Onsite Septic system inspections, installations, & repairs

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Having your septic system inspected every three years can prevent slow drains, toilets from backing up, and or sewage from surfacing in your yard. A problem found during a septic system inspection could save a homeowner from having to prematurely replace the entire septic system. Experience shows that proper maintenance of a septic system can significantly add years to its life. Records of these inspections can add value at the sale.

Septic system inspections should be performed every 3 years by a certified septic system installer with an inspector endorsement. General home inspectors do only a limited visual inspection. A septic system installer will look for cracks in the tanks, know the proper liquid levels, and will document the level of solids in the tank and its need for pumping. The inspection report will indicate any missing components of the septic system and any noticeable problems such as roots in the tank or surfacing of septage effluent. But the inspection can and will not predict the health of the system. Regular inspections and maintenance combined with good records of such can add value to the sale. 

Septic system inspection cost can depend on how extensive the septic system is, where it is located, and what must be done to properly inspect the system. Things like the number of or the size of the tanks can matter. The size or the amount of equipment that must be inspected can also affect the cost. Contracted annual agreements or regular scheduled inspections are cheaper and more effective to the actual value and resale of the system. They show historical maintenance and portray the health of the system compared to the more expensive one time or pre-sale inspections that only check the system for its designed components. 

The seller is required to disclose any known problems with a home to potential buyers. If there is a septic issue after the closing that the sellers knew about, they could be liable for the entire cost of the repairs. For that reason, it’s a good practice for sellers to hire a certified inspector to do their own septic inspections. But that is not always the case as the buyer should also be encouraged to obtain as much info about their investment as possible before the closing. But the pre-sale septic system inspection only inspects the system for its designed components. Normally the house is vacant, and the septic system is out of service. The pre-sale inspection does not give the system’s current health or future life of the system. But a good record of historic inspections and maintenance does.