You Don't Just Inherit the Tank. You Inherit the Liability.
For decades, New Jersey homes were heated with fuel oil from tanks buried in the yard. When those homes converted to gas, plenty of tanks came out. Plenty didn't — they were emptied, abandoned, and forgotten, and the grass grew over them. If one of them leaked, responsibility for the cleanup generally follows the property. Which means it follows you, starting the day you close.
Starting at $275
Nobody Involved in Your Purchase Knows It's There
The seller may have bought the house in 1998 and never heard of it. The listing agent has no way to know. Your home inspector can't see underground. It's not on the disclosure, because disclosures cover what the seller knows.
The tank has been in the ground for fifty or sixty years, steel, surrounded by wet soil, doing what steel does in wet soil.
And here's what makes this different from every other defect in a house: a bad roof costs you a roof. A leaking underground tank makes you the responsible party for an environmental discharge. That means testing, potentially excavation and soil removal, regulatory reporting, and a remediation process measured in months. The cost range runs from a few thousand dollars for a clean removal into six figures where contamination has spread. Standard homeowner's insurance generally excludes it.
We walk the property with specialized locating equipment and look for the physical evidence a buried tank leaves behind — above ground and below. You get documented findings the same day, in time to do something about them. This is a screening, and we'll be plain about what that does and doesn't mean.
How It Works
Add It to Your Inspection
Book the sweep alongside your home inspection — ideally as early in your inspection period as possible, because a positive finding needs time to resolve.
We Sweep the Property
Visual examination for evidence of prior oil heating, plus a scan of accessible areas with locating equipment.
You Know What to Do Next
Clear findings in your same-day report. If something warrants further investigation, you'll know while you still have contract protection.
What We Look For
Fill and Vent Pipes
The most direct evidence. Sometimes still in place, sometimes cut flush and painted over, sometimes hidden behind shrubs or a deck.
Abandoned Oil Lines
Supply lines running from the yard into the building.
Foundation Penetrations
Patched or capped openings where lines once entered.
Evidence of Prior Oil Heating
An old burner, a disused chimney flue, a basement tank, remnants at the former equipment location, or piping that goes nowhere.
Locator Responses
Anomalies in accessible areas of the yard consistent with a buried metallic object.
This Is a Screening, and Here's What That Means
We want to be clear on this before you order, because it affects how you use the result.
A sweep can't guarantee there's no tank. Coverage is limited by what's accessible. Driveways, patios, decks, additions, dense landscaping, and outbuildings can all conceal a tank we cannot scan beneath. A clean sweep means no evidence was found in the accessible areas — not that the property is definitively tank-free.
Other buried metal reads the same way. Utility lines, water and gas piping, construction debris, old fencing, rebar, and reinforcing steel can all produce similar responses. A hit is a reason to investigate, not proof of a tank.
Soil testing is not included. If a tank is found or suspected, determining whether it leaked requires soil sampling by an environmental professional. That's a separate scope.
We don't remove tanks. Findings go to a licensed tank removal or environmental contractor. Our screening isn't tied to anyone who profits from what comes next.
If We Find Something
A positive finding isn't a reason to walk away from a house. It's a reason to slow down and get the right people involved — while you still have an inspection contingency.
From there it's usually soil testing to determine whether there's been a discharge, then either a documented closure or a removal and, if necessary, remediation. In a transaction, tank removal and cleanup are routinely negotiated between buyer and seller.
One thing worth asking regardless: if the seller says a tank was already removed, ask for the closure documentation. A properly closed and documented tank is a resolved issue. An undocumented one is an open question that follows the property.
What You'll Walk Away With
Documentation of whether evidence of a buried tank exists in the accessible areas of the property. A clear next step if it does. And if it doesn't, one fewer six-figure question mark attached to the biggest purchase of your life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ask the Question Now, Not After Closing
Starting at $275. Pricing is subject to change based on property size, conditions, access, location, and other applicable factors. This is a screening inspection and does not guarantee the absence of an underground storage tank.
Vivid Home Inspections proudly serves homebuyers and homeowners throughout South Jersey, including Camden, Burlington, and Gloucester Counties, as well as Eastern Pennsylvania.
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What Our Clients Say
Real reviews from real home buyers and sellers across South Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania.
Home Inspections Across South Jersey & Eastern PA
We proudly serve home buyers, sellers, and owners throughout South Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania. Local expertise means we know the common issues in regional construction, soil, and aging housing stock.
- Burlington County
- Camden County
- Gloucester County
- Salem County
- Mercer County
- Eastern Pennsylvania
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