House on septic tank Pros and Cons

[Gp G.]

What are pros and cons of house on septic tank rather than city sewer. Any investors has bad and good experiences with septic tanks and tenants rough usage? Please advise

[Bonnie Low]

There are pros and cons to each. Because we live in rural CA, we have lived most our lives on septic systems. It's not a big deal. You need to make sure the septic tank is inspected before you buy the property, it should be pumped (emptied) before you buy it and make sure the leach field is in good condition. Also make sure that it is sized appropriately for the number of bedrooms the house has since that is how you determine adequacy of system size (i.e., number of people who could be using it). If all those things are ok, you should be good to go. Of course, tenants flush all kinds of crazy things down their toilets and this will clog a septic system just like it will clog a sewer system.You also have to pump the septic system every so many years. We have a 4 bedroom and can go about 6-8 years between pumping so it doesn't happen very often. Sewer systems are usually preferred by most people. Sometimes that's just due to familiarity - it's what they know. There's an assumption that the City pays for sewer system upkeep but, of course, YOU pay for it through your sewer fees and sometimes those can be very high monthly fees so look into the cost and find out if it's common in your area for the tenant to pay the sewer fees or for the landlord to pay them. Also know that, in most cases, while the city will pay for maintenance of the main sewer line that runs down the street, maintenance of the line that runs from your house to the main is on you. Those can give out (which is why you should have your laterals inspected before you buy) and are often subject to infiltration by tree roots. That can be costly to replace and if those laterals back up, can create a huge mess for you. Hope that helps!

[Tom Evans]

I would advise that you run if you hear the words septic system. Everything Bonnie said is true, but she only spoke about a city sewer. When you purchase a property with septic and the system checks out, that doesn’t mean it won’t go bad in 6 months. The municipalities normally have approved contractors that are the only ones that can work on your system. Sometimes the whole system has to be up graded to meet code. I got an estimate on one system for $38,000. If you try to use your own contractor you might as well tell the mob you’re taking over their city. The estimates are going to be high because of lack of competition. All of your renters are going to say “I didn’t flush any diaper wipes or feminine products down that toilet”. I also had a 10 year old remove a 200 lb lid off the tank and proceeded to throw in a broom stick and a bunch of rocks. Needless to say I sold that property. That’s my 25 cents. Good luck.

[George W.]

Sewers arent everywhere and that's the pro to septic systems it allows you to still have a house where sewer simply isnt available/an option. I would take sewer over septic but I wouldnt run away from a property just because of a septic. Cost of installing a system is going to correlate to how good your soil percolates water. The worse the ground absorbs water the more expensive the system will be as a rule of thumb. 

my area is pretty much exclusively all septics and as a plumber I'm in and out of a ton of houses. Seldom does anyone have a major issue with their septic system.  

Also btw it's the drain/leachfield that usually fails and not the septic tank itself generally. If the tank is in good shape you can get away with replacing just the drain field most times. Good way to tell if the drain field is bad is if the ground is super green, mushy and swamp like in that area. Drainfields dont fail overnight. 

Just had a customer with a bad drain field recently, it was 0 degrees out and they still had a wet swampy, green patch of grass growing. The drain field simply wouldnt let any more liquids perculate into the ground. That gives the liquids in the septic tank no where to go to and backup into the house. 

Yes that was a decent sized job to change the drain field but when you consider that the original one was from the early 70s it had a pretty good run. 

90% of the problems I see with septics are clogs on the inlet baffle. Which is a relatively small job when you have the proper cleanouts. 

[John Teachout]

There's millions of homes (and other businesses) with septic systems. If you don't live in a city, that's what you're going to have. I don't let it influence my buying decisions to any extent. The only septic system I've replaced was ancient (the tank was made out of bricks) and that was pretty inexpensive considering... (less than $4000 for the tank and drain field)

[Ron H.]

Strong preference for sewer although I will consider septic if system is newer and price is right.  When renting my tenants pay water/sewer fees.  All septic worries I have to pay for, both in every 3 years pump out and eventually when the system gets replaced, which is about $13K in my area.  Also, you never know if a tenant is treating the septic system properly, unless you do a pumpout and find foreign objects inside.  I do pump outs every 3 years in rentals since an overflow can ruin the entire leach field.

