What is wrong, and who do I call?

Most septic problems start with something you can see, hear or smell — and then the hard part is working out which of the numbers in your search results is the right one. Calling the wrong trade costs you a visit that finds nothing.

Tell us what is happening and this page will tell you which kind of professional to start with, what they will check when they arrive, and what to do in the meantime. Where the honest answer is a plumber or your county office rather than a septic contractor, it says so.

Written for: Owners who can see or smell something wrong and do not know which trade to call.
Next step: Or browse by the symptom you can see
About this site: SepticOwner is an independently operated septic guidance publication. We do not perform septic work, diagnose systems, or publish price figures. Homeowners pay nothing. Where a provider covers the area, that provider pays for a qualified request. What we do and do not doHow a request is handled

Septic emergency checklist · Request urgent service

Tell us what is happening

Describe it however you would say it out loud. You do not need to know any septic terminology — every answer on this page is written for the words people actually use.

What are you seeing, hearing or smelling?Nothing you type here is sent anywhere. It filters the answers already on this page.

The nine kinds of professional

Septic work is not one trade. Knowing which of these you need is most of the problem, and three of them are not septic contractors at all.

Septic pumping company: Empties the tank, and can usually tell you what the tank looked like on the way out.
Septic repair or service contractor: Diagnoses why the system is not behaving and repairs pumps, floats, filters, baffles and lines.
Drain-field contractor: Evaluates whether the field is still accepting effluent, and repairs or replaces it.
Septic inspector: Assesses and documents the condition of the whole system, usually for a sale or a dispute.
Septic installer: Builds new systems and installs approved replacements.
Septic designer or engineer: Sizes and designs a system for the soil and the site, and produces the plan a permit is issued against.
Excavation contractor(not a SepticOwner service — we will point you, not connect you): Does the digging, usually working to somebody else’s design rather than deciding the fix.
Plumber(not a SepticOwner service — we will point you, not connect you): Works on the pipes inside the building and the line out to the tank.
County or state septic office(not a SepticOwner service — we will point you, not connect you): Holds the permit and as-built records, and sets what is allowed on your property.

Deal with this today

Untreated wastewater is somewhere people or animals can reach it. Limiting contact comes before working out who is at fault.

Sewage backing up inside the buildingStart with a septic repair or service contractor

Also described as: sewage coming up in the shower; toilet overflowing with sewage; basement drain backing up.

Wastewater is inside the building, and the cause could be the line, the tank outlet or the field. A repair contractor can diagnose and pump; a pumping-only visit may empty a tank that was never the problem.

Also reasonable: Septic pumping company.

What they will check

Whether the tank is full, and whether it is full because it cannot discharge.
The line between the building and the tank.
The outlet baffle and effluent filter.
Whether the field is accepting what the tank sends it.

Worth having ready before you call

When it started and what was running at the time.
Which fixtures are affected and which are not.
The date of the last pump-out and who did it.
Whether the property has an alarm, and whether it is sounding.
Any recent change — more people in the house, a new appliance, heavy rain, a power cut.

Do not

Do not keep running water to try to flush it through. Every litre added has to go somewhere and the somewhere is your floor.
Do not pour drain chemicals into a septic system to clear a backup.
Do not open, enter or reach into the septic tank or any access lid.
Do not assume a pump-out is the answer before anyone has established why it backed up.

What this does not prove

A backup does not prove the tank is full. A tank that is exactly as full as it should be will back up if effluent cannot leave it.
It does not prove the drainfield has failed. That has to be separated from line-side and tank-side causes.
A backup that clears after pumping does not prove pumping fixed it — it often means the tank simply had room again for a while.

If you would like us to find a septic repair or service contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say backup or emergency response.

Effluent surfacing on the groundStart with a drain-field contractor

Also described as: sewage coming up in the yard; breakout over the field; grey water on the surface.

Untreated wastewater at the surface is an exposure problem and, in most jurisdictions, a reportable failure. It needs somebody who can assess the field, and your county office may need to know.

Also reasonable: Septic repair or service contractor, County or state septic office.

What they will check

Where the effluent is surfacing relative to the field.
Whether the tank is discharging and the field is refusing it.
What the local rules require once surfacing is confirmed.

Worth having ready before you call

Photographs from a safe distance, with the date.
Household size and recent water use.
Site plan, permit record and last inspection report if you have them.
Whether it has happened before.

