Septic Inspections

Septic inspections are extremely important and can save you thousands of dollars!

Real Estate Inspections:
A real estate inspection is used to determine the condition of a septic system before the buyer completes the sale. Similar to having a roof inspection, a septic real estate inspection is essential in saving the buyer thousands of dollars in unexpected repairs. The inspection should include a pump-out of the septic tank to check for the structural integrity of the tank walls, lids, and the inlet and outlet baffles are checked.

The drainfield will be checked by running water and a visual inspection to determine if there are any obvious or potential problems. A list of recommendations are listed on the invoice provided by the technician.
Please note that septic systems are underground, it is very hard to determine when or if a septic system will fail. A lot of things influence a septic system, personal water use, Flushing abnormal amounts of paper and the type of paper. Laundry habits, damage to the system from roots, driving over the system, rain run off from roofs, ponding of water on property; just to name a few.

Therefore all of our inspections are “at time of inspection only.”
Dan’s Backhoe Service dba / Jupiter Septic can not be held liable for anything after the time of inspection which includes back ups, water damage, pumping of septic or drain field repairs.

Basic/ Visual :
Our basic inspection includes opening the outlet side of the tank and running water directly into the drain field for 20 to 30 minutes. During that time we check the tank for structural defects in the tank as best as possible keeping in mind that we cannot see what is below the scum layer without pumping the system. We also check the perimeter of the tank and drain field to looks for signs of pervious ponding, leakage, sunken areas that might indicate problems. Vegetation over tank and drain field should also be noted.
The tank lid is then resealed and our report is given.

Septic Tank Certification:
Tank certifications are called for when replacing the drainfield of an existing system; the FHA also requires a Septic tank certification. The county health department requires this report from a septic contractor to ensure the tank is structurally sound and the proper size when pulling a building permit. The certification will include a pump-out of the septic tank in order to see inside the tank to check for the structural integrity of the tank walls, lids, and baffle.
A certification report, page 4/4, will be sent to the health department, along with the owner, stating the condition of the tank along with a proposal to bring the system up to current standards operations, if needed.
When a home or commercial establishment is being expanded upon, such as an addition to a home, the county health department will require a septic system certification or page 4/4 as we call it, to determine if the current installed system is capable of handling the anticipated wastewater flow from the addition. FHA and VA Mortgage companies often also require a certification of the system before approving an equity line or mortgage to ensure the system is operating correctly.
The verification will include a pump-out of the septic tank in order to see inside the tank to check for the structural integrity of the tank walls, lids, and baffle. The inlet and outlet will be checked along with the filter. The drainfield will be checked through various means to determine if there are any obvious or potential problems.
A report will be sent to the health department, along with the owner, stating the condition of the system along with a proposal to bring the system up to standard operations, if needed.

Drainfield Inspection:
It is a brief inspection of your septic system by Dan’s Backhoe Service to determine the current condition of your drainfield. We will offer explanations of how your system works and help you make decisions to prevent problems or to solve any problems found. We generally do drainfield inspections with every pump out.