Because septic systems are underground, major problems can easily stay hidden. Sometimes a house that has been vacant for a while, or one that has had only a single person living there, can make an otherwise failing system appear to be working fine but fail dramatically when a new family moves in. My familiarity with and experience in the Jacksonville area gives me an edge in finding issues that tend to occur more frequently here.

The few hundred bucks it costs to get a pre-purchase septic system inspection is money well spent compared to the tens of thousands of dollars having to replace a septic system can cost. Also, if repairs turn out to be needed, the money for the inspection is not money wasted. The report from the inspection is one of the documents required to apply for a repair permit.