While it's not possible to find 100% of problems 100% of the time, most major issues can usually be found during an inspection. Such as:

Would you want to find out your lid was in this condition the hard way?

BROKEN LIDS: A broken or cracked lid is one of the more serious problems a septic tank can have because of the serious safety hazard it can present. The environment inside a septic tank can be corrosive, eating away at the concrete used to manufacture some tanks. Every year, across the country, people are killed or injured by falling through a compromised septic tank lid and into the tank.

ROOT INFILTRATION: Tree and brush roots getting into a septic drainfield and tank are probably the most common causes of system failure in Florida. When everything is working right, the waste water flows out of the tank and into the drain field through perforated pipe. It then flows out of those pipes and into the rock bed where it is retained until it percolates, or soaks into the ground. Roots seek out this nutrient dense water and will make their way into the rock bed and pipes where they block water flow.

Roots can also, over time, work their way into the small gap between the lid and the septic tank, lifting the lid up and growing into the tank. There they block the inlets and outlets. It is also not uncommon, given enough time, for tree roots to wrap around a tank and crush it, causing the walls to collapse on themselves. Just like you see large tree roots do on an old sidewalk.

SUB PAR CONSTRUCTION: It wasn't that long ago that there was no regulation or oversight of the septic tank industry. There are still many many systems in use today that date from this period. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a problem or even that they're not working properly (most were installed by skilled contractors), but some were built by two guys, over a weekend, with whatever materials were at hand, and in an amount of time dictated by the beer supply.

WILDLIFE DAMAGE: In an elevated, mound type drain field, rats, armadillos and tortoises sometimes like to make their homes in the side of the drainfield mound. If they manage to burrow deep enough they can break into the absorption bed itself and cause what's known as a blow out condition. Just imagine a small damn bursting in your yard.

NO PROBLEM AT ALL: It is a sad fact that many septic tank contractors tend to view inspections as a way to generate new repair work, sometimes misrepresenting the conditions on the site in an effort to create easy work for themselves. I am often called for a "second opinion."