Septic inspections for escrow, permits and refinancing.
Our specialty. And since we don’t do repairs, the inspection has exactly one job: telling you the true condition of the system.
Four reasons people call.
Buyers
Know what you’re buying before escrow closes. Ryan walks you through the system so you know how to look after it on day one.
Sellers + agents
Get the inspection done early, keep escrow on schedule, and hand the buyer findings from someone with nothing to sell them.
Permits
Inspections that county environmental health departments require as part of a permit.
Refinancing
When a lender asks for a septic inspection before the loan can close.
What happens at an inspection.
- Find and open the tank. Ryan locates the lids, uncovers them if they’re buried, and opens the risers.
- Measure the layers. Sludge on the bottom, scum on top. How thick they are tells you how the system’s being used and when it needs pumping.
- Check the parts that fail. Inlet and outlet baffles, the tank walls, the liquid level, and pump chambers or diversion valves if your system has them.
- Look at the leach field. A walk over the field for wet spots, odors or surfacing effluent.
- Explain it. You get the findings in plain English, on site, with time for questions, and written up for your agent, lender or county.
Every system is different. Ryan tells you before the visit what your inspection covers and whether it includes a pump-out.
We don’t do repairs.
An inspector who also sells repairs has a reason to find something wrong. We don’t do any repair work, so our inspections have no reason to find problems that aren’t there.
“He really helped us in our Real Estate transaction. We had been given an incomplete report and we needed to get a comprehensive inspection quickly.” Ginna L., Palo Alto · Yelp
Inspection questions
Still unsure? Call or text (408) 763-0914. You’ll talk to Ryan.
Who pays for the septic inspection when a home sells?
It depends on your purchase agreement, and it varies deal to deal. Either side can order it. Ryan will work with whoever is on the hook, and he explains the findings to buyer, seller and agents alike.
Why does it matter that you don’t do repairs?
Because an inspector who also sells repairs has a reason to find problems. We don’t do any repair work, so our only job is to tell you the condition of the system, accurately. That’s it.
Does the tank need to be pumped for an inspection?
Often, yes: pumping lets Ryan see the tank walls, the baffles and the inlet and outlet, and see whether liquid flows back from the leach field. He’ll tell you up front if your inspection includes a pump-out.
How soon can you come out?
Call or text and ask. Reviewers regularly mention same-day and next-day visits, but schedules change week to week, and we’ll give you an honest date rather than a hopeful one.
Do you inspect cesspools and pump chambers?
Yes. Older cesspools and systems with pump chambers are part of the job.
What areas do you cover?
Santa Clara, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties, from our base in Gilroy.
Selling, buying or refinancing on septic?
Tell us the escrow date and the address. Ryan will tell you what the inspection covers and when he can be there.