Selling a Bucks County Home: Sewer Lateral Inspections and Sump Pumps
Some lower Bucks townships, Falls and Lower Southampton among them, now look underground when a house changes hands. Their sewer lateral inspections exist to find water that shouldn't be in the sanitary sewer, and a basement sump pump plumbed into the lateral is the classic example. If you're planning to sell, it is far easier to fix that before the listing than in the middle of a closing.
Falls Township
Before any property connected to the Falls Township sewer system is transferred, the seller has to hire a licensed contractor to inspect the private sewer lateral, including a video of it. The certified report must state whether the lateral is satisfactory or defective, and a satisfactory report has to confirm there is no inflow or infiltration and that the cleanout is capped.
A satisfactory report from the six months before the transfer can be reused. If the seller skipped the inspection, the buyer becomes responsible for it, and a defective lateral has to be replaced or realigned. Separately, Falls' code bans sump pump and downspout water from the sanitary sewer, with fines up to $1,000.
Lower Southampton Township
Lower Southampton's Ordinance No. 598, adopted in April 2022, requires each private lateral to be inspected before the sale or resale of a single-family home. The township's inspection report form sets the cycle at sale or transfer, or every five years, whichever comes first, and the inspector certifies that no illegal storm or outside surface drains are connected.
The ordinance defines an illegal discharge to include foundation or basement drainage, sump pumps included, piped into the sanitary sewer. A passing inspection earns a certificate of lateral compliance, and fines for violations run from $100 to $1,000 plus costs.
Getting the sump off the sewer before you list
If your sump discharges into a laundry tub, floor drain or cleanout, a waterproofing contractor can reroute it through the wall to a legal outdoor outlet. Doing it before the inspection means the video and report come back clean the first time.
- Find where the sump line ends today
- Have it rerouted through the foundation wall to an outdoor outlet
- Cap any open cleanout
- Keep the invoice and a photo for the buyer's file
Lateral inspection questions
Who pays for the Falls Township lateral inspection?
The seller arranges it before transfer. If no inspection was done, Falls' code makes the buyer responsible for having it conducted.
How often does Lower Southampton require lateral certification?
At sale or transfer, or every five years, whichever comes first, according to the township's inspection report form.
Can a waterproofing contractor fix a failed lateral?
They can reroute a sump or foundation drain off the sewer. A cracked or misaligned lateral pipe is a plumbing or sewer contractor's job.
Related services
- Interior Drain Systems and Sump Pumps
- Exterior Membranes and Footing Drains
- Crawl Space Encapsulation
- All basement waterproofing services
Estimates by area
Sources for this guide
Selling soon and need the sump rerouted?
A participating Bucks County contractor can move the discharge off the sewer and document it. No obligation.
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