Septic services · Duncan
Septic Inspection in Duncan
Point-of-sale and maintenance septic inspections with the written report buyers and lenders need.
A septic inspection in the Cowichan Valley typically costs $300 to $700 and is standard when buying or selling a rural home. We inspect the tank, drain field, and flow across Duncan, Shawnigan Lake, and Mill Bay, and give you the written report that buyers, sellers, lenders, and insurers ask for.
Our written report covers the tank, the drain field, the flow under load, and the Island Health filing history.
What a septic inspection covers
We check the tank for cracks, sludge and scum levels, and sound baffles; the drain field for saturation and surfacing; and the flow through the system under water load. On treatment systems we check the components and alarms as well. You get a written report on the system's condition and remaining life.
Buying or selling a rural home
Most buyers, lenders, and insurers want a septic inspection as a condition of a rural sale. Our report protects buyers from surprises and gives sellers a clean, documented system to point to.
Maintenance inspections
Plenty of owners book us every few years to catch small problems early. We check that a treatment system is doing what its maintenance plan says, and every system we file comes with one.
What a septic inspection includes
- 1
Tank & components — We open and check the tank, the baffles, and any treatment components and alarms.
- 2
Field & flow — We check the drain field for surfacing and saturation and run the system under water load.
- 3
Written report — We write up the condition, anything of concern, and what you should plan for.
Local conditions
We work on plenty of Cowichan systems that went in decades ago, so on an older Cobble Hill, Mill Bay, or Glenora property we often find a drain field near the end of its life. Our tight soils are hard on them, and that's exactly what you want to know before you close.
In practice
- Situation
- A buyer was days from closing on an older Mill Bay acreage with an unknown septic system.
- Complication
- There were no records of the system's age, type, or last service, and the lender required confirmation it worked.
- Resolution
- We located and opened the tank, ran the system under load, and documented a functional but aging field — enough for the buyer to close with a clear picture and a maintenance timeline.
People also ask
Do I need a septic inspection to sell my house?
It's not legally required, but most buyers, lenders, and insurers ask for one on a rural property, so in practice a sale usually depends on it.
How long does a septic inspection take?
A residential inspection usually takes one to two hours on site, with the written report following shortly after.
What happens if a septic system fails inspection?
We identify what's wrong and the likely fix, from a pump-out or repair to a field replacement, so buyer and seller can factor it into the deal.
For related help, see septic pumping and septic repair. We also work in Shawnigan Lake.
Ready for a septic inspection quote in Duncan?
We offer free on-site assessments across the Cowichan Valley Regional District.