Learn me on septic systems

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

Buying a second home in the NC Mountains.  Tank was pumped 18 months ago. Should I pay for an inspection? $450 to pump plus inspection fee. House was built in 1978.

Then tell me me dos, don'ts, and maintenance for living on a septic. 

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

Decided to not cheap out and hired an inspector.

Edited January 15, 2019 by ShaggyBevo RIP

[BottleRocket 647]

Glad we could help.

 

[Cheeseweasel 26438]

Hire an inspector (as you did). The tank won't be the issue, make sure the check the field lines and the inlet box. 

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

4 hours ago, Cheeseweasel said:

Hire an inspector (as you did). The tank won't be the issue, make sure the check the field lines and the inlet box. 

House has bee vacant for a while. Gueasing the drain field may need to be perk tested. 

4 hours ago, BottleRocket said:

Glad we could help.

 

Due diligence is a tight time frame. Have to move quick. 

[williemackgarza 1826]

Dont cheap out, get an inspector

[ohchaucer 1443]

Well while we have the topic open, do any of you have a garbage disposal on septic and, if so, did you get one of the special "septic safe" types?

[Reagan1k 3024]

On 1/19/2019 at 12:06 AM, williemackgarza said:

Dont cheap out, get an inspector

Yeah-  a little PM on the front end can save money and prevent a shit storm (literally) from hitting you at the worst time down the road.  Even if the sale is done, get it inspected.  

[hornbri 1417]

3 hours ago, ohchaucer said:

Well while we have the topic open, do any of you have a garbage disposal on septic and, if so, did you get one of the special "septic safe" types?

Yes, no 

[troph 24912]

Yes, no 

Same

[Surly Bevo 25178]

They're shitty...

[Llano Estacado 1257]

So the master plumber says to the 1st fellah, “Get paid every other Friday. Shit rolls down hill. Dont chew your nails”

[horn4life 3783]

A new septic system can be VERY expensive.  As said inspection is cheap by comparison, espeically for the piece of mind.

NOTE- Make sure that there are no restrictions, or that you are aware of all the restrictions related to replacement.  I know in my dad's area the rules changed to where some folks lots were too small to have large enough drain fields for current code.  Some folks got royally screwed.

[Errestaurants 2570]

i just put in a conventional system at my farm.  $6500 all in. 

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

Inspector made it to the property on Friday afternoon. Tank is 3.5' under ground and requires a track hoe to uncover tank for the inspection. Puts total cost to inspect over $1K.  My previous inspection fee number was wrong. $600 for the inspection. $350 for the track hoe. Then 7.5% taxes. If they find an issue that requires pumping for a more detailed look add on $350.

Edited January 27, 2019 by ShaggyBevo RIP

[Gil Bang 26048]

Do you have an agent representing you?  

If so, pump/dump/certification should have been a seller cost in your offer.  

 

[Godzillatron 292]

Yeah-  a little PM on the front end can save money and prevent a shit storm (literally) from hitting you at the worst time down the road.  Even if the sale is done, get it inspected.  

Speaking from experience, this is good advice. Didn’t have our system inspected and found out after the sale the SOB we bought the house from had turned off the alarm and ignored multiple issues. Found this out when the system was fubared after we moved in. Also sound advice - get the seller to furnish a home warranty that covers the septic (not all do). In my case this covered the roughly $2k in cost to get the system running right after we moved in.

[Reagan1k 3024]

On 1/26/2019 at 8:15 PM, ShaggyBevo RIP said:

Inspector made it to the property on Friday afternoon. Tank is 3.5' under ground and requires a track hoe to uncover tank for the inspection. Puts total cost to inspect over $1K.  My previous inspection fee number was wrong. $600 for the inspection. $350 for the track hoe. Then 7.5% taxes. If they find an issue that requires pumping for a more detailed look add on $350.

While you have the tank uncovered, have the contractor add a concrete or poly riser and secure cover  over each tank compartment and bring them to grade so that you can get access to the tanks to inspect them without requiring equipment each time. 

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

1 hour ago, Gil Bang said:

Do you have an agent representing you?  

If so, pump/dump/certification should have been a seller cost in your offer.  

 

Out of norms in this market. We are buying at $34 a sqft under market(25%). Since, I can do almost all the updating(inspections turned up no structural, plumbing, or electrical issues) myself for around $10K of material we could flip it for $75K in our pocket. It was pumped 18 months ago(have receipts), and has been vacant for at least 12 months, and our agent got the pump company to look at their records and they found no issues at that time.

Edited January 28, 2019 by ShaggyBevo RIP

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

41 minutes ago, Reagan1k said:

While you have the tank uncovered, have the contractor add a concrete or poly riser and secure cover  over each tank compartment and bring them to grade so that you can get access to the tanks to inspect them without requiring equipment each time. 

Exactly, what our agent told us to do.

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

1 hour ago, Gil Bang said:

Do you have an agent representing you?  

If so, pump/dump/certification should have been a seller cost in your offer.  

 

I know it is a foreign concept to someone from California that a house has only appreciated $20-30K over the realtors' 6% cut in the 15 years the owners have lived in it. But, I have to thank the owners for limited updates from the 1980s and their deferred maintenance. And maybe, throw in the Great Recession's effects on rural America.

We looked at Asheville two years ago and this same property put in Asheville would be at least $350K(if not $450K) more. That is over a 100% higher. That a lot of hotel nights in Asheville and Greenville.

Edited January 28, 2019 by ShaggyBevo RIP

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4977]

$350 to pump it after they are already out there? I think I payed $125 last time I had to have somebody come out and pump mine.

[Reagan1k 3024]

Depends on the area and what the disposal rates are.  You aren't just paying for the pumping, but also the transport to and disposal of.

There aren't many things related to home ownership that vary so much depending on the region of the country or even a state....as "septic".

Prices, practices, legality, etc....it's all based on state and county code, presumably dependent on soil types and other environmental conditions.

 

 

[ShaggyBevo RIP 3868]

The septic inspections are good.