Septic System Inspections

Whether selling or buying a home, our inspections are tailored to your needs. We are certified through local health departments and the National Environmental Health Association(NEHA). We are fully qualified for FHA, VA, and Rural Development inspections.

There are many good reasons to have a septic system inspected:

• To buy a house (due diligence, like a home inspection)  FHA, VA, RD Certified
• To sell a house (regulatory or sales incentive) (encourage buyers; satisfy regulations (see below))
• To troubleshoot problems
• To increase occupancy (ensure adequate capacity)
• To remodel a house (ensure adequate capacity)
• To verify location (to protect the system from being built or driven on)

Septic systems fail progressively, and problems exist long before they show up in the septic tank or house.  A good inspection tells how well a system is working, not just if it is working.

What areas in Michigan require a septic system inspection?

The State of Michigan at this time does not have a unified sanitary code.  What this means is that the State does not require any form of inspection performed on septic systems and places the burden of requiring inspections on the local health departments (usually county ran).  As a result, many counties only require an installation inspection as part of their permitting process.  However, there are a handful of counties and townships that require inspections during the sale of a home with a septic system, known commonly as a Time of Sale (TOS) inspections.

The municipalities that have these inspections in Southeast Michigan are Washtenaw, Wayne, Shiawassee, Macomb, Ingham, Commerce Twp, West Bloomfield Twp, City of Southfield.

Our Septic System Inspections:

While we tailor all our inspections to the type of system and the site conditions present, a handful of common items are needed to ensure the best possible inspection and are as follows:

• Access to the house, this allows us to ensure that all sewage sources are directed to the septic system as well as to check if any non-sewage wastewater (water treatment backwashes, etc.) are placing additional stress on the system.
• Water should be turned. This allows us to perform a load test on the system to ensure that there are no immediate backup concerns as well as to test the drainfield.

Our inspector’s will then:

• Locate all components and determine the type of system being used.
• Evaluate the disposal area (typically drainfield but not always).  Since it is the most sensitive, critical and expensive component, it is the main focus of the inspection.  Through probing and digging into the system with hand tools, we determine the construction materials used and current condition of those materials to help us determine the capacity of the system.
• Discuss advice specific to the system on the property as well as general educational advice that is applied to all septic systems. 

The inspection itself averages about two hours and a written report with a site plan of the system is typically provided one day after the inspection. If a well inspection was performed at the same time, then the report is provided once water results are received from the laboratory.

For the safety of our team, MISS DIGG will be contacted if underground utilities are suspected within the area where the work is to be performed.  When this happens, it may delay the inspection process.  Enviro-Assist is not responsible for damage to underground lines that may not be marked.