Do not

Do not hose it away or spread it.
Do not cover it with soil to hide it.
Do not drive over the area.
Do not delay the call — this is one of the situations where waiting genuinely costs more.

What this does not prove

Surfacing effluent does not prove the whole system must be replaced. It proves effluent has nowhere else to go right now, which can have a repairable cause.
It does not prove the tank needs pumping, although pumping is sometimes used as short-term containment while a real remedy is arranged.

If you would like us to find a drain-field contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say drain-field evaluation or repair.

Get somebody out soon

Something is not working and these situations tend to get worse rather than settle. Reduce water use and arrange an evaluation rather than waiting to see.

Every drain in the property is slowStart with a septic repair or service contractor

Also described as: all drains slow at once; whole house draining slowly; toilets and sinks both slow.

Every drain slowing together points past the fixtures and toward the tank or the line, which is diagnosis rather than plumbing.

Also reasonable: Septic pumping company.

What they will check

Tank level, and whether the level is above the outlet.
The effluent filter, if the system has one.
The building-to-tank line for a restriction.

Worth having ready before you call

Which fixtures are slow and which are normal.
When it started and whether anything changed then.
Last pump-out date.
Whether the system has a filter, if you know.

Do not

Do not use caustic drain products in the hope of clearing it.
Do not increase water use to "flush the system through".
Do not open a septic tank to look.

What this does not prove

Whole-house slowness does not prove a septic problem — it proves the restriction is downstream of where the plumbing joins, which could still be inside the building.
It does not indicate which septic component is involved.

If you would like us to find a septic repair or service contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic repair or diagnostic visit.

Sewage odor inside the buildingStart with a plumber

Also described as: sewer smell in the house; bathroom smells like sewage; septic smell indoors.

Septic smell inside is very often a dry trap or a venting problem rather than the tank — both are inside the building, and both are cheap to rule out before anybody digs.

Also reasonable: Septic repair or service contractor.

What they will check

Traps that may have dried out, including floor drains and spare bathrooms.
The vent stack and any recent roof or attic work.
Whether the smell tracks with use of a particular fixture.

Worth having ready before you call

Where it is strongest and when.
Which fixtures are used rarely or never.
Whether anything else about the system has changed.

Do not

Do not mask it with air fresheners while ignoring where it comes from.
Do not seal or cap a vent to stop the smell.
Do not open a septic tank to check.

What this does not prove

Indoor odor does not prove the septic tank or field is failing. The most frequent explanations are inside the building.
It does not prove a health emergency, though sewer gas is genuinely unpleasant and should not be lived with.

This one is not a septic contractor job, so there is nothing for us to connect you to — and telling you that is more useful than taking your details. Start with a plumber.

Sewage odor outdoorsStart with a septic repair or service contractor

Also described as: septic smell in the yard; sewage smell outside; smells bad near the tank.

Outdoor smell can come from the tank, the vent or the field. Somebody needs to open the tank and look before deciding which.

Also reasonable: Drain-field contractor.

What they will check

Tank level and lid seals.
Whether the ground over the field is wet where the smell is strongest.
The vent location relative to where you notice it.

Worth having ready before you call

Where and when the smell is strongest.
Whether the ground there is wet, and whether it has rained recently.
Where the tank and field are, if you know.

Do not

Do not dig to investigate.
Do not remove a lid to check.
Do not hose the area down — that spreads whatever is there.

What this does not prove

Outdoor odor does not prove the drainfield has failed. Smell disperses, and where you notice it is not always where it comes from.
It does not prove effluent is surfacing — that needs to be seen, not smelled.

If you would like us to find a septic repair or service contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say drain-field evaluation or repair.

Wet or unusually soft ground near the systemStart with a drain-field contractor

Also described as: soggy yard over the septic; spongy ground near the tank; boggy area in the lawn.

Persistently wet ground over the system is the classic sign that the field is not accepting what it is being sent — but so is a leaking line, so it needs looking at rather than assuming.

Also reasonable: Septic repair or service contractor.

What they will check

Whether the wet area follows the field lines.
Tank level and whether the tank is discharging.
Whether surface water or a downspout explains it instead.

Worth having ready before you call

How long it has been wet, and whether dry weather clears it.
What is uphill of it.
Where the field is, if you know.
Any photos taken in dry weather for comparison.

