If you’re buying a Tampa Bay home on septic or a private well, plan your own checks, because Florida doesn’t require a septic inspection or well water test when a home sells. Ask for the septic permit record, schedule a septic inspection, and have the well water tested for bacteria, nitrate and lead during your inspection period.
A lot of buyers moving here assume a home is on city water and sewer. Plenty are, but once you look at larger lots and land in places like Odessa, Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, San Antonio or Dade City, septic and private wells come up often. Neither one is a reason to walk away. They’re just two systems you’ll own and maintain yourself, so I want you to know their condition before you commit.
How Do You Know if a Tampa Bay Home Is on Septic or a Well?
Don’t rely on the listing alone. Here’s how I’d confirm it:
Ask the seller directly and get the answer in writing.
Look at the utility bills. A home on public water and sewer gets a water and sewer bill. A home on a well and septic usually doesn’t.
Ask the county health department for any septic permit on file for the address.
Ask your inspector to locate the well head, pressure tank and septic tank lid during the inspection.
Some homes have one and not the other, like public water with a septic tank. Know which combination you’re buying.
What Should You Check Before Buying a House With a Septic Tank in Florida?
In Florida, the Department of Environmental Protection oversees septic systems, and in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas your county health department still handles septic permitting and inspections, according to the Florida DEP Onsite Sewage Program. Under Florida Statute 381.0065, a permit is required to install, repair, modify or abandon a septic system.
Pull the septic permit record
The permit record can show when the system was installed, its approved size, and whether there’s been a repair permit since. If a bedroom or bathroom was added after the system went in, ask whether the septic was reviewed for it. This pairs well with the permit check I cover in my contractor license and permits post.
Schedule a septic inspection
A septic inspection isn’t part of a standard home inspection. Hire a licensed septic contractor during your inspection period to locate the tank, check its condition and look at the drainfield. Ask them to explain what they found and what maintenance they’d recommend.
Ask about the system type
Most homes have a conventional septic tank and drainfield. If the home has an aerobic treatment unit, Florida law requires an operating permit that’s renewed every two years and an inspection at least once a year. Ask the seller for the current operating permit and any maintenance agreement.
What Well Water Testing Should You Do When Buying a Home in Florida?
The Florida Department of Health says the state doesn’t require well sampling when a private home is sold. It recommends testing a well for coliform bacteria, nitrates and lead. After you own the home, it recommends testing for bacteria and nitrate every year and for lead every three years.
Use a state-certified lab
Always use a state-certified laboratory. Your county health department can give you sampling instructions, help you understand the results, and tell you whether it recommends testing for anything else in that area. In Hillsborough and Pinellas, the county health department also enforces local rules on testing new or repaired wells, so ask them if the well is new or was recently worked on.
Ask for the well’s history
The Department of Health’s homeowner’s guide to your well suggests buyers ask about the well’s age, condition and yield, any water treatment equipment, and the well log, which may be available from the seller, the company that drilled the well, or the local health department.
How Do Septic and Well Checks Fit Into Your Offer?
Timing is everything. Septic and well results can take a few days, so schedule them right away so they come back inside your inspection period. If something needs repair, you’ll have time to ask for it, negotiate a credit, or decide it’s not the right home.
Also ask your lender early whether your loan program has its own well or septic requirements, so there are no surprises close to closing.
Want Help Buying a Home on Septic or a Well in Tampa Bay?
Call or text me at 813-495-7238. If you’re looking at homes in Hillsborough, Pasco or Pinellas with septic or a private well, I’ll help you get the permit records, line up the right inspections early, and make sure you understand what you’re taking on before you commit.
Jennifer Messina Realtor | Tampa Bay (Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas) Luxury Service at Every Price Point Phone: 813-495-7238
This post is general information about Florida septic and private well guidance. It isn’t legal, health or engineering advice. Confirm details with your county health department, a licensed septic contractor, a state-certified lab, or your lender.
FAQ: Buying a Tampa Bay Home With Septic or Well Water
Does Florida require a septic inspection when you sell a house?
No statewide rule requires a septic inspection at sale. Buyers usually hire a licensed septic contractor during the inspection period and ask the county health department for the septic permit record.
Who handles septic permits in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas?
Florida DEP oversees septic systems statewide, and the county health department in each of these counties still handles septic permitting and inspections.
Does Florida require well water testing when a home is sold?
No. The Florida Department of Health doesn’t require well sampling at sale, but it recommends testing for coliform bacteria, nitrates and lead before you buy.
How often should you test well water in Florida?
The Florida Department of Health recommends testing for bacteria and nitrate at least once a year and for lead every three years, using a state-certified lab.
Is a septic inspection part of a regular home inspection?
Usually not. A standard home inspection doesn’t evaluate the septic tank and drainfield, so schedule a separate septic inspection with a licensed contractor.