Cost: $150–$550 (higher end includes pumping); ATU inspections $350–$600.
What's checked
- Tank: size, material, cracks, lid and riser condition, sludge depth
- Baffles and effluent filter
- Distribution box: level, flow to every line
- Drain field: probe for saturation, surface signs, odor
- Pump chamber and floats where fitted
- Setbacks to wells and water where visible
- Optional: hydraulic load test for a definitive read on field capacity
Florida has no law requiring a septic inspection before a home sale, but lenders routinely do, and in Brevard the inspection has an extra job: establishing whether the parcel is inside the Indian River Lagoon program area and what that means before 2030. A buyer who learns after closing that the system must be upgraded is a buyer with a $10,000–$20,000 problem. Ask for the lagoon-status check to be included in the report.
When to book one
- Buying or selling — allow a week for scheduling before contingencies expire
- Refinancing where the lender asks
- After buying a home with no septic history
- Every three years as routine, per EPA guidance
You'll get a written report the same day with photos, findings, and a plain-language recommendation.
All work is performed by Florida-registered septic tank contractors who are licensed and insured.