Buying a house with a septic tank: Pros and cons

You’ve found your dream home in a rural area. The only challenge? This home isn’t connected to a municipal wastewater system. Instead, your home comes with a septic tank that stores and treats household waste on site.

If you’ve never owned a home with a septic tank, you might be nervous about such a purchase. But don’t let this waste set-up deter you from buying your ideal home in a community in which you have long wanted to live.

Septic tanks might take more work, and a bit of research, but they shouldn’t be dealbreakers when you’re looking for a home or deciding on where to live.

Here’s a closer look at how septic tanks work and the pros and cons of buying a home with one. 

What is a septic tank, and how does it work?

Before buying a home with a septic tank, it’s important to understand what these systems are and how they work.

Homes connected to a municipal sewer system take the waste that your property generates from sources such as your toilet, garbage disposal, and washing machine, and funnels it to a centralized treatment plant. With a septic tank, that waste is instead treated onsite, in a large storage tank buried under your yard.

Solids remain in the septic tank while liquids exit the tank into a buried drain field. These tanks are typically buried from 1 to 4 feet deep, though this varies by location.

You’ll need to schedule a regular draining of these tanks. How often depends on the size of your household and the size of your tank. The U.S. Environment Protection Agency recommends that you pump your tank every 3 – 5 years.

Here is a brief glossary of terms you’ll need to know if you plan to buy a home with a septic tank:

• Inspection ports: These allow service professionals to insert cameras and take small glances inside the tank to make sure it is functioning properly.
• Manhole: This is the top, large port on the septic tank. Maintenance professionals can climb into the manhole to inspect and service the tank.
• Scum: Scum is the oil or grease that floats on top of the wastewater in a septic tank. Your tank will include a T-shaped outlet that prevents scum from seeping out of the tank and into your septic system’s drain field.
• Effluent or wastewater: Effluent, also known as wastewater, is the liquid waste that leaves the tank and enters your system’s drain field.
• Sludge: Sludge is the heavier solid waste that sinks and settles on the bottom of the septic tank. Sludge does not empty into a system’s drain field but must instead be pumped out by a service technician on a regular basis.
• Drain field or leach field: The effluent in a septic tank empties into what is known as a drain field or leach field. This typically consists of a series of perforated pipes buried under the ground. The effluent from a septic tank trickles out of these pipes and into the soil. The soil filters out any harmful bacteria.

Pros of owning a house with a septic tank

As with everything involving a home, there are pros and cons associated with buying a property with a septic tank. Here are the main pros of such a home:

• Potential cost savings: With a septic tank, you won’t have to pay for municipal sewer service. This means you won’t get a monthly sewer bill from any city or municipality. You might also pay lower property taxes if your home is located farther from a major city and is not connected to a municipal sewer system.
• More environmentally friendly: If they are maintained properly, septic systems are environmentally friendly. They use natural methods of treating wastewater and don’t waste energy transporting this waste to a central treatment plant.
• Greater independence: Want to live far from a major city? Buying a home with a septic tank is an option. You won’t have to worry about being linked to a municipality’s sewer system. You also won’t need to worry about the rate increases that can come with municipal sewer service.
• Long lifespan: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that an onsite septic system can last from 15 to 40 years if maintained properly.

Cons of owning a house with a septic tank

This doesn’t mean that there aren’t challenges involved in owning a home with a septic tank. Here are some of the most common.

• Groundwater contamination risk: The EPA warns that poorly designed, poorly maintained or clogged septic systems can contaminate local groundwater supplies. According to the EPA, a malfunctioning septic system can contaminate surface and groundwater supplies with pathogens and nitrates that cause disease. It can also cause problems for homes served by well water.
• Maintenance and repair costs: Septic tanks do come with their own costs. Angi says that repairing a damaged septic tank can cost from $629 to $3,039 depending on the type of repair, tank size and permit costs. Angi says that in 2025, it cost an average of $1,834 to tackle a septic tank repair. The EPA says that you should also expect to pay from $250 to $500 every 3 –  5 years on septic system maintenance and pumping.
• Potential system failures: The EPA says that septic systems that are improperly installed or maintained or those that are not used properly can fail. That can result in a major repair bill and risks local groundwater contamination. Because of these risks, buyers when making an offer on a home with a septic tank should include a contingency stating that the deal will only close pending a septic inspection. This can help buyers avoid costly system failures in the future.

6 tips for buying a house with a septic tank

Ready to buy a home that comes with its own septic tank? Here are six tips to keep in mind before you close on that purchase.

1. Learn your local laws

Septic systems are built to match your home and adhere to local codes. These local laws may have rules around septic tank inspection, maintenance, and replacement. 

For example, some state and local health departments require a septic tank inspection before you can transfer the title. They may also require you to put in a larger septic tank if you decide to expand and add plumbing.

2. Get the system inspected

Septic systems need to be regularly inspected and maintained to avoid problems. Inspectors can perform a sewer scope inspection as well as check for pipe integrity, proper ventilation, and drainage. They will look for leaks and clogs and try to spot potential problems before they become bigger ones.

While inspections should happen every 1 – 3 years, some people forgo them. If you’re buying a home with a septic tank, ask to see its inspection history. Reviewing these reports will alert you to any previous system issues, like tree roots blocking pipes or clogged filters.

