Plenty of owners genuinely do not know, especially after buying a rural or edge-of-town property. The answer is knowable from records, and it matters: it changes your maintenance obligations, your costs at sale, and what an inspection covers.
A septic system is private infrastructure you own and maintain: pumping on a cycle, inspection at sale in many jurisdictions, and repair costs that are yours. Sewer is a monthly fee and the utility's problem past your lateral. Knowing which one you have is the first line of every disclosure form and inspection scope.
Once you know the property is on septic, the recorded permit and as-built tell you the tank size, location, and system type. We hold more than 5.2 million recorded septic documents across 31 states, tied to parcels and viewable through the parcel tool.
Search the address on the live map and see the classification, or start from your county's records page.
Check a property on the parcel map Find your county's septic records
Check the utility bill for a sewer charge, then check the yard for tank lids or risers. For certainty, check county septic records or the parcel classification on our map.
A property can sit inside a sewer service area and still run on an old septic system, which is exactly the case records resolve. Some jurisdictions require connection or decommissioning at sale.
Not by itself. Older systems can predate record-keeping. Combine the records check with the bill, the yard, and the sewer service area.
Septic is private infrastructure with its own inspection, maintenance cycle, and repair exposure. It changes what a point-of-sale inspection covers and what you are taking on.
Guide last reviewed 2026-09-07.