Do not

Do not drive or park on the area to inspect it — compaction makes a saturated field worse.
Do not dig into it.
Do not install drainage across it before anyone knows what is causing it.

What this does not prove

Wet ground does not prove septic failure. This is the single most common false alarm in septic ownership, and the difference is usually whether it stays wet in dry weather.
It does not tell you which component is involved, or whether the field can be recovered.

If you would like us to find a drain-field contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say drain-field evaluation or repair.

Standing water over the drainfieldStart with a drain-field contractor

Also described as: puddles over the leach field; water pooling on the septic field.

Standing water over the field is a field-acceptance question first. Pumping the tank will usually make it look better for a few days and change nothing.

Also reasonable: Septic repair or service contractor.

What they will check

Whether the water is effluent or rainwater.
How the field was built and how much of it is affected.
The distribution box, if the system has one.

Worth having ready before you call

How long it has been standing and what the weather has done.
Household size and any recent change in water use.
Last pump-out date and any inspection reports.
The site plan or permit record if you have it.

Do not

Do not pump the field dry as a fix — it refills.
Do not add a soakaway or drain into it.
Do not drive over it.
Do not buy a drainfield restoration additive.

What this does not prove

Standing water over a field does not prove the field must be replaced. Overloading, a distribution fault and surface water all produce the same view and have very different remedies.
It does not prove the tank needs pumping, though that is what many homeowners are sold first.

If you would like us to find a drain-field contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say drain-field evaluation or repair.

Septic alarm soundingStart with a septic repair or service contractor

Also described as: septic alarm going off; buzzer in the utility room; alarm beeping outside.

The alarm means a level sensor has been triggered. That is a pump, float or discharge problem, and it is a diagnostic visit.

What they will check

The pump and its float switches.
The control panel and breaker.
Whether the pump chamber is filling faster than it empties.

Worth having ready before you call

When it started and what happened just before.
Whether power was interrupted.
Whether the pump can be heard running.
Any panel label, model or brand you can read from outside.

Do not

Do not run laundry, dishwashers or long showers until it is resolved — the reserve above the alarm float is finite.
Do not repeatedly reset a tripping breaker.
Do not ignore it for days because it has been silenced.

What this does not prove

An alarm does not tell you what is wrong. It reports a level, and every cause above produces the identical alarm.
It does not prove the pump has failed.
Silencing it does not mean the situation has improved.

If you would like us to find a septic repair or service contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic repair or diagnostic visit.

Alarm light on with no soundStart with a septic repair or service contractor

Also described as: red light on the septic panel; alarm light but no buzzer.

A silenced or light-only alarm is still an alarm. The condition that set it does not clear itself.

What they will check

Whether the alarm was silenced rather than resolved.
Float positions and pump operation.
The panel for a logged fault.

Worth having ready before you call

How long the light has been on, if anyone knows.
Whether the property changed hands recently and whether it was on then.
Panel brand and any legend text.

Do not

Do not assume a silenced alarm has cleared itself.
Do not disconnect or cover the indicator.

What this does not prove

A light without sound does not mean the situation is less serious. It very often means somebody silenced the alarm and the cause is still there.
It does not identify which condition triggered it.

If you would like us to find a septic repair or service contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic repair or diagnostic visit.

The pump is running much more often than it used toStart with a septic repair or service contractor

Also described as: septic pump cycling constantly; pump runs all the time; hear the pump too often.

A pump cycling more than it used to is either being asked to move more water or is not moving it effectively. Both are diagnostic.

What they will check

Run time and cycle count against what the system should do.
Whether clean water is getting in somewhere it should not.
Pump condition and discharge line.

Worth having ready before you call

Cycle counts or run-time from the panel exterior if visible.
Any change in household size, appliances or landscaping.
Whether a toilet or fixture is running.
Recent weather.

Do not

Do not replace the pump before anyone has established why it is cycling.
Do not disconnect it to stop the noise.

What this does not prove

Frequent running does not prove the pump is failing. It much more often means the pump is being asked to move more water, or is achieving less per cycle.
It does not prove the field has failed, though a field that will not accept flow is one of the possibilities.

If you would like us to find a septic repair or service contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic repair or diagnostic visit.

The tank needs pumping far more often than it used toStart with a septic repair or service contractor

Also described as: pumping every few months; tank fills up again quickly; keeps needing to be emptied.

