater & Green Infrastructure
Stormwater management under N.J.A.C. 7:8, green infrastructure, and NJDEP wetlands and flood hazard permitting.
Learn moreMajor & Minor Site Plans
Site plans and feasibility studies for residential and commercial development, conversions and redevelopment.
Learn moreHow it works
From first call to approved plans
- 01
Call or email
Tell me the address and what you need. You will get a clear scope and fee before any work starts.
- 02
Site visit & testing
Field inspection, soil logs and permeability testing where required, and a review of the survey and municipal records.
- 03
Design & plans
Signed and sealed drawings and calculations, prepared to the standards the reviewing agency expects.
- 04
Approvals
Submission to the Board of Health, Zoning or Planning Board, or Soil Conservation District, plus testimony when it's needed.
Who I work with
Homeowners and the professionals around them
Homeowners
Septic failures, additions, pools, drainage problems, and anything else that needs an engineer's stamp.
Realtors & attorneys
Septic issues found at inspection and variances that have to be resolved before a closing.
Builders & contractors
Lot grading, site plans and septic design for new construction and major renovations.
Property owners & investors
Feasibility reviews before you buy: what can be built and what it will take to get approved.
Service area
Northern New Jersey
Based in Kinnelon and working across five counties, with long experience of local boards of health, zoning boards and soil conservation districts.
- Morris County
- Passaic County
- Sussex County
- Bergen County
- Essex County
Outside these counties? Ask. Nearby projects are often possible.
Insights
From the field
November 2026 · Drainage
Fixing a Marshy Backyard in Whippany: A 1,500-Gallon Drywell for the Roof Drains
A backyard stayed marshy for days after every storm. Soil testing found a saturated clay layer two feet down. The fix: collect every roof drain into a 1,500-gallon drywell that sends the water below the clay.
March 2025 · Septic System
Pirana Septic System Review: Can It Revive a Failing Leach Field?
A failing leach field in Passaic County, an aerobic bioreactor with a dead blower, and what happened in the three weeks after it was restored.
Have a property question?
Call or email with the address and what you're trying to do. You'll get a straight answer on what's needed, the likely timeline and the cost.