No state law, and what Senate Bill 771 would change
Michigan's statutory Seller's Disclosure Statement asks the seller about the condition of septic tanks and drain fields, if known, but it is a disclosure and not an inspection. The sale rules that exist are county ordinances, which counties adopt under the Public Health Code. Senate Bill 771 of 2026 would require local point-of-sale ordinances to be consistent with or stricter than a new statewide Part 128. The Senate placed it on third reading on June 17, 2026, and the bill page showed no later action when we checked it on Oct 19, 2026, so nothing has changed for sellers yet.
What a sale evaluation costs in Michigan: the evidence so far
The model puts a septic inspection at sale at $255 to $750 per inspection, an estimate and not a quote. It starts from one published national range, a national blend and not a Michigan sale rule, and it leaves out a county's own evaluation fee. The rows below are what counties charge when their own staff evaluate at sale, with each schedule's year in the note. Michigan has no statewide sale-inspection fee, and private evaluators in registered-evaluator counties set their own.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $255 to $750 per inspection | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count. |
| Septic tank servicer wage, Michigan mean | $24.85 an hour | What Michigan septic tank servicers are paid (BLS, May 2025, statewide), not what you are charged. |
| Wayne County, health department evaluation | $358 | Schedule effective Jan 16, 2024. A $161 "transfer evaluation" is listed on the same schedule, which does not say who performs it. |
| Macomb County, property transfer septic evaluation | $384 | 2026 schedule; excludes pumping. Evaluator report processing is $87. |
| Ottawa County, real estate evaluation, sewage only | $347 | Effective Oct 1, 2026. Sewage and water together $461; a sale with no evaluation adds $250. |
| Shiawassee County, point-of-sale evaluation by the health department, sewage only | $502 | 2026 schedule, plus a processing fee. |
| Grand Traverse County, transfer evaluation review, septic only | $200 | 2026 schedule. The certified evaluator's own fee is separate. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. It takes one published national range for this job (a cost guide from a third-party site that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies it by Michigan's septic tank servicer median wage ratio to the US (1.00, BLS 2025 data). No permit or evaluation fee is added: the county rows are shown as the schedules print them. The wage and fee rows are what workers are paid and what a county charges, and neither is a price you will be quoted. We have not collected Michigan septic quotes, and one company's published pumping price is not a range. Your tank, soil and site move a real quote outside any range, so get written quotes. Full method. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
County by county: what each county publishes
The table lists the 15 most populous counties and two larger-than-expected programs from the next 15. 'No rule found' means the pages and code we can cite name none, which is not the county saying there is none.
| County | At sale | What the county says |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne (outside Detroit) | Required | Evaluation before sale; a failed system can still close with assurance of correction. This comes from the county page and a 2017 brochure, so confirm it with the county. |
| Macomb | Required | Report to the health department at least 5 days before closing; valid 1 year; a failure triggers a corrective plan and escrow. |
| Washtenaw | Required | No transfer until an evaluation by a county-certified inspector is filed, unless one was done in the previous 12 months. |
| Ottawa | Required | Unlawful to sell without a Real Estate Evaluation; the seller gives the buyer the results at closing. |
| Ingham | Required | Inspection before closing; conformance letter valid 12 months; escrow of 150 percent of repair bids if the sale closes first. |
| Livingston | None | County says it has no point-of-sale program. |
| Jackson | None | County says it has no requirement for well or septic assessment at transfer. |
| Oakland, Genesee, Saginaw, Muskegon, St. Clair, Monroe | No rule found | Saginaw, Muskegon and St. Clair offer evaluations for lenders or buyers on request. |
| Kent, Kalamazoo, Berrien, Allegan | No rule found | Their regulations and ordinances name no sale rule. Each health department evaluates systems on request, and Kent's page says an evaluation is often required before selling. |
| Shiawassee (27th by population) | Required | No transfer until a county-certified inspector files an evaluation. |
| Grand Traverse (22nd) | Required near water | Applies when a dwelling is within 300 feet of surface water; effective Jan 1, 2026. |
Who arranges it, who pays, and what a failure means
In the counties that require an evaluation, the rules put the duty on the seller: Macomb says the owner is responsible, Ottawa requires the seller to hand over the results at closing, and Washtenaw and Shiawassee bar the transfer until the seller files the report. Who pays for repairs after a failed result is a negotiation. Ottawa's materials do not say which party pays for a correction order, and the order does not stop the closing. In Macomb, Washtenaw and Ingham a failed system does not block the sale if corrective action is secured, usually by escrow.
