Home › Septic Inspections
Septic and Title 5 Inspections in Massachusetts and New Hampshire
In Massachusetts, a house on septic generally can't change hands without a Title 5 inspection by a MassDEP-approved inspector. New Hampshire has no statewide inspection at sale apart from developed waterfront property, but a periodic check is still part of looking after a system. Call (978) 486-7980 or send the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
- Free for homeowners
- Inspector approval checked first
- State rules explained
Ask About Septic Service in Your Area
Tell us whether you're selling, buying or just checking, and your closing date if there is one. A person reads it and replies with what happens next.
Please add your name, a 10-digit phone number and a valid email.
Your request didn't go through on our end. Please call (978) 486-7980 so it isn't lost.
Too many requests have come from this connection in a short time. Please call (978) 486-7980 and we'll take it from there.
We couldn't finish the spam check. Wait a moment and send it again, or call (978) 486-7980.
What an inspection is
A record of how the system is doing today
In Massachusetts, a Title 5 inspection is a formal evaluation on MassDEP's official form, done by a MassDEP-approved System Inspector and usually filed with the local Board of Health. The report is due within 30 days of the inspection, and the buyer must get a copy from the seller (MassDEP: buying or selling). The system must not have been pumped within two weeks before the inspection (MassDEP inspection guidance).
In New Hampshire, there is no statewide inspection at sale apart from the developed-waterfront rule in RSA 485-A:39. NHDES says homeowners should generally have the system inspected every three years by a licensed contractor (NHDES SepticSmart Week), and EPA gives the same three-year guideline (EPA septic care).
What it can't do. MassDEP notes that an inspection does not guarantee how the system will perform in the future (MassDEP).
Massachusetts
Title 5 inspections in Massachusetts
When one is required. At a sale, within two years before the transfer, or three years if the system has been pumped every year and the records are available; one inspection can cover repeat sales inside that period. An inspection is also required when a change needs a building or occupancy permit, such as adding a bedroom, when the building footprint changes, when properties are divided or combined, for shared systems every three years, and whenever MassDEP or the Board of Health orders one. Foreclosures, deeds in lieu, levies of execution and bankruptcy transfers still need one (MassDEP: buying or selling).
When it isn't. Transfers between current spouses, parents and children, full siblings, or into a qualifying family trust; refinancing; ownership changes with no new parties, such as estate planning or a divorce settlement; and sales covered by a binding Board of Health agreement to upgrade or connect to sewer within two years (MassDEP, M.G.L. c.21A §13). Half siblings and grandparent-to-grandchild transfers are not exempt (MassDEP exemption guidance).
Who may inspect. "Only MassDEP-approved individuals can conduct system inspections," and inspections by anyone else are not valid for Title 5 (MassDEP). Professional engineers, registered sanitarians and certified health officers can qualify, and others may after training and an exam; inspectors are not required to carry liability insurance. NEIWPCC keeps the approved lists (MassDEP: hiring inspectors, approved lists). MassDEP does not regulate inspection fees (MassDEP consumer tips).
What fails. Failure criteria on the official form (revised July 26, 2018) include sewage backing up into the home, effluent breaking out or ponding at the surface, liquid in the distribution box above the outlet, a system pumped more than four times in the past year for reasons other than broken pipes, and any part of the soil absorption system or a cesspool sitting below high groundwater. A cesspool near a well or a drinking water source can fail on distance alone (Title 5 inspection form).
After a failure. A failed system must be upgraded within two years unless the Board of Health or MassDEP approves a different schedule, whether or not the house is sold. If a report looks altered or false, MassDEP's Environmental Strike Force takes calls at 1-888-VIOLATE (MassDEP). The repair page covers what comes next.
New Hampshire
Septic inspections in New Hampshire
Waterfront sales. Before the transfer of developed waterfront property where any part of the septic system is within 250 feet of the reference line, the buyer generally must hire a New Hampshire licensed septic system evaluator at the buyer's expense, unless the buyer instead notifies NHDES and the local health officer before the transfer and replaces or repairs the system within 180 days after it. A seller's evaluation done within 180 days of the transfer may be accepted in writing, and the findings are disclosed but don't block the sale. If the system was never approved by NHDES or was approved before September 1, 1989, a permitted designer must also check where the disposal area sits relative to seasonal high water. A failing system must be replaced within 180 days after the transfer (RSA 485-A:39).
Everywhere else. New Hampshire has no statewide septic inspection at sale apart from that waterfront rule.
Records before you buy. NHDES says septic system files can be found on OneStop, its searchable environmental database (NHDES OneStop). Every system in use needs both an Approval for Construction and an Approval for Operation (NHDES septic systems).
Seasonal homes. Converting a seasonal home to full-time occupancy needs an NHDES approval for construction first (NHDES).
New Hampshire septic rules and the towns we cover.
Last verified November 2026. New England Septic Pros is a referral service. We don't inspect systems or sign inspection reports.
FAQ
Septic inspection questions
What is a conditional pass?
On the Massachusetts inspection form, some problems, such as a metal tank over 20 years old, a leaking or structurally unsound tank, inoperable pumps or alarms, broken or obstructed pipes, or a broken or uneven distribution box, are a conditional pass: the system passes once the problem is fixed with Board of Health approval. Soil absorption systems and cesspools cannot be repaired under a conditional pass.
Can the inspector also do the repairs?
MassDEP says you are under no obligation to have the person who inspects your system perform any other work on it. It also advises checking that the person who signs the inspection form is the one who did the inspection.
Can the inspection happen after closing?
For an ordinary sale, only when weather prevents it. Then it may be done within six months after the sale, and the seller must notify the buyer in writing that it has to be finished. Foreclosures, deeds in lieu, levies of execution and bankruptcy transfers may also be inspected up to six months after the transfer, with written notice to the buyer.
Does a New Hampshire buyer need a septic inspection?
New Hampshire has no statewide septic inspection at sale apart from the developed-waterfront rule in RSA 485-A:39. NHDES still says homeowners should generally have a system inspected every three years by a licensed contractor.
What does it cost me to use New England Septic Pros?
Nothing. The request and the referral are free; the contractor prices the work.
Town guides
Local rules for septic inspections by town
Each town page covers who permits septic work there, the town's own septic rules and where public sewer reaches. Towns with a local guide so far: Greater Lowell, MA (Lowell, Chelmsford, Dracut, Tewksbury, Billerica, Westford, Tyngsborough and Pepperell), Andover, Lawrence & Haverhill, MA (Methuen, Lawrence, Andover, North Andover and Haverhill), Woburn, Reading & Melrose, MA (Woburn, Lexington, Burlington, Wilmington, North Reading, Reading, Wakefield, Melrose, Stoneham and Winchester), Nashua Region, NH (Nashua, Hudson and Merrimack), Salem, Derry & Londonderry, NH (Pelham, Salem, Windham, Derry and Londonderry), Manchester & Bedford, NH (Manchester and Bedford) and Portsmouth, Dover & Rochester, NH (Portsmouth, Dover and Rochester). We add towns across New England as we can cover them properly.
Other jobs