A visual septic system inspection report for home inspectors: system type, age, permit and pumping records, the plumbing inside the house, how the tank was found, risers and lids, who opened the tank and whether it was pumped, liquid level, scum and sludge, baffles and effluent filter, the distribution box, pumps and alarms, drain field surface signs (wet ground, odor, lush strips, surfacing effluent), an optional hydraulic load test, setbacks from the well and water, what was not inspected, and recommendations. It is not a state or county septic certification form.
Inspection Details
Which property, who was there, and what kind of evaluation this is.
Report title
Client
Property address
Date of inspection
Time
Inspector
Company
License or certification number
Who else was there
Kind of evaluation — Part of a home inspection, Stand-alone septic evaluation, Maintenance check for the owner, Re-inspection after repair
Has the house been lived in recently? — Occupied — normal daily use, Vacant less than a month, Vacant one month or more, Not known
Weather and ground in the last few days — Dry, Rain in the last 48 hours, Heavy or prolonged rain, Snow cover, Frozen ground, Drought
This is a visual evaluation by a home inspector, not a state or county septic certification. The tank interior is described only if it was opened, pumping only if it was pumped, and a hydraulic load test only if one was run — each is recorded below. Buried pipes, tank bottoms and the soil under the drain field cannot be seen.
System Information and Records
What the paperwork and the owner say before you go looking.
Records seen — Permit, As-built drawing or site plan, Pumping receipts, Earlier inspection report, Service or maintenance contract, Seller's disclosure, None available
Permit number and issuing office
Type of system — Conventional — gravity tank and trenches, Pressure-dosed field, Mound, Aerobic treatment unit, Sand or media filter, Drip dispersal, Cesspool or seepage pit, Not determined
Year installed, or approximate age
Bedrooms the system was designed for
Bedrooms in the house today
Tank size from records (gallons)
Tank material — Concrete, Fiberglass, Polyethylene (plastic), Steel, Not determined
Last pumped
Does the owner report past problems — backups, wet spots, alarms or repairs?
What happened, when, and what was done about it
Do clear-water sources drain into the system — sump pump, roof gutters, softener backwash? — No, Yes, Not determined
Is there a garbage disposal in the kitchen?
Notes on records and history
Plumbing Inside the House
How the drains behave before the water reaches the yard.
Did every fixture drain freely when run? — Yes, No — slow or gurgling, Not tested
Sewage smell inside the house — None seen, Seen, Not checked
Signs of past backups — staining at floor drains, lowest toilet or tub — None seen, Seen, Not checked
Where the main cleanout or sewer line leaves the house
Visible part of the building drain and sewer line
Notes on the plumbing
Photographs — fixtures, cleanout, signs of backup
Finding the Tank and Its Lids
Where the tank is, how you know, and whether its lids are safe.
How was the tank located? — Risers or lids visible at the surface, From the as-built drawing, Probing the soil, Following the sewer line from the cleanout, Shown by the owner or pumper, Could not be located
Tank position
Access to the tank — Risers to the surface with lids, Lids buried — dug up for this inspection, Lids buried — not uncovered, No access openings found
Condition of the lids — Intact, heavy or fastened, cannot be lifted by a child, Cracked or broken, Loose, not fastened, Missing or open, Not seen
Sunken or soft ground over the tank — None seen, Seen, Not checked
Was the tank opened during this inspection?
Who opened it? — Licensed pumper or septic contractor, The inspector, The owner, Other
Was the tank pumped during the inspection?
Pumping company and the volume they removed
While the tank was pumped, did liquid flow back into it from the field? — No, Yes, Not observed
Photographs — lids, risers and tank location
Inside the Tank
Only what you saw with the lid off.
Compartments — One, Two, Not determined
Liquid level — Level with the outlet — normal, Below the outlet, Above the outlet, Not determined
Scum layer thickness
Sludge layer depth
From scum and sludge, is the tank due for pumping? — No, Yes, Not determined
Inlet baffle or tee — Present and sound, Damaged or deteriorated, Missing, Not visible
Outlet baffle or tee — Present and sound, Damaged or deteriorated, Missing, Not visible
Effluent filter — Fitted and clean, Fitted — clogged, None fitted, Not visible
Tank walls, top and joints, as far as visible
Roots or groundwater entering the tank — None seen, Roots, Groundwater running in, Both
Notes on the tank
Photographs — inside the tank
Distribution Box, Pumps and Alarms
Whatever sits between the tank and the field.
