A septic system sits out of sight, so its condition is easy to guess wrong. An inspection replaces the guess with what we saw, measured, and tested on site.
When you need septic inspection
- You are under contract on a home with a septic system.
- You are listing a home and want no surprises in the buyer's inspection.
- You bought a house and have no idea where the tank is or when it was pumped.
- The system has been quiet, but it is old enough that you want to know.
- You are adding a bedroom, a bathroom, or a guest house.
- The tank or field sits near a spot where you plan to build, pave, or dig a pool.
What we do on site
- Find the whole system. We locate the tank, the line from the house, and the drain field or spray area. Many inspections start here because the lids were never marked.
- Open the tank and measure. We check the liquid level against the outlet and measure the sludge and scum layers. A tank running high above the outlet points to a problem downstream.
- Check the tank itself. We look at the baffles, the walls, the lids, and the risers for cracks, gaps, and missing parts. If the tank needs pumping to see it clearly, we tell you before we do it.
- Load test the system. We run water through the house fixtures and watch where it goes. A field that is struggling shows it under load.
- Walk the drain field. We look for soggy ground, odor, sinking spots, and grass that grows differently over the lines. On an aerobic system we check the sprinklers and the spray area.
- Check aerobic parts. On an aerobic unit we test the aerator, the pump, the alarm, and the control panel. We note whether a maintenance contract is in place.
- Explain it in plain words. We tell you what we found, what is working, and what needs attention. Nothing we tell you is there to sell you a repair.
Septic inspection in Montgomery County
Texas requires every aerobic system to be under a maintenance contract, with an inspection at least once every four months. For a septic inspection for home sale, we note whether that contract exists, because a buyer inherits the requirement.
Montgomery County Environmental Health Services permits septic systems in the county, and systems within 2,075 feet of Lake Conroe are permitted by the San Jacinto River Authority. We tell you which one covers your property, since it affects any future repair.
Clay soils here drain slowly, so a field can look fine in a dry month and struggle after rain. When the weather has been dry, we tell you that too.
What affects the cost
- Whether the lids are marked, or the tank has to be located and dug up.
- Tank size and the number of compartments.
- Conventional or aerobic, since aerobic parts add testing time.
- Whether the tank needs pumping to be inspected clearly.
- The size of the property and how far the field sits from the house.
Estimates are free, and we beat any written quote. If the tank needs pumping during the inspection, we quote that separately before we start.
How to get ready
If you are buying, ask the seller for any pump-out receipts, permits, or the site drawing. If you are selling, set those out for us and for the buyer.
Leave the water on, and let us run fixtures during the visit. Clear access to the yard and put pets inside.
After the inspection, go over what we found before the option period ends. Call us with any question about it.