[Aigo Pyles]

Septic tank requires more maintenance. It needs to be pumped out yearly or every few years. City sewers are more convenient and as a property owner, the city has the responsibility for any repairs needed while for the septic tank any repairs needed is on you. 

[Nam Trang]

One thing you can do is call the Health Department. Ask what type of systems are approved for the area. There are different "Brand Names". Then call an installer and get a typical install price. This will give you an idea what the worst case scenario will be.

[Mikel Kaubfa]

I'm doing some self education on septic systems as we are likely to go under contract for a complex with multiple systems. I found this thread very helpful and educational. Thanks to all for the good replies.

[Joe Splitrock]

There are no pros to having a septic system. The only reason to have a septic system is if sewer is not available. 

The cost of maintaining a septic over time is greater than sewer hook up fees in most places. You have to worry about a main line, whether it connects to a septic or main line. Replacing a septic system can be very expensive depending on the location and site. If you are buying a property with newly replaced septic, that may not be bad, but if the system is 20 or 30 years old, you could be the one stuck with a big expense. 

The problem is what goes down stays in the tank or enters the drain field. You need to be careful about regular pumping and make sure your tenants are properly educated on having a septic system. It is too mush risk and effort for me.

[Michael Plante]

40 years investing in rentals

92% on septic.  Never had a problem 

Never gave it a thought.  Maybe I should?

[Tom Evans]

Micheal Plante the lord really really really loves you. I have septic at my home and it’s been dug up 4 times in 32 years. Every time something happened Mr Turd and his family start floating around in my basement. I will say that my area has a lot of clay, so my 4 children and bad dirt is the main culprits. I also get scared when I hear that “they” are going to start checking systems every couple years.

[Colleen F.]

@John Teachout someone else who had a brick septic I had one in PA and I thought it was just DIY job! We cast and new concrete top and were done with it but that was may years ago, probably wouldn't fly today. 

Things to consider for septic:

1. Is it really a septic, in RI we still have some cesspools and by law they need to be replaced on sale.

2. What are your local laws on transfer of property. Years ago in AZ we got a septic certificate, at the time I did not know that just meant we had a septic, not that it had been pumped etc. In MA you have to pass title 5 to transfer property or replace the septic if it fails. 

3. Inspect, inspect inspect. Know the system, get the plans. Is it gravity, does it have a pump, does it have alarms.  Know if any new laws are coming into play that may mean replacement. Are sewers coming through? The last thing you want to do is buy a property where you replace septic and two years later you pay sewer hookup.

4. Have an idea of what a new system will cost in your area. Septic can run from 8k to  50k. Know sewer fees and how they compare to what you pay for septic . 

5. Watch out for your local councilmen if they try to merge sewer and water fees. I had to write a letter to the town about my septic because they wanted to merge fees and we had water but no sewer.

6. If you  buy a house with septic maintain it and anticipate issues.  No grease or personal products should go down any drain but it is a big issue with septic. 

I am not anti-septic just outlining things you might consider.  

[Matthew Paul]

Septics are no big deal to me in my area . We have sandy soil . I have had a drainfield issue or 2 over 30 years . No big deal , I have my own backhoe . 

[Suzette T.]

Originally posted by @Joe Splitrock:

There is no pros to having a septic system. The only reason to have a septic system is if sewer is not available. 

The cost of maintaining a septic over time is greater than sewer hook up fees in most places. You have to worry about a main line, whether it connects to a septic or main line. Replacing a septic system can be very expensive depending on the location and site. If you are buying a property with newly replaced septic, that may not be bad, but if the system is 20 or 30 years old, you could be the one stuck with a big expense. 

The problem is what goes down stays in the tank or enters the drain field. You need to be careful about regular pumping and make sure your tenants are properly educated on having a septic system. It is too mush risk and effort for me.

 Yes and Amen!

[Suzette T.]

Originally posted by @John Teachout:

There's millions of homes (and other businesses) with septic systems. If you don't live in a city, that's what you're going to have. I don't let it influence my buying decisions to any extent. The only septic system I've replaced was ancient (the tank was made out of bricks) and that was pretty inexpensive considering... (less than $4000 for the tank and drain field)

 Buying homes rurally and going through the department of health each time there is turnover is an absolute drain on profit as there is paying for a "contract" which covers nothing plus paying for permits.