Was a distribution box found and opened?
Flow from the box — Even to every outlet, Uneven — box tilted or an outlet blocked, Solids in the box, Not determined
Condition of the distribution box
Is there a pump, dosing chamber, aerator or alarm?
Pump — Ran and shut off normally, Did not run, Ran without stopping, Not tested, No pump
High-water alarm — Sounded when tested, Did not sound, Not tested, None fitted
Aerator or blower (aerobic units) — Running, Not running, No aerator
Control panel and wiring outdoors — closed, weathertight, no exposed conductors? — Yes, No, Not seen
Is there a current service contract for the unit?
Notes on the box, pumps and alarms
Photographs — distribution box, pump chamber, panel
Drain Field Surface
What the ground above the field shows, walked end to end.
How was the drain field located? — From the as-built drawing, Inspection ports visible, Surface clues — stripes, mounding, Probing, Shown by the owner, Could not be located
Drain field position and rough size
Soggy ground or standing water over the field — None seen, Seen, Not checked
Effluent on the surface — dark liquid, gray slime — None seen, Seen, Not checked
Sewage smell in the yard — None seen, Seen, Not checked
Grass noticeably greener or taller in stripes over the trenches — None seen, Seen, Not checked
Sunken areas or holes over the field — None seen, Seen, Not checked
Driveway, parking, building, pool or patio over the field — None seen, Seen, Not checked
Trees or large shrubs close enough to root into the trenches — None seen, Seen, Not checked
Gutters, a sump outlet or yard runoff draining onto the field — None seen, Seen, Not checked
Inspection ports — Dry or low liquid, Standing liquid, None found, Not checked
Drain field overall, from the surface
Notes on the drain field
Photographs — the field from several angles
Hydraulic Load Test
Only if water was actually run through the system for the test.
Was a hydraulic load test performed?
Water introduced (gallons)
Over how long (minutes)
How the water went in — Fixtures inside the house, Hose into the cleanout, Hose into the tank, Other
Result — No surfacing and no backup, Effluent surfaced in the field, Backed up into the tank or house, Inconclusive
What you watched, and for how long afterwards
Setbacks and Surroundings
How close the system is to water people drink, and to the house.
Distance from tank or field to the nearest well
Distance to a stream, pond, lake or wetland
Distance from the tank to the house foundation
Do those distances appear adequate? — Appear adequate, Appear too close, Could not determine
Does the land slope from the field toward the well or the house? — No, Yes, Level ground
Notes on setbacks
Limitations — Not Inspected
What could not be seen or done today, and why.
Not inspected, or only in part — Tank not found, Tank not opened, Tank not pumped — walls and bottom not seen, Distribution box not found or not opened, Drain field not found, No load test run, Snow, frozen ground or recent heavy rain, Pump or alarm not tested, No records available, Nothing limited this inspection
Anything else not inspected, and why
Summary and Recommendations
How the system was doing on the day, and what should happen next.
Overall, on the day — Working as intended, within the limits of this visual evaluation, Working, with maintenance due, Signs of distress — evaluation by a septic professional advised, Failing — sewage surfacing or backing up, Not determined
Recommend pumping? — Yes, No, Just pumped
Recommend a full evaluation by a licensed septic contractor? — Yes, No
Recommendations
What should be done
Where
Who should do it — Licensed septic contractor, Septic pumper, Plumber, Health department, Electrician, Owner
How soon — Right away — health or safety, Before closing or within weeks, Within the year, Routine maintenance
Photo
Summary for the client
Inspector — signature
Any other photographs
Home Inspection
Septic Inspection Report
A visual septic system inspection report for home inspectors: system type, age, permit and pumping records, the plumbing inside the house, how the tank was found, risers and lids, who opened the tank and whether it was pumped, liquid level, scum and sludge, baffles and effluent filter, the distribution box, pumps and alarms, drain field surface signs (wet ground, odor, lush strips, surfacing effluent), an optional hydraulic load test, setbacks from the well and water, what was not inspected, and recommendations. It is not a state or county septic certification form.