Needing the tank pumped far more often than you used to means something is either adding water or stopping the tank discharging. More pumping treats the symptom and hides the cause.

Also reasonable: Drain-field contractor.

What they will check

How quickly the tank refills after a pump-out.
Whether clean water is entering the system.
Whether the field is still accepting effluent.

Worth having ready before you call

Every pump-out date you can find and the invoices.
Any comment about sludge depth or the outlet.
Household size and any change to it.
Whether a sump or downspout discharges anywhere near the system.

Do not

Do not keep buying pump-outs as the remedy. Pumping is the symptom being managed, not the problem being solved.
Do not add a bacterial or enzyme product in place of a diagnosis.

What this does not prove

Frequent pumping does not prove the tank is too small. Undersizing is one explanation among several and rarely the one that changed recently.
It does not prove the field has failed either — but repeat pumping without a diagnosis is the classic way a field failure gets paid for twice.

If you would like us to find a septic repair or service contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic repair or diagnostic visit.

Symptoms appear after heavy rainStart with a drain-field contractor

Also described as: septic backs up when it rains; field floods in wet weather; only a problem in winter.

A system that only misbehaves when the ground is saturated is telling you something about the field and the site drainage.

Also reasonable: Septic repair or service contractor.

What they will check

Whether surface water is being directed onto the field.
How the field behaves once the ground dries.
Whether groundwater is reaching the tank or pump chamber.

Worth having ready before you call

Dates and rainfall for the episodes.
Where downspouts and surface water discharge.
Whether the field is at the low point of the site.
Photos during and after.

Do not

Do not conclude that a dry spell fixed it.
Do not add water to the system during the wet period — defer laundry and long showers.
Do not install drainage into or across the field without professional design.

What this does not prove

Rain-linked symptoms do not prove the field has failed. A field can be functional in normal conditions and overwhelmed by a seasonal water table.
They also do not prove nothing is wrong — a field with little margin left is often the one that shows up first in wet weather.

If you would like us to find a drain-field contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say drain-field evaluation or repair.

Symptoms appear after a power interruptionStart with a septic repair or service contractor

Also described as: alarm after power cut; septic problem after outage; pump not working after storm.

Systems with pumps stop moving water when the power stops. What matters is whether everything restarted properly once it came back.

What they will check

Whether the pump restarted and the panel cleared.
Breakers and the alarm circuit.
Whether the chamber level came back down.

Worth having ready before you call

Outage start and end times.
When the alarm started relative to those.
Whether the pump can be heard running now.
Whether the breaker holds.

Do not

Do not repeatedly reset a breaker that trips again.
Do not run laundry or fill a bath while the alarm is active.
Do not assume it will clear if the alarm is still on hours after power returned.

What this does not prove

An alarm after an outage does not prove damage. It very often means the chamber filled while the pump was off and will clear on its own.
It also does not prove nothing broke — surges do damage pumps and panels.

If you would like us to find a septic repair or service contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic repair or diagnostic visit.

A damaged or crushed pipe is suspectedStart with a septic repair or service contractor

Also described as: broken septic pipe; crushed line to the tank; pipe collapsed under the driveway.

A crushed or separated line is a repair, but the location has to be established first — digging to look is the expensive way to find out.

Also reasonable: Excavation contractor.

What they will check

Where the flow stops.
Whether anything heavy has been over the line.
The pipe run between building, tank and field.

Worth having ready before you call

What has driven or been stored over the system, and when.
The camera report or footage.
The site plan showing the pipe run.

Do not

Do not dig to look.
Do not continue driving over the suspected run.
Do not accept a full replacement quote without seeing the evidence the pipe is the constraint.

What this does not prove

A depression over the line does not prove the pipe below has failed.
A camera stopping at a point does not always mean collapse — it can be a bend, a low point holding water, or an offset joint.

If you would like us to find a septic repair or service contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic repair or diagnostic visit.

Worth booking, not an emergency

Worth understanding properly, but you have time to choose the right person rather than the first one who answers.

One fixture is slow and the rest are fineStart with a plumber

Also described as: only the bathroom sink is slow; one slow drain; single toilet draining slowly.

One slow fixture while everything else drains normally is usually that fixture or its branch line. A septic contractor called for this often finds nothing wrong with the septic system, and you pay for the visit either way.

