Need An Inspection of Your Property’s Septic System?

• Within 2 years prior to the sale of the property. If weather conditions prevent inspection at the time of a sale, the inspection must take place within 6 months after the sale.
• When there is a proposed change to the facility which requires a building or occupancy permit. This does not mean an inspection is required every time a building permit is needed – only when the use of the facility changes (e.g., from residential to commercial) or when a facility expands (e.g., adding a bedroom, enlarging the square footage of an office building, or adding seats to a restaurant).
• Unless official records showing location of the system components are available, any change in the footprint of a building also requires an inspection, to make sure that new building construction will not take place on top of any system components or on the system’s reserve area.
• For large systems with a design flow of 10,000 to 15,000 gallons per day or more at full build-out, on the basin schedule shown in 310 CMR 15.301(6), and every five years thereafter.
• Every 3 years for shared systems.
• When the property is divided, or ownership of 2 or more properties is combined.
• When MassDEP or the local Board of Health orders an inspection

Inspections in connection with a property sale generally are good for 2 years. If a facility is sold more than once in the 2-year period, the single inspection is valid for all property transfers.

If a system is pumped annually and pumping records are kept, an inspection is valid for 3 years.

*All information sourced from: https://www.mass.gov/guides/buying-or-selling-property-with-a-septic-system