Usual path
The rule tells the inspector to indicate that each tank was pumped or otherwise serviced to remove waste to the maximum extent possible.
ADEQ R18-9-A316
Home-sale septic inspection for Arizona transfers
Arizona Administrative Code R18-9-A316 requires a transfer-of-ownership inspection of an on-site wastewater treatment facility — a conventional septic tank or an alternative system — within six months before the property changes owners. The seller retains a qualified inspector. Book a transfer inspection in Casa Grande and nearby Pinal County towns. Call today.
Seller duties
What does the seller have to give the buyer?
- Before the transfer date, the person selling or transferring the property must give the buyer the completed Report of Inspection.
- Any permitting, operation, and maintenance documents still in the seller’s possession go with that report.
- ADEQ does not want the Report of Inspection filed with the agency. It is a document between the parties.
- The inspector signs the form, records the date, describes the physical and operational condition of the facility, and notes deficiencies and any repairs already completed.
- If more than one on-site system sits on the property, each system needs its own report.
Does the tank have to be pumped during the inspection?
Listed skips
Pumping can be skipped if the facility went into service within 12 months, the manufacturer said pumping was not needed, or no waste had accumulated.
Pinal County practice
Most sale inspections here include a pump-out. Sellers in Casa Grande, Arizona City, Eloy, and Maricopa should book early. Buried lids and occupied houses slow the visit.
The statute sets who may inspect. The inspector who performs the visit has to meet those qualifications.
What the buyer does after closing
Within 15 calendar days after the property transfer, the buyer submits a Notice of Transfer and the fee. ADEQ’s current instructions send Pinal County filings to the Onsite Wastewater Notice of Transfer portal. Information from the Report of Inspection is used to complete that notice. Missing the window does not erase the inspection requirement; it just leaves the ownership record stale.
If the report lists a failed field or a broken tank, pair this request with repair or drain-field work. A brand-new system is a separate permit.
Town pages for Casa Grande, Arizona City, Eloy, and Maricopa explain how sewer versus tank looks on the ground in each place.
Does every transfer need an inspection, or only realtor sales?
R18-9-A316 is triggered by a transfer of ownership of property served by an on-site wastewater treatment facility. ADEQ’s own FAQ notes that this includes typical sales and can include other transfers such as repossession, divorce, an estate, or a gift. The inspection is skipped only if a Discharge Authorization was issued and the facility was never placed in service.
Who is allowed to perform the inspection?
The inspector must understand the system type, hold a certificate from an ADEQ-recognized training course, and hold an eligible license: an Arizona-registered engineer or sanitarian; an owner or employee of a licensed septic pumper; specified Arizona Registrar of Contractors licenses (including B-4, C-41, A, A-12, L-41, KA, or K-41); a certified wastewater treatment plant operator; or another category ADEQ designates.
Who files the Notice of Transfer, and where does a Pinal County buyer file it?
The buyer files the Notice of Transfer and pays the fee within 15 calendar days after the transfer. ADEQ currently directs filings for Pinal County and other counties outside a listed group to the Onsite Wastewater Notice of Transfer (OWN) portal. The Report of Inspection itself is not submitted to ADEQ.