Septic Advice for Home Buyers FAQs

Property owner / seller does septic testing or repair FAQs

Home Seller Did Septic Tests or Certifications FAQs

We're buying a house with a septic system - the seller did the "septic certification"

Hi, we are in the process of buying a house that has septic and we never had septic before. The seller did the certification (we should have requested for it to be done by us) and it passed. In the certification , the only information it has is the septic tank size , the material of the tank (cement) and a line saying

"hydraulic test : okay". Does anyone have a different kind of certification report ? I would hope for more information on more details of the testing/certification process like the leach field does not have back-flow. Thanks On 2018-06-05 by septicnovice

by (mod) - you got a useless septic report or "certification"

Take a look at HOME BUYERS GUIDE to SEPTIC SYSTEMS

Watch out: The "report or certification" you describe is neither in any useful sense on those words.

At a minimum I would insist on obtaining some details of exactly what was inspected and what was tested and what those results showed. For example hydraulic test or septic loading and dye test has no meaning if you don't know anything about the volume of water that was run.

If the septic hydraulic test involves flushing the toilet once and then seeing that no water came up in the yard that would be an example of a meaningless test because the volume of water was inadequate.

In general you will find a real estate case law that a buyer who relies on a seller's representation is making a mistake

What's a "septic certification" by HUD or others?

Thanks for the link. It helps. It sounds like "hydraulic" test similar to "loading or flooding" test in the link

The certification that i mentioned is a form from Department of Housing and Urban Development Health Authority Approval - Individual Water-Supply and Sewage-Disposal System.

My lender needs the septic certification so maybe it's the form the plumber has to use ? In any event, it does not help me understand the condition of the system and its future usability.

I would have thought a certification would have more details from the septic inspector about the process of performing the test and observing the results. Do you know if there is a standard certification form in California ? What do you think i should do next given the limited information i got so far ? Should i look for another qualified inspector for second opinion? On 2018-06-05 by septicnovice

by (mod) - what is the right septic test volume

See. PRE-PURCHASE SEPTIC DYE TEST

Typical is 50 gal per bedroom as minimum but for a test to be valid and for you to have any confidence in it there are other steps necessary.

For example if the seller pumps the septic tank right before your inspection and it's sitting there empty you can't test it nor the drainfield.

Therefore be careful about looking for a specific number or detail and instead make sure you use someone who understands proper and valid septic system inspection and testing. Otherwise we are just kidding ourselves.

by septicnovice

the house has 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bath, the current owner is the only person there. In your experience, what is the volume of water that you think would be sufficient for a meaningful test ? Thanks

by septicnovice

Thanks so much for the info. I wish i found this site at the beginning. I talked to the plumber who did the certification, he said that they turned on all cold water fixtures in the house (5-6 faucets) plus two garden hoses for 30mins.

He said he does not know how much water in gal. He said he did not dig up the tank but he said there was no crack.

Is it possible to make such statement if you don't dig up the tank or surrounding to see if there are leaks ? They did pump the tank though. I think i am going to ask another plumber to have a look at the septic, i just don't know what tests he can do given the tank is already pumped. This plumber said he will dig up the tank.

by (mod) - if the septic tank was not inspected you can't know that it is not damaged

Well maybe super plumber with x-ray vision like Superman and see into the septic tank without opening it and report that there's no crack but that's pretty remarkable.

For the more you couldn't possibly see that there's no crack in the tank without emptying it first although you could if you knew that the sewage level was normal infer that the tank is not leaking. It does not, frankly, sound like a professional septic loading and dye test.

If we knew the water flow rate in the building we could guess at the volume that was used to make a test. It could be anywhere between 90 gallons and several hundred gallons. Hoping all the faucets doesn't necessarily give you greater total quantity over 30 minutes depending on the rate that the pump is able to deliver in the first place

. Also I would have liked to have heard that the inspection at least reported something about what could be seen at the site such as evidence of a fluid break out or not and what's known about the history of a system including is maintenance history. Please take a look at the buyer's guide. Remember that you are talking about a buried system for which we cannot know everything and we cannot eliminate risk.

But if you can find out something about the age & history of the system including its maintenance history that would be useful.

Home seller says the septic is "repairable" - we don't think so

House we want to buy has a septic system. We had it tested from a reputable company.

It failed! Recommended replacing 38 year old system. Buyer now has held us up, we are going to miss our lock in rate, and hired a company who septic installs isn't thier "specialty"!

Long story short, the contractor feels it is repairable and the seller is going that way. Should I worry or what can I do? On 2018-05-16 by Robert

by (mod) - reserve funds for septic replacement

Robert

These sort of arm-waving "he said" "she said" arguments are not going to produce a clear guide to making a decision.

Your attorney will surely point out to you that an agent hired by a home seller to tell you that something is not an issue or is less of an issue than your agent found is not providing information upon which you can rely - it is hardly from a neutral party.

Facts, specific observations, explanations of the specific observations might be more credible.

Repair vs. replace decisions should consider not just "can I get it working again until my truck leaves the end of the driveway", but rather, "what is the anticipated life of the repaired system" and "what future costs are likely to be faced, and when will they be encountered?"

If I were buying the home you describe and if I knew absolutely nothing more than what you've told me, if I wanted to proceed with the purchase I would do so with the ASSUMPTION that I was going to face septic replacement cost, and I'd have two or more reliable estimates on what that figure was going to be. That should be in your plan regardless of what allowance the seller is or is not going to give.