Also reasonable: Septic repair or service contractor.

What they will check

The fixture trap and its branch line.
Whether the vent for that fixture is obstructed.
Whether anything else in the building is affected after all.

Worth having ready before you call

Which fixture, and how long it has been slow.
Whether anything else in the property is affected.

Do not

Do not book a septic service before checking whether the rest of the property drains normally.
Do not use caustic products on a system that discharges to a septic tank.

What this does not prove

One slow fixture does not indicate a septic problem. Calling a septic contractor for it usually produces a visit that finds nothing wrong with the septic system.
It also does not rule a septic problem out if other symptoms are present alongside it.

This one is not a septic contractor job, so there is nothing for us to connect you to — and telling you that is more useful than taking your details. Start with a plumber.

Unusually green or fast-growing vegetation over the fieldStart with a septic inspector

Also described as: grass greener over the leach field; stripe of dark grass in the lawn.

A lush stripe over the field is worth understanding rather than reacting to. An inspection tells you whether the field is stressed or simply well fed.

Also reasonable: Drain-field contractor.

What they will check

Whether the growth follows the field lines.
Whether the ground is wet as well as green.
Tank and distribution levels.

Worth having ready before you call

Photos across seasons if you have them.
Whether the area is ever wet.
Where the field is on the site plan.

Do not

Do not conclude the field is failing on this alone.
Do not let a contractor quote a replacement on this observation by itself.

What this does not prove

Greener grass over a field is often completely normal and proves nothing on its own. It only becomes meaningful alongside wetness, odor or drainage symptoms.
It does not indicate how much life the field has left.

If you would like us to find a septic inspector for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic inspection.

Gurgling from drains or toiletsStart with a septic repair or service contractor

Also described as: toilet bubbles when the shower runs; drains gurgling; glugging noise from the sink.

Gurgling is air moving where it should not, which is usually a venting or restriction question. If it is only one fixture, a plumber is the cheaper first call.

Also reasonable: Plumber.

What they will check

Whether it happens across fixtures or at one.
The vent stack.
Tank level and outlet.

Worth having ready before you call

Which fixture, triggered by what.
How long it has been happening and whether it is worsening.
Last pump-out date.

Do not

Do not wait for it to become a backup before making a call.
Do not pour drain chemicals in.

What this does not prove

Gurgling does not prove the tank is full. It indicates air is moving where it normally would not, which has several causes.
It does not establish whether the restriction is inside the building or beyond it.

If you would like us to find a septic repair or service contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic inspection.

Toilets flushing poorly or not clearingStart with a plumber

Also described as: toilet flushes slowly; toilet will not clear; weak flush in every bathroom.

A single misbehaving toilet is usually the toilet. It becomes a septic question when other fixtures join in or the tank is known to be full.

Also reasonable: Septic repair or service contractor.

What they will check

The toilet itself and its branch line.
Whether any other fixture is affected.
Whether the tank has been pumped recently.

Worth having ready before you call

How many fixtures are affected.
When it started.
Last pump-out date.

Do not

Do not book a pump-out for a single misbehaving toilet.
Do not use caustic products.

What this does not prove

A poorly flushing toilet does not indicate a septic problem unless other fixtures are affected too.
One toilet behaving badly while the rest of the property is fine is almost always the toilet.

This one is not a septic contractor job, so there is nothing for us to connect you to — and telling you that is more useful than taking your details. Start with a plumber.

The tank looks fullStart with a septic pumping company

Also described as: septic tank full to the top; liquid right up to the lid; tank looks like it needs pumping.

A tank sitting at its normal working level looks full to most people, so this is often nothing. A pumper can empty it and tell you what they saw — but if it refills immediately, the problem is discharge, not volume.

Also reasonable: Septic repair or service contractor.

What they will check

Whether the level is above or at the outlet invert.
How quickly it refills after pumping.
The outlet baffle and filter.

Worth having ready before you call

Who observed it and what exactly they described.
Last pump-out date and the report from it.
Whether drainage in the property has changed at all.

Do not

Do not open the tank.
Do not book a pump-out purely because someone said the tank "looked full".

What this does not prove

A full-looking tank is the normal state of a working tank and proves nothing at all on its own. This is the most widely misread observation in septic ownership.
What matters is whether the level is at the outlet or above it, and that is a measurement rather than an impression.

If you would like us to find a septic pumping company for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic inspection.

