Contractor Selection Standard
SepticOwner does not claim to have vetted, verified or certified any contractor. We have not built the process that would justify those words, and using them without the process behind them is exactly the kind of claim this site tells homeowners to distrust.
What we can do is tell you what to verify yourself. This is that list.
Business identity
- The legal business name, which may differ from the trading name.
- A physical business address, not only a phone number.
- How long the business has operated under this name.
- Whether the person quoting is the business or a salesperson for it.
- Whether the work will be performed by employees or subcontracted.
- A written quote on business letterhead with contact details.
Licensing and registration
Requirements for septic work vary by jurisdiction and by the type of work — pumping, inspecting, designing and installing are frequently treated differently, and a credential valid for one may not cover another.
Because of that variation, the useful step is not to memorise a requirement but to verify with the authority. Ask the contractor what they hold for this specific work, then confirm it with the authority with jurisdiction rather than accepting a number on a business card.
- What licence, registration or certification do you hold for this type of work?
- What is the registration number, and which authority issued it?
- Is it current?
- Does it cover the specific work you are proposing?
- If you subcontract part of this, what does the subcontractor hold?
RequirementState of Minnesota
In Minnesota the requirement is explicit and it falls on you as well as on the contractor:
Minnesota Rules Chapter 7083 requires a state SSTS licence appropriate to the work for any business that designs, installs, repairs, maintains, operates or inspects all or part of an SSTS, and provides that property owners employing a business for that work must hire a business licensed under the chapter.
Confirm for your property: the licence class appropriate to your specific work, and that it is current.
Source: Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes / Minnesota Pollution Control Agency — Minnesota Rules Chapter 7083 — SSTS licensing and certification. Accessed 2026-07-30.
RequirementSuffolk County, New York
In Suffolk County a specific county licence applies to system replacement:
Article 6 provides that no contractor or developer may replace a cesspool or individual sewerage system with a new individual sewage system for a permanent structure unless that contractor or developer holds an active Liquid Waste License under Suffolk County Code Chapter 563, Article VII.
Confirm for your property: that the licence is active, with the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.
Source: Suffolk County Department of Health Services, Office of Wastewater Management — Article 6 of the Suffolk County Sanitary Code. Accessed 2026-07-30; source dated 2020-12-01.
Insurance
- General liability insurance, with a certificate you can actually read.
- The coverage limit, and whether it is plausible for the scale of work.
- Whether the certificate is current.
- Workers’ compensation coverage, where employees will be on your property.
- Whether subcontractors carry their own coverage.
- A certificate sent directly rather than a photocopy handed over.
Scope and documentation
| Verify | Because |
|---|---|
| What is included, in writing | Scope ambiguity causes most disputed bills. |
| What is excluded, in writing | Exclusions are where quotes actually differ. |
| Who obtains any permit | This is frequently assumed rather than agreed. |
| Who restores the ground, and to what standard | "Restored" can mean seed or full reinstatement. |
| How additional findings are priced | Septic work uncovers things once open. |
| Whether work pauses for authorisation above a threshold | Prevents an invoice you did not expect. |
| What documentation you receive | A receipt is not a report. |
| Payment schedule | Large deposits before work starts warrant caution. |
| Warranty terms and what voids them | A warranty you cannot describe is not a warranty. |
Process and equipment
- Will you open the tank, and what will you inspect and report on?
- What equipment will you bring, and can it reach the work?
- How will you handle disposal, and is it included in the price?
- Where does removed material go?
- Do you perform drain-field work yourself or subcontract it?
- Who will actually be on site, and will a supervisor attend?
- How do you handle a design change required by the authority?
Signals worth acting on
- Pressure to decide immediately on a large sum.
- A replacement recommendation where the tank was never opened.
- A product claimed to restore a failed drain field.
- Reluctance to state exclusions.
- Reluctance to provide insurance or credential details.
- A large deposit demanded before any work.
- No written anything.
- Vagueness about where removed material goes.
- A price that only holds "if you decide today".
What SepticOwner does check
To be precise about our own role: where a provider covers a market, we hold a working relationship with them and we route requests to one provider at a time. That is an operational arrangement, not a verification programme.
We do not inspect their work, audit their credentials on your behalf, or guarantee their performance. If we ever build a genuine verification process, we will describe exactly what it checks — and until then we will not use the word.
Common questions
Does SepticOwner check contractor licences?
We do not run a licence verification programme, and we will not claim to. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction and by work type, and verification belongs with the authority that issued the credential. Ask the contractor what they hold and confirm it with that authority.
What if a contractor does something wrong?
Your contract is with the contractor, and remedies run through that relationship — and, where applicable, through the authority that licenses them or through insurance. Tell us as well: a provider who does poor work is not one we want sending requests to. But we are not a party to the work agreement.
Should I choose the cheapest quote?
Only after confirming the scopes match. A lower price for the same defined scope, the same exclusions and the same finish is genuinely better value. A lower price achieved by excluding disposal, skipping the baffle inspection, or leaving you a rough backfill is not a saving.
How many contractors should I get quotes from?
For a small routine service, one with a clear written scope is fine. For repair involving excavation, two. For replacement or drain-field work, two or three — and get a second opinion on the diagnosis, not just a second price, because at that scale the diagnosis is what you are really buying.