3. Know the specs of your system

It’s important to know the specs of your septic system when buying a home. The size of your system will determine how largely a septic tank needs to be drained. Make sure that you know when the septic tank was installed, too. That will give you an idea of when you might need to pay for a replacement.

According to Angi, it cost $5,000 – $12,000 in 2025 to replace a septic tank and drain field, with the average cost of this job landing at $6,000.

4. Prepare for regular maintenance

Septic systems require regular maintenance. The EPA recommends that homeowners schedule a septic tank inspection by a septic service professional at least every three years. You should also hire professionals to pump your septic tank every three to five years. If your system is more complicated, including those with float switches, pumps or mechanical components, it's best to schedule an inspection once a year.

You might also want to use biological additives. These can help increase the number of microbes in the tank, such as the bacteria and enzymes that will break down the sludge and scum. Using additives could increase the amount of time between tank cleanings.

5. Watch what you put down the drain

If your home has a septic tank, you must be careful what you flush down the toilet or pour into your sink drains. According to the EPA, you should only flush human waste and toilet paper down your toilet. Don’t flush baby wipes, feminine hygiene products, cooking oil, dental floss, diapers, paper towels, coffee grounds, or chemicals.

Never pour cooking oil or grease down your kitchen sink and never pour oil-based paint down the drain. If you have a clogged drain, don’t turn to chemical drain openers. The EPA recommends instead that you use boiling water or a drain snake.

The EPA recommends, too, that you not use or limit the use of a garbage disposal. A garbage disposal will send too much fat, grease, and solids into your septic system.

6. Know and recognize potential problems

Some things can go wrong with septic systems, especially if they’re not maintained. Leaks, ruptured and clogged pipes, and a flooded drain field can result in a big mess. For instance, if your yard floods and there isn’t enough weight in the septic tank, it can cause the tank to move or float, breaking the pipe.

If there’s too much liquid in the tank or drain field, the tank may not drain quickly enough – or at all. This can cause backflow problems if you’re using a lot of water regularly for things like running a dishwasher, washing clothes, or taking showers and baths.

You also need to know how to spot issues early before they can become big problems. Things like unusual odors, odd plumbing sounds, slow drainage, and backflow into your drains are all signs to have your septic tank inspected.

FAQ about septic tanks

Questions about how septic systems work and how you can keep one operating properly? Here are some answers.

Should I buy a house with a septic tank?

A septic tank comes with its own set of pros and cons. On the plus side, you won’t face municipal sewer bills if your home has a septic tank. Your property taxes might be lower, and you’ll have the freedom to live far from a big city if you want. On the negative side, septic tanks require regular maintenance. Depending on how long you live in your home, you might also need to replace an older system. Know, though, that a home can still be a good investment whether it is served by a municipal sewer system or relies on a septic tank.

How can I avoid overloading my home’s septic system?

A septic system can become overloaded depending on how heavily it is used. But you can take steps to lower the odds of this happening. This includes only flushing human waste and toilet paper down your toilet and avoiding pouring cooking oil, grease and other chemicals down your sink drains. Be sure to schedule regular inspections, too, to catch problems before they become too serious.

Does a septic tank affect a home’s value?

As with any system, a septic tank can either increase or lower a home’s value. If your septic system is performing well and is well maintained, it can boost your home’s value. If it is rarely serviced and you don’t use it properly – such as flushing solids down a toilet or pouring cooking oil down a kitchen sink drain – a septic system can lower a home’s value.

What happens during a septic inspection?

When you buy a home with a septic tank, your home inspector will visually examine it during your regular home inspection. That’s a good first step. But you should also schedule a septic tank inspection before buying the home.

During a septic tank inspection, a septic professional will remove the cover to your septic tank and check its water level to determine if it’s draining properly. The inspector will also run the water in your home to make sure it flows from the house to the tank. The inspector will watch, too, to make sure that this doesn't cause the water level in your septic tank to rise.

Inspectors will then pump your tank. During this process, the inspector will look for any backflow in your system's drainage field. If there is, that's a sign that your drain field isn’t working properly.

How will a septic tank affect the home’s landscaping?

You'll need to choose the right landscaping if you want it to thrive on and around a septic system. As the EPA says, certain tree and shrubbery roots could grow into the pipes of your system's drain field, damaging them. Strong roots could cause your system's drain field to fail.

The EPA recommends that homeowners plant native, drought-tolerant plants such as fescue grass, ornamental grasses and wildflower meadow mixes. Good ground covers include mosses, ferns, wild ginger, bugleweed, ground ivy, and periwinkle.

The EPA says that you should not plant a vegetable garden on or near a drain field, nor should you add ponds on or near the septic system and its reserve area.

The bottom line: You don’t have to avoid homes with septic systems

Don’t let a septic system scare you away from buying a home. Yes, septic tanks require regular maintenance. But these tanks can also save you money on municipal sewer bills and give you the freedom to live in more rural parts of the country. If you use your septic system properly, don’t overload it and schedule regular inspections and maintenance, your system should serve your home well.

Whether your dream home has a septic system or is tied into a municipal wastewater system, you can apply for a mortgage with Rocket Mortgage when you are ready to make the move to a new home.

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