Undisclosed septic system failure
Q. Last summer we moved from the city to the country and bought our first house with a septic system. A month after we moved in, both toilets overflowed onto the floor. That's when we learned the septic system was installed without a permit, and replacement with an approved system will cost about $8,000. We asked our home inspector why he did not discover this problem, and he said septic systems are not included in a home inspection. How can something as basic as sewage disposal not be part of a thorough inspection?
A. Costly surprises can arise when there are misunderstandings about the scope of the home inspection process. Septic systems are examples of this for two reasons:
• Home inspections are defined as visual inspections only. This means the inspector evaluates conditions that are accessible to view. Property components that are concealed within the construction, below ground or in other inaccessible areas are not included in a home inspection. This limitation pertains to septic systems because the septic tank and related piping are buried below grade and must be excavated to enable proper evaluation.
• Septic systems require specialized knowledge and equipment to provide competent diagnosis. In most cases, the top of the tank must be excavated to enable access. Once the tank is opened, thousands of gallons of sewage must be drained into a tanker truck to enable inspection of the septic tank interior and testing of the leach system. These things can only be done by a contractor who is in the business of servicing and maintaining septic systems.
When property with a septic system is being sold, it is usually the sellers who hire a septic contractor to evaluate the system and provide a report for the buyers. Homebuyers from the city are often unaware of this, being accustomed to the convenience of municipal sewers. Apparently no one advised you in this regard. If you were represented by a real estate agent, you should have been given this information.
Even when a septic system is nearly new and legally installed, a septic report should be provided because problems can arise from contaminants in the system. Common household products such as drain cleaners, detergents, solvents and bleach can kill the bacteria in a septic tank, causing excess solids to clog the pipes in the leach field. When this happens, repairs can be extremely expensive.
To avoid disagreements about the scope of a home inspection, it is important to read every word of the inspector's contract and report. Those documents define the extent of the inspection while listing common limitations. In all likelihood, your inspection report and the inspection contract listed septic systems as outside the scope of the inspection.
Buying a rural property without a thorough septic evaluation is a major gamble and can have costly consequences. When a septic system stops working, the only thing that goes down the drain is money.
• To write to Barry Stone, visit him on the web at www.housedetective.com, or write AMG, 1776 Jami Lee Court, Suite 218, San Luis Obispo, CA 94301.
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