Leelanau County Point of Sale Septic & Well Inspection Explained

Understanding Leonar County's point-of-sale well and septic inspection requirements. Today we're going to dive into an important topic for anyone buying or selling property in Leonar County. The point-of-sale well and septic inspection requirements are important for you to understand whether you're looking to buy, looking to sell, or you just currently own a home in Leonar County. This is crucial information for you, so let's get started. All right, in January 2023, the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department implemented a new sanitary code. This code mandates that all properties in Leelanau County with on-site well and septic systems must undergo an inspection before the property can be sold or transferred. It's called a point of sale, but really it's a point of transfer. So this includes not just sales but also transfers between family members. So why is this regulation important? Well, according to the Benzileona Health Department, the main goal is to protect public health by ensuring that septic systems are functioning properly and that drinking water is safe. This helps prevent groundwater and surface water contamination. Now let's break down the process. If you're a seller preparing to list your property for sale, the first step is to complete and submit the sewage well evaluation application. It's best to do this as soon as you sign your listing agreement to avoid any delays. Once the application is submitted, the Benzie-Leelanau Health Department will schedule the necessary inspections. It's important to note that only evaluations conducted by the Health Department meet the requirements of the new ordinance. Evaluations by other companies will not be accepted. This has to be done by these Health Department officials employed by the county. How long are these evaluations valid? Well and septic evaluations are valid for 3 years while water tests are valid for only 6 months. If these time frames expire before your property is sold or transferred, you'll need to order new evaluations and tests. But what if your property is connected to a municipal sewer or water system? If your home is served by a municipal sewer system but has a private well, Well then, only the well needs to be evaluated. Conversely, if your property is connected to a municipal water supply but uses a private septic system, then only the septic system needs to be evaluated. If you're connected to both municipal water and municipal sewer, no inspections are needed. Now, here's an important point. No inspections, there's no governing authority requiring you to get an inspection, but you may want to get your own inspection. So while there is no ordinance requiring an inspection of a home connected to a municipal sewer, you may still want to have the sewer line that goes from your home to the sewer line to the city sewer main. You may still want to get that inspected because getting the waste from your home to the city sewer main is still the homeowner's responsibility, and if that line gets clogged, between your home and the sewer connection, it's up to you. It's your responsibility to fix. Getting the waste from your home to the sewer line is the homeowner's responsibility, and if your line is clogged with roots or it's not operating properly, your sewage is not flowing through that pipe and getting to the sewer main, you'll be saddled with the bill. I had a client in Traverse City run into this issue. If you want to learn more about it, check out the video Moving to Traverse City, Michigan. One Buyer's Story. At about the 14 and a half minute mark of that video, we talk at length about how a sewer line inspection, not a septic inspection because the home was connected to the city sewer, how a sewer line inspection revealed a faulty sewer line going from the house to the sewer main and what was involved in getting that fixed. But let's get back to the Benzie-Leona Health Department ordinance. Let's talk about costs. The fees for these inspections vary on the age of the system and whether it has been previously inspected. The Benzie-Leonard Health Department website has a detailed fee schedule. When you submit your application, you'll provide a credit card for the fee, which will be charged after the Health Department determines the cost. You can also opt to pay by check. For more detailed information and to view existing records, you can visit the Environmental Health Digital Records Portal on the Benzie-Leonard District Health Department website. I make it a practice of attending all of my sellers' well and septic inspections, so I have a ton of experience of seeing what they do in action and what's involved in it. So if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me directly, just leave it in the comment. Thanks a lot for watching, and don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit that bell icon. For more updates. If you want to stay all in the know about the goings-on in Leelanau County and the greater Traverse City area, and if you have a question about Leelanau County or a specific question about real estate, leave it in the comments and I'll answer it here on this channel. I answer your specific questions about real estate. All right, thanks a lot for tuning in, and we'll see you on the next video.