So you are looking at a home or trying to sell a home that is on a septic system. A crucial question needs to be asked. How many bedrooms was the septic system designed for? This may affect just how the home should be listed.

If your septic system (on-site waste system) is designed for 3 bedrooms then you have a 3 bedroom home no matter how many bedrooms there may be or anyone thinks there should be.

I just did a home inspection that was listed as 4 bedrooms but the septic was designed for 3 bedrooms. This will be recorded on my home inspection report as 3 bedroom home (oh did I mention that the bonus room has a closet ; ). TI feel the listing should have been corrected to reflect the actual home septic design.

Chelan and Douglas County have this requirement-

New permits are required:

• When the number of bedrooms or sewage flow increases;

• Where the use is changed (e.g. an accessory structure is converted to a residence)

• Where new connections are made to a shared or community septic system.

So if you add or plan to add an additional bedroom you may have to modify your septic system to handle that additional load.

This is why getting a proper permit is so essential. The Health District will review the application to verify that there are records of the approved on-site sewage system installation that will support the proposed change to the building or property. The evaluation is intended to help assure that proposed changes will not impair the operation of the existing on-site sewage system.

What If an existing septic system (on-site sewage system) has no record of approval?

You will need to hire a Washington State licensed Septic System Designer or Professional

Engineer to verify that the existing on-site sewage system meets the current guidelines at the time of the application or install a new on-site sewage system. A replacement septic system may need to be installed if the located existing septic system does not meet today’s septic system guidelines for the proposed project.

So when it comes to homes on septic systems this is a very important piece of information that should be collected.

“If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”

Red Adair

NCW Home Inspections, LLC  is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Oroville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…  

Your Wenatchee and Chelan Professional Real Estate, Home and Structural Pest Inspection Service

www.ncwhomeinspections.com                                                   509-670-9572

You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and on my website Blog.