[Matthew Irish-Jones]

@GP G. There are no pros to a septic system. It’s just necessary to have one in areas that do not have access to a public sewer system.

[Colleen F.]

@Matthew Irish-Jones the pro is that its once less bill. Also there are many nice locations you can build/live that don't have sewer.  

We hooked up to sewer before sale once and it was $5000 plus the decommissioning and install fees  of about $4000  that was  like 25 years ago.  Not sure what it costs now. The monthly sewer fees seem to be 50-100/month from people I know so  600-1200 / year x  30 years  minimum for a septic so 36000 so a 10k septic on a SF pays while a 40 k  one does not.  A septic pump out is 240- 300 every 3 years but again it depends on the area.

[Tom Evans]

My experience has been at my own home and one rental. The rental leach bed had tampons, baby wipes, cigarette butts, ear swabs, and of course rubbers clogging it. All of these items float so they go directly into the leach bed. The problem is Mr Backhoe has to dig up the yard before you find out what’s going on. Mr Backhoe is very well paid. At my home the contractor that was cleaning out the tank said “come here a minute “. I looked down in the tank and a feminine napkin looked like a pontoon boat floating around . My point is that all the family knew what to flush down the toilet, so I assume it was a guest. You can tell a renter what can be flushed, but that doesn’t mean they will do it.

[John Teachout]

Originally posted by @Suzette T.:

Originally posted by @John Teachout:

There's millions of homes (and other businesses) with septic systems. If you don't live in a city, that's what you're going to have. I don't let it influence my buying decisions to any extent. The only septic system I've replaced was ancient (the tank was made out of bricks) and that was pretty inexpensive considering... (less than $4000 for the tank and drain field)

 Buying homes rurally and going through the department of health each time there is turnover is an absolute drain on profit as there is paying for a "contract" which covers nothing plus paying for permits.

 This is apparently a Louisiana thing as I've never heard of it here in Georgia.

[Michael Plante]

Originally posted by @John Teachout:

Originally posted by @Suzette T.:

Originally posted by @John Teachout:

There's millions of homes (and other businesses) with septic systems. If you don't live in a city, that's what you're going to have. I don't let it influence my buying decisions to any extent. The only septic system I've replaced was ancient (the tank was made out of bricks) and that was pretty inexpensive considering... (less than $4000 for the tank and drain field)

 Buying homes rurally and going through the department of health each time there is turnover is an absolute drain on profit as there is paying for a "contract" which covers nothing plus paying for permits.

 This is apparently a Louisiana thing as I've never heard of it here in Georgia.

 Never heard of what in GA?

[Matthew Irish-Jones]

@Colleen F. That’s a feature of a septic system but it’s not an advantage. The only reasons a builder would put in a septic system is because a sewer system is not available.

It’s like people burning with heating oil or propane. They are not choosing an alternate fuel because it’s an advantage, natural gas infrastructure has not become available yet. Once it goes it wipes out all the secondary fuel sources. Just like sewers do to septic systems.

[Colleen F.]

@Matthew Irish-Jones  I guess if you are a builder that is true.  However septic can keep density down (both good and bad depending on your perspective) For more remote properties the cost of running the line  to a septic and maintaining  is much cheaper then running a new sewer line  and paying for local infrastructure.  

The reason people go to sewer when it is available is it is the law anywhere I have lived. It is required and they have no choice. Often the same is true for city water when you have a well. Not better just required.  For natural gas  from propane and oil the reason is different,  the hookup is always driven by lower cost.

[Matthew Irish-Jones]

@Colleen F. Good point :)

[Gp G.]

Thank you all for such a great valuable information.  How to filter toys or other junk like cigars etc. tenants may accidentally or intentionally put and flush  before reaching septic tank or field lines to avoid damage to septic tank or field lines

My septic contractor charged 18k to  put a pump motor and then put advanced Elgin small field lines in the front yard as back yard has lot of rain water drainage issues as backyard is downhill. I also got county approval now after struggling for 1 year. I also spent about 10k cleaning all mess in crawlspace. About 10k to do all plumbing properly and fix hvac in crawlspaces etc.

Septic contractor says pump motor good for 5-10 years. He also says advanced elgin septic field line should be good for 15-20 years. Hope the situation is not that bad that i have to sell this property now at break even price. But i can wait atleast around 10 years and sell when the value increases much more.

Please advise