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Fill this in and download the finished PDF. Your answers stay on this device as you type. We ask for an email address once, at the download.
A septic inspection report records what a home inspector found when evaluating the onsite wastewater system of a house: what kind of system it is and how old, what the records say, how the plumbing inside behaves, where the tank is and what its lids and inside look like when opened, the distribution box, any pump and alarm, the surface of the drain field, and how far it all sits from the well. This one keeps the tank, the pumping and the load test behind their own questions, so the report never implies you saw what you did not. You can fill it in here and download a finished PDF without creating an account.
Visual evaluation, not certification
Many states and counties require their own septic inspection at sale, done by a licensed or registered septic inspector on an official form. Some accept a home inspector's report; many do not. This form is a home inspector's evaluation of what could be seen and run on the day. It is not that official form, and the scope note at the top of the report says so in plain words.
Before you agree to the job, check who may open a tank in your area. In a lot of places lids are lifted and tanks pumped only by a licensed pumper, and the form asks who opened the tank for that reason.
Start with the paperwork and the owner
Most of what matters about a septic system is buried, so records do much of the work. Ask the owner for the permit or as-built drawing (it shows where the tank and field are, and what size they were designed for), pumping receipts, and any earlier inspection. Ask how many people live there, when it was last pumped, and whether there have ever been backups, wet spots or alarm calls.
Note how long the house has been occupied. A system serving an empty house for months can look perfect on the surface and fail within weeks of a family moving in. A vacant house is the strongest reason for a load test, and the reason the form asks.
What the tank tells you when it is open
If the tank is opened, these are the things worth recording:
Liquid level against the outlet. Level with the outlet pipe is normal. Well below it suggests a leaking tank; above it suggests the field is not taking water.
Scum on top and sludge on the bottom. When the two together fill about a third of the tank, it is due for pumping, and solids are at risk of washing into the field.
Inlet and outlet baffles or tees. A missing outlet baffle lets solids straight into the field, which is how drain fields die early.
The effluent filter, where one is fitted. A clogged filter backs water up into the house; it needs cleaning, not replacing.
Cracks, crumbling concrete, roots, and groundwater running in through joints.
Reading the drain field from the surface
Without digging, the field speaks through the ground above it. Walk it slowly and look for soggy soil or standing water, a sewage smell, grass that is greener and taller in stripes that match the trenches, sunken areas, and anything parked, built or paved over it. Surfacing effluent is a health hazard and is reported as one.
Weather matters. After heavy rain any lawn can be wet, and in a drought a struggling field can look fine. Record the recent weather in the details so the reader can weigh what you saw.
Common questions
Can a home inspector do a septic inspection?
A home inspector can do a visual evaluation: records, plumbing, locating the tank, the lids, the surface of the field, setbacks, and the tank interior if it is opened by someone allowed to open it. Whether that satisfies a lender or a local rule depends on where the house is; many jurisdictions require a licensed septic inspector and their own form.
Does the tank have to be pumped for a septic inspection?
Not for a visual evaluation, but pumping is the only way to see the tank walls, the bottom and the baffles properly, and some local rules require it at sale. If the tank was pumped, say who did it and what they saw. If not, the report says the tank interior was only partly visible.
What is a hydraulic load test?
A measured volume of water is run into the system, usually over an hour or so, to stress the field the way a household would, and then the field and the tank are watched for surfacing or backing up. It is most useful when a house has been empty. Only fill in that section if one was actually run.
How often should a septic tank be pumped?
Commonly every three to five years for a household, sooner for a small tank, a large family or a garbage disposal. The scum and sludge measurements give a better answer for this tank than any rule of thumb.
How far should a septic system be from a well?
It depends on local rules, soil and the kind of well, but separations of 50 to 100 feet between a well and the tank or field are common. Record the distances you measured and say whether they appear adequate; the health department has the final word.
What are the signs of a failing septic system?
Slow drains and gurgling throughout the house, sewage backing up into the lowest fixtures, wet or smelly ground over the field, effluent on the surface, and liquid in the tank standing above its outlet. One of these is a reason to call a septic professional; several together usually mean the field is failing.