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Getting a Septic Tank Inspection for a Purchase or Maintenance?
Did you know that not all septic services companies provide septic tank inspections for home purchase transactions (POS Septic Inspection)? And did you know that it's common for a home inspector to do the POS septic tank inspection but the septic company to provide the maintenance inspections?
Why wouldn't the septic experts provide POS septic inspections? Point of Sale inspections require complex scheduling to get the seller, the buyer and both the real estate agents at the property at the same time. This requires substantial administration, rescheduling and time waiting for people to arrive. With the same time and resources it takes to perform a point of sales septic inspection, most septic services company could service two customers with routine septic pumping, cleaning and maintenance.
Similarly, a home inspection company is already at the property with buyer, seller and real estate agents to perform a home inspection, so providing the point of sale septic inspection makes sense.
SEPTIC TANK INSPECTIONS BY HOME INSPECTOR
Check with your local municipality that governs your septic system requirements for a list of approved septic inspectors. Some home inspectors may list a septic inspection as a service but their version of septic inspection may not comply with the county requirements.
Septic Tank Inspection for Maintenance vs. Buying a House
You would assume a septic tank inspection is a universal phrase, used to describe an official inspection of a septic tank or septic system by an authorized, and credentialed, septic inspector. However, in some Ohio counties a septic inspection when you purchase a home has different requirements. In addition, some home inspectors may list "septic inspection" as a service when their version of an inspection is a simple septic dye test.
How do you Choose a Septic Tank Inspection Company?
- First, check your county requirements. In some cases the septic inspection is for buying a home (point of sale) is different for the septic inspection required for septic system maintenance.
- Second, make sure the septic services provider is on the county approved list. This sounds a little complicated, so let us try to simplify it. Most counties in Ohio will have lists of contractors approved for various septic services. Depending on the county, there could be four different lists:
- point of sale septic inspections
- septic service providers (maintenance inspections, septic cleanings and pumping),
- septic installations and
- septic system designers.
Not all point of sale septic inspectors do maintenance septic tank inspections. Likewise, many septic services companies don't perform POS inspections. Instead they focus on maintenance, cleaning and pumping.
Double Flush Septic Services: Experts at Maintenance Septic Tank Inspections
At Double Flush Septic Services, we enjoy being a partner with our septic system customers to provide the best in septic system maintenance. We install, repair, inspect, clean and pump out our customers septic systems and pride ourselves in helping protect their investment with the best maintenance. We seldom perform point of sale septic inspections. Doing point of sale septic inspections takes us away from our septic maintenance and septic services.
If your home inspector includes septic inspections as a service, make sure it's more than a simple fluorescent dye test and check your county septic inspection requirements to make sure they are on the list. (read more in the Summit County example below)
3. Third, check their reviews. You want a septic tank inspection company that gets great reviews. One that encourages customer feed back and posts their customer feedback with pride. If it's too hard to find customer reviews, that could be a red flag. At Double Flush Septic Services we encourage reviews through Google, Facebook, Yelp, Home Advisor, Angi and more. We belong to the Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce. As a fairly young business we work hard to build a solid reputation on excellent customer service and fair pricing.
SEPTIC TANK INSPECTIONS BY HOME INSPECTOR
Check with your local municipality that governs your septic system requirements for a list of approved septic inspectors. Some home inspectors may list a septic inspection as a service but their version of septic inspection may not comply with the county requirements.
Summit County Septic Tank Inspection Example
Whether you're in Summit County, Erie County, Lorain County, Portage County, Stark County, Wayne County or our home county of Medina, we can clean, inspect, pump and service your septic tank. However, we do not register for the county's point of sale inspection provider list as we prefer installations, repairs and maintenance. Here is an example of how you would choose a septic tank inspection company in Summit County:
First, search for "Summit County Ohio Septic Inspections". The first result is for the Point of Sale Program and states:
In Summit County, any residential home that has a sewage treatment system (STS) or a private water system (PWS) is required to have an inspection prior to the transfer of the property. A registered contractor must be hired to evaluate the system(s). Please see the list of registered private contractors available on this page.
If you're getting a septic inspection with the home inspector, make sure they are on the approved list.
Second, search Summit County Ohio Septic maintenance requirements if you do not need a point of sale septic inspection. The first result is the Summit County Operations Permit page which explains:
What do I have to do?
Pay for the permit and have the STS (sewage treatment system) inspected by a registered service provider to meet the terms of the permit. Permit terms and maintenance requirements vary based on the type of system you have.
You'll notice throughout the Homeowner Resources page and Operations Permit page that Double Flush Septic Services is listed in their list of registered service providers - as a septage hauler and a septic service provider, providing septic cleanings, septic tank pumping and maintenance inspections. We are not listed as a septic systems installer in Summit County, which varies across the seven counties in our service area.
So call Double Flush Septic Services or fill out our free quote request to see if we are approved by your county to provide the septic services you need.
24/7 EMERGENCY SEPTIC SERVICES NEAR YOU
We service the Northern Ohio area including Erie, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit and Wayne counties. Our family-owned septic company is the one to call for all of your emergency septic tank services, including septic tank pumping. We can work around your schedule when it's convenient for you, including working on weekends and evenings. Septic services include installations, repairs, inspections, cleaning and maintenance plans. Rest assured, when you partner with our local, family-owned septic company, your Northern Ohio home or business will be well served. Call to get started today!