Wells and Septic: What to Check Before You Buy

Does a home inspection cover the well and septic?

No. North Carolina's home inspection standards do not require the inspector to check the well's water quantity or quality, or the septic system. You hire those separately.

For the septic, use an inspector certified by the NC On-Site Wastewater Contractors and Inspectors Certification Board, (336) 202-3126. A full inspection includes pumping the tank. For the well, use a certified well contractor from the state's searchable list. For the water, use the county health department or a state-certified lab.

Over the years we have vetted local inspectors and service companies we trust to do thorough work, and we're glad to share that list. You choose who you hire, though. We always encourage you to retain the inspector you feel most comfortable with, whether they are on our list or not.

Nothing requires a septic inspection or a well test when an existing home is sold. Buyers choose them during due diligence.

How do I find the septic permit?

Call the environmental health office in the county where the property sits. The county keeps the septic file. Many counties file records by owner name, not address, so give them the current owner, past owners and the year the house was built.

For our clients, we handle this. We request the permit and records from the county, and we run a desktop title search on the property that goes back as far as the online records exist. It is for information only and does not replace the attorney's title exam, but it turns up the past owners a county search needs.

Haywood asks for past owners and notes that this often takes a deed search. Graham can't search by address or parcel number and needs the owner's name from when the permit was applied for. Jackson takes record requests online through its Civic Access Portal. Swain says its septic and well permits can be viewed on a county map.

Expect up to three papers: an Improvement Permit, which says the site can take a system; a Construction Authorization, which says what to build; and an Operation Permit, issued after the system is installed and inspected. Some systems were permitted privately through an engineer or a licensed evaluator, and their paperwork looks different.

Old records can be thin. Graham says its septic records from before 1974 don't exist and records from before 1986 are limited.

What does the septic permit tell me?

The permit shows the number of bedrooms and the maximum occupancy the system was designed for, the daily flow, the system type, where the tank and drain field are, and the repair area set aside for a future replacement.

The operation permit is issued once the system is installed and inspected, so its date tells you about when the system went in. It can also carry conditions, such as a required maintenance contract or no garbage disposal. Systems are generally sized for two people per bedroom.

How many bedrooms does the septic permit allow?

The septic permit, not the room count, sets how many bedrooms a home can be sold as. The NC Real Estate Commission says that if the permit shows three bedrooms, a broker may advertise only three, even with a disclaimer.

Go by the current, valid permit for the system actually installed. A newer permit doesn't raise the count if the system was never built to it. In a 2025 case, the Commission disciplined a broker who marketed a two-bedroom home as three after the owner got a repair permit to expand the tank but never got an updated septic permit.

If more than one permit is on file, ask the county which one controls. If the tax card shows more bedrooms than the permit, the permit may be the limit.

What if no septic permit can be found?

It happens, especially with older homes, and some counties didn't keep early records. The Real Estate Commission's guidance is to disclose that the home has a septic system and the permit couldn't be found, and to market the existing bedrooms with that disclosure.

Before it comes to that, we have ways of tracking permits down. Each county files records differently and asks for different information, and knowing how to work each office and a property's history is something we have refined over the years. We do it for our clients at no additional charge.

Haywood County offers a $100 compliance inspection when no record is found (fee schedule effective July 1, 2023). Without a permit, a certified septic inspection carries more weight.

What should a well inspection and water test cover?

Ask the county for the well construction record, which shows the depth, diameter and yield when it was drilled, plus any permit and past water tests. Then have the wellhead checked and the water tested.

Counties began permitting private wells in 2008, so an older well may have no county file. At the wellhead, look for a cracked or corroded casing, a missing or broken cap, and cracked or settled seals. The well should sit well away from the drain field; county pages use 100 feet as the standard.

We also recommend a flow test, which measures how many gallons per minute the well produces. The drilling record shows the yield when the well was new, and a flow test tells you what it delivers today.

NCDHHS recommends testing every year for coliform bacteria and every two years for heavy metals, nitrates, nitrites, lead and copper. It says many North Carolina wells have too much lead, arsenic, iron, manganese, low pH or harmful bacteria. In Jackson County, bacteria results usually come back within 30 hours; other samples go to the state lab and take three weeks or more.