Validity differs. Macomb and Ingham give a year, Grand Traverse 36 months, and Ottawa's code says 12 months while its program flyer says six, so ask the county before you rely on an older report.
Booking an inspector for a sale
Match the inspector to the county. Macomb, Washtenaw, Ingham, Shiawassee and Grand Traverse keep lists of registered or certified evaluators, and Wayne says on its own page that evaluators must register, which you should confirm with the county. Shiawassee's ordinance says it will not accept reports from uncertified individuals, so use someone on the current list.
When a sale inspection turns urgent
- The evaluation finds sewage surfacing or backing up: tell the county health department and stop using water.
- A voluntary lender evaluation in a county with no sale rule.
Before you list or make an offer
- Call the county health department and ask if a transfer evaluation is required for your address.
- Ask for the permit, the as-built drawing and any earlier evaluation.
- Check the county's list of registered or certified evaluators.
Who sets the rule, and what counts as an evaluation
Your county health department or its district sets the rule and the form. Michigan's Public Health Code lets a local health department adopt regulations at least as stringent as state law, which is how a county can add a sale requirement that the state lacks. Each county writes its own scope; Wayne's brochure describes pumping the tank and exposing the drain field.
A tool for this job
County septic rules lookup
Michigan has no statewide septic code, so your county or district health department sets the permit, sale-inspection and installer rules. Pick your county to see what the county publishes, with the source and the date we checked. Nothing is shown for a county until it has been researched, and where a rule is unconfirmed the tool says so.
Open the toolQuestions people ask
Does Michigan require a septic inspection when selling a house?
We can cite no statewide requirement, so it depends on the county. Of the 15 most populous counties, Wayne (outside Detroit, per the county's own description), Macomb, Washtenaw, Ottawa and Ingham require one. Livingston and Jackson say they do not.
Who pays for septic inspection when buying a house?
In Macomb, Ottawa, Washtenaw and Shiawassee counties the seller is responsible for arranging it. The counties we can cite do not say who pays for repairs after a failed result, and Ottawa's materials say so about a correction order, so expect to negotiate.
Can a sale close if the septic system fails the evaluation?
In Macomb, Washtenaw, Ingham and Wayne counties it can, if corrective action is secured. Macomb, Washtenaw and Ingham use escrow and 180 days for repairs; Wayne asks for assurance of correction.
How long is a septic evaluation valid at sale?
It depends on the county: Macomb and Ingham give one year and Grand Traverse 36 months. Ottawa's code says 12 months and its flyer says six, so ask the county.
How much does a septic evaluation at sale cost in Michigan?
Our estimate for an evaluation at sale is $255 to $750 per inspection, a model and not a quote. Counties that evaluate publish their own fees, and the septic portion runs from $150 to $502 in the published schedules; private evaluators set their own. See the table below.
- MCL 565.957 (Seller Disclosure Act form) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- MCL 333.2441 Read Oct 19, 2026.
- SFA analysis, SB 771 (S-2) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Michigan Legislature: Senate Bill 771 of 2026 Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Wayne County Septic/Onsite Sewage page (waynecountymi.gov) Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- Wayne County TOS ordinance brochure (PDF) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Property transfer regulation - Macomb County Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Regulation for the Inspection of Residential Onsite Water and Sewage Disposal Systems at Time of Property Transfer (Washtenaw) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- County of Ottawa Environmental Health Regulations (PDF), Art. XIII Read Oct 19, 2026.
- A Guide to Transferring Property in Ingham County Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Realtor Resources - Livingston County Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Well & Septic Information - Point of Sale Information Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Mortgage & Performance Evaluations Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Muskegon County: Septic Permits & Evaluations Read Oct 19, 2026.
- On-Site Sewage Disposal Systems Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- Shiawassee County Ordinance 01-07-26 (time of transfer) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- GT County time-of-transfer regulation (PDF) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Real Estate Transfer Evaluation Program (PDF) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Environmental Health Fees | Ottawa County, MI Read Oct 19, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners (SOC 47-4071), Michigan Read Oct 19, 2026.
- O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor), Michigan wages, Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners (SOC 47-4071), republishing BLS OEWS 2025 Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- SepticMatch: how we estimate costs (editorial policy) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Wayne County Public Health EH Fee Schedule eff. 01/16/2024 (PDF) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Environmental Health fee schedule - Macomb County Read Oct 19, 2026.
- 2026 Fee Schedule (Shiawassee CHD) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- 2026 Time of Transfer Fee Schedule (PDF) Read Oct 19, 2026.