Home-sale inspections, contractor certification and grants in the areas we cover, each linked to the agency that sets the rule.
By the SepticRated team · Facts checked against the sources listed below on November 1, 2026. General information, not professional advice.
EPA does not regulate single-family home septic systems. States, tribes and local governments do, so the rules below differ from place to place. Always check with your state or county agency.
For a property served by a conventional septic system or an alternative onsite system, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) requires the seller to hire an inspector to inspect the system within six months before the property changes hands. The inspector gives the seller a Report of Inspection, which the seller passes to the buyer; it does not need to be submitted to ADEQ. Within 15 calendar days after the transfer, the buyer files a Notice of Transfer, with the fee, with the proper agency: online with ADEQ, or with Mohave County for property there. ADEQ's form instructions (revised October 15, 2024) give the fee as $70 per parcel from August 1, 2024; in Mohave County the fee is $50 per parcel, paid to the county. The inspector must be qualified under Arizona rule A.A.C. R18-9-A316.
Florida law says an inspection of a septic system may not be mandated by a governmental entity at the point of sale in a real estate transaction, and septic permits transfer with the title to the property. The ban applies to governmental entities.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) runs the onsite sewage program and registers septic tank contractors. Ask a contractor for its DEP registration.
In Georgia, a company that pumps septic tanks must be certified by the Department of Public Health (DPH) and must also hold a current county septage removal permit, which DPH's onsite sewage manual says is valid for 12 months. DPH publishes lists of certified pumpers and installers on its onsite sewage page, so you can check a company before you hire it.
Suffolk County's Septic Improvement Program offers a $20,000 grant toward replacing the cesspool or septic system of an existing home that is not connected to sewer, or is in a proposed sewer district, with an Innovative and Alternative Onsite Wastewater Treatment System (I/A OWTS), using an installer on the county's approved list; the county pays the grant to the installer. The county's 2026 overview also lists a New York State Septic System Replacement Program grant of up to $25,000. Check current terms with the county before you sign anything.
40 companies in 5 areas, scored by the same published criteria.