Site Evaluations

The County of Santa Cruz Environmental Health Service is now providing a full evaluation and interpretation of all available information on properties served by septic systems and/or private water systems. This evaluation will answer question such as: Has the septic system had problems in the past? Can bedrooms be added? Will the property need an alternative technology system? How new is the well? If you are buying a house, protect yourself from problems and surprises after purchase. If you are selling or considering selling, protect yourself from surprises, lawsuits, or failed sales. Just getting a septic tank pumpers report is not enough. It is recommended that a seller obtain the file and site evaluation reports early in the process of selling their property in order to make those reports available to all prospective buyers, and to provide early notice of any problems that might need attention in order to successfully complete a sale. Please fill out a Site Evaluation Form.

The County is offering the office evaluation and interpretation of all file information for a fee of $254. The summarized file information concerning the property’s onsite waste water system, the water source quality and quantity, and soils data will be provided on the File Information Summary Report. The file review and summary may only be performed by a Santa Cruz County Environmental Health staff. The summarized file information will benefit the property owner and/or buyer in understanding the property’s options and constraints regarding future development and the potential need for a new, upgrade, or repair septic permit.

A site review of the property can be performed by a County Environmental Health Specialist or the contractors and consultants currently on the list maintained by the Environmental Health office. The information from the site review will be provided on the Site Review Information Summary Report. If the County prepares the site evaluation, the fee will be $481. This fee does not include the cost of a pumping the tank, which must be scheduled and paid for by the person requesting the evaluation.