Buying a house with a septic system in Georgia

How common septic is around Atlanta

Inside most cities, homes connect to public sewer. Move out toward the exurbs — much of Cherokee, Forsyth, Paulding, Henry, Hall and beyond — and septic becomes common, especially on larger lots and older subdivisions. Listings usually state "septic" or "sewer" in the details; confirm it with the seller's disclosure and the county, because listing fields are sometimes wrong. If you are shopping for land and space, our acreage list shows where it is.

How a septic system works, briefly

Waste flows from the house into a buried tank, where solids settle and are broken down. Liquid flows out to a drain field — perforated lines in gravel trenches — where the soil filters it. The tank needs periodic pumping; the drain field needs to be left alone. Most failures come from neglected pumping, roots, vehicles or construction over the field, or a system too small for the house it now serves.

Pull the records first

In Georgia, on-site sewage systems are permitted through the county environmental health office, part of the public health system. Ask them for the permit and any as-built drawing. The records can tell you:

• The tank's size and location, and the drain field's layout.
• How many bedrooms the system was permitted for — a house that has since added bedrooms may have outgrown it.
• Any repair permits, which signal past failures.
• Where you cannot build a pool, addition or driveway without affecting the field.

Inspect it during due diligence

A general home inspector usually does not evaluate a septic system. Hire a septic professional during your due diligence period to locate and open the tank, pump it if needed, check baffles and levels, and look at the drain field. Ask the seller when it was last pumped and for receipts. If the tank has to be pumped to be inspected, settle in advance who pays.

Questions to ask the seller

• When was the tank last pumped, and by whom? Are there receipts?
• Has the system ever backed up, been repaired, or had lines replaced?
• Where exactly are the tank and drain field? Is the tank lid accessible or buried?
• Have any bedrooms, bathrooms or an addition been added since the house was built?
• Is there a garbage disposal, water softener or sump pump discharging into the system?
• Has anything been built, paved or planted over the drain field?

What a failing system can mean

A tank problem — a broken baffle, a cracked lid, a pump in a pumped system — is often a moderate repair. A drain field that has failed is a different scale: it may need a new field, sometimes in a different spot, and a new field generally requires a permit, which can involve a soil evaluation by the county. On a small or sloped lot, there may be limited room for a replacement field. That is why the location of a usable repair area matters, and why a drain field concern should be resolved before your due diligence period ends, not after.

If the septic professional finds a problem, get a written repair quote and decide among the usual options: seller repair with a permit and receipts, a credit, a price reduction, or termination.

Planning a pool, addition or driveway

Buyers drawn to larger lots often plan improvements. Drain fields and their repair areas cannot be built over, paved or dug through. Before you buy a septic home for a specific plan — a pool, a detached garage, an addition — check the permit drawing against where you want to build, and ask county environmental health whether the plan is feasible. A lot that looks big may have its best ground taken by the field.

Warning signs

• Soggy ground, unusually green grass or standing water over the drain field.
• Sewage odour outside or inside.
• Slow drains or gurgling throughout the house, not just one fixture.
• Backups in the lowest drains.
• No record of pumping in many years.

Sewer available nearby?

Some septic homes sit near a sewer main, especially where suburbs have grown out around older houses. Ask the county or city sewer authority whether service is available at the address, whether connection would ever be required, and what tap and connection fees would apply. A home on a healthy septic system with no sewer nearby is normal; a home on a failing system with sewer at the street gives you a different, sometimes cheaper, repair option. Either way, the answer belongs in your due diligence notes, not a surprise letter after closing.

Living with septic

Pump on a schedule your septic professional recommends for the tank size and household. Keep cars, sheds and trees off the drain field. Don't flush wipes, grease or chemicals. Spread out laundry. A well-kept system can last for decades; budget for pumping in your ongoing costs of ownership.

Common questions

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