Should I test for radon?

Yes. NCDHHS recommends testing both indoor air and private well water in Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Swain counties.

For the air test, a monitor is placed in the home for at least 24 to 48 hours with the house closed up, windows and doors shut, so the reading reflects normal conditions.

The state radon program suggests testing the air first. For well water, it says treatment should be considered at 10,000 pCi/L or more, along with air mitigation, and is optional from 4,000 to 10,000. Radon can vary from one neighbor to the next, so a test next door doesn't answer it for your house.

What about shared wells and septic parts on another lot?

Ask where the tank and drain field are, because they aren't always on the same lot as the house. When any part of a septic system sits on another lot, in a common area or across a property line, the state requires a recorded easement or agreement that stays with the land and allows access for repairs.

Whether it's a shared well or a shared septic system, the agreement should spell out who pays for maintenance and repairs and how that works. Tracking that down can be a challenge, and we do it for our clients. In a community with a shared drain field, the HOA usually owns it.

A shared well and a community well are treated differently. A shared well serves a few homes, and the number of homes on it matters to lenders, so run it by your lender early to make sure the home qualifies under their underwriting. A community well is a different classification with its own state requirements, and under current lending guidelines the number of homes on it does not matter the same way. Fannie Mae, for one, requires a legally binding agreement for access and maintenance when the well or septic is off the property.

What about steep lots and repairs?

Slope matters. Under the state rules, slopes steeper than 65 percent aren't suitable for a septic system, and steeper ground needs deeper soil.

Macon and Graham keep systems 15 feet from the top of a cut bank, 5 feet from a foundation or deck, and 100 feet from a well. Walk the lot for gullies, rock, and signs of slides or flooding.

If you are buying land or a home on a steep lot, make sure a slope analysis is done in counties where one applies.

Most sites permitted since the early 1980s have a repair area set aside for a future replacement. Keep it clear of additions, garages, sheds and pools. The replacement may be a different, more advanced system that costs more. Any repair, and any added bedroom, needs an application to the county first, and expanding may not be possible if there is no room.

What upkeep do septic systems need?

For most systems, pumping the tank every three to five years, the range EPA gives. In our experience, local septic companies generally put it around five years, though it varies with how much the home is used.

Ask the seller for the service records, including when the tank was last pumped.

What if the property flooded?

After a flood, NCDHHS says a well must be assessed, disinfected and tested before anyone drinks from it, and the septic system should be checked by a certified inspector.

We run a flood analysis on every property our clients consider, to check for any known flooding issues. Since Hurricane Helene, also ask whether the well or septic flooded and whether there are test results or repair records from after the storm.

Questions to ask before you make an offer

• Can I see every septic permit on file, including the operation permit for the system that's installed?
• How many bedrooms does the permit allow, and does that match the listing?
• When was the tank last pumped, and is there a maintenance contract?
• Where are the tank, drain field and repair area?
• Is any part of the well or septic shared or on another lot, and is there a recorded agreement?
• Is there a well construction record and a recent water test?
• Has the well or septic ever flooded or been repaired?
• Has the home been tested for radon in the air and the water?

County environmental health offices

Each county's environmental health office keeps septic permits and well records for property in that county.

Phone numbers and addresses from each county's website, checked October 31, 2026. Fees and forms change, so call before you go.

More for mountain buyers

Buying a second home in the Smokies and retiring to the mountains from out of state. Or see how Jon works with buyers and read client reviews.

Sources

• NC Real Estate Commission: Septic permits, a refresher (2016)
• NC Real Estate Commission: On-site septic or public water and sewer? Do your research (2019)
• NC Real Estate Commission: Disciplinary actions (November 2025)
• NCDHHS: Private well water questions (2025)
• NCDHHS: Radon testing by county
• NCDHHS: Radon in well water
• NCDHHS: Well and septic safety after Hurricane Helene (2024)
• NC State Extension: Septic system owner's guide
• NC State Extension: Septic systems and their maintenance
• EPA: How to care for your septic system
• EPA: Protect your home's water

This guide explains what to check. It is not legal advice; for a specific property, ask the county and the professionals named above.