Septic pumping call line & the Pee Dee homeowner's bulletin
Outside Florence County's seven public water and wastewater systems, the house on the market almost certainly runs on a septic tank, not a sewer line. South Carolina's disclosure law requires the seller to say so and name any known problems — but it doesn't require an inspection or a permit transfer before closing. One call connects you with an independent local septic professional who can locate the tank, open it, and report what's really there before the deal closes.
Call (843) 919-4664 to arrange a pre-sale lookSouth Carolina's Residential Property Condition Disclosure Statement requires a seller to identify the type of sewage system serving the home and to disclose any problems with it the seller actually knows about. It's a statement of known facts, not a mandated inspection.
The disclosure form doesn't require the septic system to be inspected, and it doesn't make a permit transfer a condition of sale — both are left to the buyer to arrange, if wanted, during negotiation.
A tank that's never been opened is an unknown quantity. A pre-sale look establishes the sludge level, baffle condition, and whether the drainfield shows trouble — before that becomes the new owner's surprise instead of the seller's.
Plenty of septic tanks around Florence County sit under decades of sod with no riser marking the lid. Locating it — from old records, the cleanout line, or probing the yard — is usually step one.
With the lid off, the inlet and outlet baffles, sludge and scum levels, and the outlet filter, if there is one, can actually be seen — the real way to judge condition, no paperwork substitutes for it.
A tank can be sound while the drainfield underneath the yard is failing. Standing water, odor, or unusually green grass over the lines are worth flagging to whoever is buying the house, tank aside.
Buyer or seller, either can call. Say the address, the closing date if there is one, and what you already know about the system. Not knowing anything is common and won't slow things down.
The independent local septic professional you're connected with schedules the visit, locates the tank if it isn't already marked, and opens it to look.
Ask for the sludge depth, baffle condition, and any drainfield concerns noted in writing, so they can be shared with the other side of the transaction.
No. The state's Residential Property Condition Disclosure Statement requires the seller to state the sewage system type and disclose known problems with it, but it doesn't require an inspection or a permit transfer as a condition of sale — arranging one is left to the buyer.
The disclosure form asks the seller to identify the sewage system serving the home and note any known defects with it. Sellers answer from what they know, not from a required inspection.
South Carolina law does not assign this — it's negotiated between the parties, the same as a home or termite inspection. Call for a quote.
Since July 1, 2024, DHEC's environmental programs, including onsite wastewater and septic permitting, moved to the S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES). Older paperwork and some websites still say DHEC.
Only when the transaction touches new construction, an addition, or another change requiring a building permit — Florence County won't issue that permit until SCDES approves the septic system. A straightforward resale doesn't trigger a new SCDES review.
Statewide, an estimated 30 to 40 percent of South Carolina homes are served by septic systems — there is no published Florence County-specific figure. Florence County has seven public water and wastewater entities; land outside those service footprints is generally septic territory.
Locating and opening the tank, checking the inlet and outlet baffles, noting sludge and scum levels, and looking for drainfield trouble — the same tank access as a routine service call, done with a sale in mind.
Yes. Nothing in South Carolina law makes a septic inspection a condition of closing on an existing home. A lender or a buyer's own offer may ask for one, which is a private contract matter, not a state requirement.
Not unusual on older Florence County properties. Ask about requesting any permit history on file at SCDES, and have the tank located and opened rather than relying on paperwork that may not exist.
Call and describe the closing timeline and address. A pre-sale visit locates the tank, opens it, and reports what's found, so you know the system's condition before you're the one responsible for it.
The call line covers Florence and the wider Pee Dee — the part of the county that sits outside Florence County's seven public water and wastewater systems, where a septic tank is simply how the house handles wastewater.