A distribution box has been raised as a concernStart with a septic repair or service contractor

Also described as: d-box needs replacing; distribution box tipped; uneven flow to the field.

A distribution box that has shifted or blocked sends everything to one part of the field. It is a repair, and it is much cheaper than the field failure it can cause.

Also reasonable: Drain-field contractor.

What they will check

Whether the box is level and the outlets are even.
Whether one line is taking most of the flow.
The condition of the box itself.

Worth having ready before you call

The written report or proposal, in full.
Whether the field was evaluated at the same time and how.
Which laterals were reported as receiving flow.

Do not

Do not accept a box replacement quote without asking what evidence there is about the field beyond it.
Do not dig to inspect.

What this does not prove

A tipped or damaged box does not prove the field is fine and only needs the box fixed. It also does not prove the field is finished.
Levelling a box does not guarantee that soil already saturated for years will recover.

If you would like us to find a septic repair or service contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic repair or diagnostic visit.

Symptoms appeared after household use increasedStart with a septic inspector

Also described as: problems since guests arrived; trouble since the family grew; issues after adding a bathroom.

More people means more water, and a system that coped with two may not cope with five. Worth understanding the capacity before deciding anything.

Also reasonable: Septic pumping company.

What they will check

Tank size against the number of bedrooms and occupants.
Current tank and field condition.
Pumping history.

Worth having ready before you call

What changed and the date.
Number of bedrooms the system was designed for, from the permit if you have it.
Current occupancy and peak-use pattern.

Do not

Do not add fixtures or bedrooms on the assumption the system will cope.
Do not spread the load by discharging anything outside the system.

What this does not prove

Load-linked symptoms do not prove the system is undersized for its permitted use. They prove it cannot take the current load, which may be more than it was ever designed for.
They do not establish whether the design capacity is still intact or has degraded.

If you would like us to find a septic inspector for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic inspection.

Root intrusion is suspectedStart with a septic repair or service contractor

Also described as: tree roots in the septic line; roots blocking the field; roots in the pipe.

Root intrusion is diagnosed before it is dug. Somebody should confirm where and how bad before anybody opens the ground.

Also reasonable: Excavation contractor.

What they will check

Which part of the run is affected.
Whether the pipe is damaged as well as obstructed.
What is growing near the line.

Worth having ready before you call

The camera footage or report if one exists.
A note of what is planted where, relative to the system.
The site plan if you have it.

Do not

Do not apply root-killing chemicals into a septic system.
Do not remove a mature tree on a suspicion before anyone has confirmed the pipe is the constraint.

What this does not prove

Roots visible on camera do not prove roots caused the problem. Roots are common in older systems, and what matters is how much of the pipe they occupy and whether flow is genuinely restricted.
Removing a tree does not restore a field that roots have already occupied.

If you would like us to find a septic repair or service contractor for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic repair or diagnostic visit.

A septic issue has come up in a property transactionStart with a septic inspector

Also described as: septic failed the inspection; buyer wants a septic report; closing held up by the septic.

A sale needs a documented assessment, and often a specific form the county recognises. That is an inspector’s job, not a repair visit.

Also reasonable: County or state septic office.

What they will check

The whole system against whatever standard the transaction requires.
Permit and as-built records.
Anything that would fail the local requirement.

Worth having ready before you call

The full inspection report, not the summary page.
The permit and as-built record for the property.
Pumping and service history.
Whatever the authority with jurisdiction publishes about transfer.

Do not

Do not agree a remedy scope before you have understood what the report actually found.
Do not assume the requirement is the same as a neighbouring town or county — this varies locally.

What this does not prove

A report recommending further evaluation does not mean the system has failed. Those are different findings and they carry very different costs.
A satisfactory report does not certify future performance — it describes what was observed on one day.

If you would like us to find a septic inspector for your area, send us the details. The form below will already say septic inspection.

Planning and paperwork

No immediate problem. Getting the records straight first usually saves money later.

Nobody knows where the system isStart with a county or state septic office

Also described as: cannot find the septic tank; where is my leach field; no idea where the tank is buried.

The county usually holds the as-built drawing, and that is free. Paying somebody to locate a system that is already on file is the avoidable cost here.

Also reasonable: Septic inspector.

What they will check

Permit records for the property.
The as-built drawing, if one was filed.
What the records do and do not show.

