Everything you wanted to know about septic inspections

This afternoon I sat through a presentation from Mike Kalkhof of The Home Team Inspection service (see link below). He was given the opportunity to shed some light on the ins & outs of septic inspections, specifically as it relates to Macomb county laws.

A septic system has to have a certification in Macomb before a property transfer takes place. A typical certification is good for a year. These days it is shrewd to wait for that inspection until after a buyer is found. Calling Mikes Home Team, he will take care of all necessary paperwork and additional phone calls for the tank cleaners.

Mike charges for his inspection, and you can expect an additional charge from the septic pumpers. The total costs can range from about $ 400 - $ 600 (or more depending on the size of your tank).

Mike takes core soil samples from your field to determine the condition of the drainage in and around your field. The pumping company removes any debris from the inside of the tank, and Mike performs an inspection of the tank and discharge pipes. He also spends time inside the home and or under the crawl space to determine general condition of the plumbing.

Mike swears that after your septic system gets done with your waste water, it should be good to drink... me, I'll stick with bottled water :0).

Once the inspection is complete, Mike gets a certificate from the county saying you're good to go, or will give you the bad news about any repairs that might be necessary. You can confirm the info with the county, but any repairs would need to be made prior to closing. If repairs cannot be performed in that time frame, typically an amount of money from the proceeds would be held in escrow until such time the repairs are performed shortly after closing.

All this, at the sellers expense.

Mike can answer any of your specific questions regarding wells or septics. Check him out on the link below.