Septic System Inspections

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Every person buying a home with a septic system should have the entire system inspected by a qualified plumbing  or sewer-septic contractor that constructs and services septic systems.  The septic system inspection should occur prior to closing on the home and a satisfactory report should be part of the purchase agreement of the home.  Septic system repairs can be expensive, disruptive and messy, so it is best to know the condition of the septic system before you buy the home.  An inspection will allow the buyer to make an informed decision on the property.

The plumbing contractor will look at the design criteria of the septic system, as well as the actual condition of the system.  In many jurisdictions it is not the number of bathrooms that determine the design of the system, but the number of bedrooms, as this is a better indicator of how many people are going to live in the home.  The number of people is what determines the load on the system when it is designed.   The plumbing contractor will be able to determine the design load on the system and compare it to the number of bedrooms in the home.  If it was designed for 4 bedrooms or 5 people and there are 8 people in the house because the current owner added two additional bedrooms in the basement without a permit, there could be an issue.

As a part of the inspection, the contractor will look at the actual system including the septic tank and drain field and determine the overall condition of the septic system, with a focus on the condition of the drain field to determine if there are signs of it failing.  Once the inspection is complete, the plumbing contractor will provide the potential purchaser a written report detailing the findings.

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