Buying a house on a well and a septic tank: what to inspect before the closing date

The septic inspection

The tank is located, opened and pumped so the walls, floor and baffles can be seen. Water level and sludge depth are read, the outlet is watched for backflow, the drain field is walked for wet ground, and any dosing pump, float and alarm are tested. The written report says which half of the system, if any, is the problem, and whether the tank is sized for the bedroom count the house is being sold with.

The well inspection and water test

The wellhead, casing, cap and seal are checked. The pump, pressure tank, switch and control box are tested. Flow and drawdown are measured against a meter. A sample goes to a certified laboratory for bacteria, nitrate, iron, hardness and pH, plus whatever the lender specifies. The completion report on file is pulled and compared with the well in the ground, because the two do not always agree.

What lenders ask for

FHA and VA loans require a water test from an approved laboratory and expect the well to sit clear of the septic system at the state setback. USDA rural loans commonly require the same. A conventional lender may ask for less, but a buyer's own interest in the two systems is the same regardless of who is lending. The inspection is scheduled against the closing date with lab turnaround built in, which means calling when the contract is signed rather than the week of closing.

Questions to ask the seller

When was the tank last pumped, and by whom. Where is the lid. Is there a completion report for the well. Has the water been tested. Has a bedroom been added since the system was permitted. Where does the well permit and the septic permit sit, which around Jacksonville can be two different offices.