Worth having ready before you call

The permit file or as-built from the authority with jurisdiction.
The survey, plot plan or title documents.
Anything the previous owner or a long-standing neighbour remembers.
Old aerial or satellite imagery, which sometimes shows the trench pattern.

Do not

Do not probe aggressively or dig at random — you can damage the very components you are looking for.
Do not assume the field is where the tank is.

What this does not prove

Not knowing where the system is says nothing about its condition.
A lid you find does not prove it is the only access, or that it belongs to the tank rather than another chamber.

This one is not a septic contractor job, so there is nothing for us to connect you to — and telling you that is more useful than taking your details. Start with a county or state septic office.

Maintenance records are missing or incompleteStart with a county or state septic office

Also described as: no septic records; do not know when it was last pumped; no service history.

Start with the office that issued the permit. An inspection can establish condition, but it cannot recreate a history that somebody else already holds.

Also reasonable: Septic inspector.

What they will check

What is on file for the property.
Permit, design and any recorded maintenance.
Whether the system was ever formally approved.

Worth having ready before you call

The permit file from the authority with jurisdiction.
Invoices from any pumper or service provider who has attended.
Any inspection report from the purchase.
Photographs of access points and their locations.

Do not

Do not reconstruct dates from memory and treat them as fact — record what is known and mark the rest unknown.
Do not delay an inspection because the paperwork is incomplete.

What this does not prove

Missing records do not mean the system has been neglected, and their existence would not prove it has been maintained well.
They do not establish anything about condition — only an inspection does that.

This one is not a septic contractor job, so there is nothing for us to connect you to — and telling you that is more useful than taking your details. Start with a county or state septic office.

When we tell you not to call us

Of the 25 situations on this page, 5 start with somebody who is not a septic contractor. We could classify all of them as septic work — a site that connects homeowners to contractors has an obvious reason to — and it would cost you money and cost us the only thing that makes the rest of these answers worth reading.

One fixture is slow and the rest are fine — start with a plumber.
Sewage odor inside the building — start with a plumber.
Toilets flushing poorly or not clearing — start with a plumber.
Nobody knows where the system is — start with a county or state septic office.
Maintenance records are missing or incomplete — start with a county or state septic office.

What happens if you send us the details

A person reads what you wrote. Nothing is automated.
They work out which service category it is, using the same reasoning as this page.
We check whether a participating contractor covers your area and works in that category.
If one does, your details go to that single contractor — never to several at once.
If one does not, we tell you directly rather than leaving you waiting. We will never say you have been matched before you have.

We do not promise how quickly a contractor will make contact, because that is their decision rather than ours. How SepticOwner works sets out the whole process, and how we handle your details covers what happens to your information.

Common questions

Does this tell me what is wrong with my septic system?

No. It tells you which kind of professional is the right first call for what you are observing, and what that person will check. Working out what is actually wrong requires somebody on your property with the tank open. Every answer on this page also lists what your observation does not prove, because a symptom that looks obvious frequently has more than one cause.

Why does it sometimes tell me to call a plumber instead?

Because sometimes a plumber is the right answer. One slow fixture while every other drain in the house runs normally is usually that fixture or its branch line, not the septic system. A septic contractor called for that often finds nothing wrong with the septic system, and you pay for the visit either way. The same goes for a septic smell indoors, which is very often a dried-out trap.

Why would you send me to the county rather than a contractor?

If you do not know where your system is, or you have no records for it, the county or state office that issued the permit usually holds the as-built drawing and will give it to you. Paying somebody to search a garden for a tank that is already on file is an avoidable cost, and we would rather tell you that.

What happens if I submit a request?

A person reads it and works out which service category it belongs to. We then check whether a participating contractor covers your area and works in that category. If one does, your request goes to that single contractor and to nobody else. If one does not, we will tell you that directly rather than leaving you waiting. We will never tell you a contractor has been matched before one has.

Am I hiring SepticOwner?

No. SepticOwner is an independently operated septic guidance publication. We do not perform septic work, we do not diagnose systems, and we do not publish price figures for septic services. All licensed work is performed by the contractor, and homeowners pay us nothing.

Septic problems — every symptom, in more depth than this page.
Septic problem triage — answer a few questions and get the service category.
Septic services — what each service actually involves.
Questions to ask a septic contractor — once you know who to call.
Septic costs — what drives the price of the work.