How to Pass Inspection for Septic and Sewer

Colorado Barb Schlinker 719-301-1802 www.BarbHasTheBuyers.com www.BarbHasTheHomes.com 

This topic is going to be really interesting. I’ve had a varsity education on this particular subject of sewer and septic systems because it typically comes up, it oftentimes comes up with properties that have issues with those things and it can be super expensive. So it’s something that home sellers need to be aware of. So to the home buyer, so I’m kind of excited to talk about this one. We’re talking about sewer and septic nightmares homes that have a septic system. What are the rules about selling a home like that? Well with septic systems in particular, so typically those are properties on the acreage of some sort.

You rarely see it on smaller acreage properties, but the county just establishes some new rules a couple of years ago that requires the septic system to be inspected by their approved vendors and then they have to submit a report to the County if the tank has more than 30% solid matter. Forgive me, you know, it’s not a pleasant subject, but that’s what it is. It has to be pumped and then it has to pass inspection as to whether or not, and this is the biggest problem we’re having with them, is whether or not the leach field passes and it’s actually draining appropriately. And this is not something we joke around, but this is not something you want to do at home yourself. I mean trying to find it is one thing, but beyond that, everything else is calling a person up.

Who pays for all of this stuff? Well, actually it’s not really set in stone, at least not by the County. Typically, when the offers come in on houses, it says the septic will have, or the seller will have the septic inspected and make any necessary repairs prior to closing. Plus, there’s another provision in the contract that says that the systems that were working at the time of the contract are the seller’s responsibility to still be working at closing. That’s kind of a gotcha! Yeah! And here, here are some of the things that can happen, but typically it’s a seller expense to do this, but it is negotiable, right? Like anything else, you know, and I want again,

I’d like you to be the person who’s doing the negotiating on that.

The phone number is 719-301-1802 again, to get in touch with Barb Schlinker, 719-301-1802.

What are some of the problems that could arise with the septic system that people need to have, at least on their radar? Well, I mean normally it’s not a big deal. You have it pumped. You have, you might have to put risers on the, it passes inspection, then you have to go to the County and apply for a septic transfer document that costs the seller $65 in addition to the inspection.  And you’re all good. But if it doesn’t pass, that’s when it really gets murky and very expensive. So the first thing that takes place is they have to do a soils test.

Now that could take 3 weeks to determine whether or not the leach fields actually draining properly. And once that’s done if they determined that the system has to be engineered, meaning the engineer has to design a new leach field to make the system work properly, that could take another 3 or 4 weeks. Well, typically on older homes, most buyers will do an extra inspection, which is to scope the sewer line during a home inspection. Now if you’re routinely maintaining it, it probably is not an issue. Most of these companies that do that, the sewer clean-out service will go through they’ll rotor Rooter and whatever they need to do to keep it maintained. But if they haven’t done it and if they’re surprises, it’s not a good time. if the pipes are fractured or bent or something. But one of the things I was going to say is on these home inspections if the home doesn’t have a cleanout, which they’ll pretty much home older than 80, same, the mid-’80s, may not have a cleanout.

I have actually seen inspectors come in and pull off the toilet, and that was my point. Well, I had one issue, actually, this has happened twice so far where they ran the sewer scope line so far, as the way out into the street and there was a problem in the street and they’re asking the seller to fix it. And I’m like, no, that’s not their problem. You can call the city to fix that, but that’s not on their property. So anyway, some of the most of these problems are easy to fix. Right, right! So like if the sewer line is fractured or blocked, then it could be as simple as just doing a sewer cleanout service were like a rotor Rooter thing, they go clear out the line. there’s another level of preparation or protecting fractures in the system is called CIPP it’s pretty inexpensive. Instead of digging holes to repair the pipe, what happens there is they put some kind of coating on the inside that dries and seals the space. So it lines it from the inside.

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How to Pass Inspection for Septic and Sewer
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