What to photograph on a septic install for the inspector

A septic install gets covered up fast. Once the tank is backfilled and the field is under topsoil, nobody can see what you built. The inspector sees it for a short visit, if at all, and the homeowner may call you years later asking what was under the yard. Photos taken at the right moments are how you answer both.

This is a shot list you can hand to a crew lead. Inspection rules differ by county and state, so check what your health department or permit office asks for. Treat this as a solid base and add whatever your local office requires.

Before you dig: the starting point

• The site as found. Wide shots from two or three sides, showing the house, the driveway, the well if there is one, and the area where the system will go.
• Markouts and flags. The painted utility marks and any stakes for the tank and field. If you have not already, see how long a markout lasts.
• The permit and approved plan. A photo of the posted permit and the plan sheet on site, so the paperwork is tied to the address and the date.

Tank set

• The excavation before the tank goes in. Show the bottom: undisturbed or compacted, level, with the bedding in place. A tape or story pole in the shot shows depth.
• The tank on the bedding with the lid or risers visible, and the tank label or stamp readable if it is a precast tank. Capacity matters on the permit, so get the marking sharp.
• Level. A level on the tank top, or a clear angle that shows it sitting even.
• Depth to the top. A tape from the top of the tank up to the finished grade line, or to a grade stake.
• Risers and lids. Risers set, lids secured, and the final height relative to grade.

Inlet and outlet

These are the connections people argue about later, so give them close-up shots.

• The inlet pipe where it enters the tank, with the seal or boot visible and the slope of the line coming from the house.
• The outlet pipe leaving the tank, with its seal and the direction it runs.
• Cleanouts and tees in place, and any sanitary tee or filter at the outlet.
• The house stub or line run. A shot along the pipe with a level or a grade string if you used one.

Baffles

If the tank has baffles or tees, shoot them with the lid off, before the tank is covered. Show the inlet baffle, the outlet baffle, and the gap or air space the design calls for. If a precast tank came with the baffles built in, get a photo that proves it. If you added or repaired any, show the fix.

Distribution box

• The box in the hole sitting level on a firm base, with the lid off.
• Each outlet with the pipe to its lateral. Show that the outlets are level with each other, since an unlevel box sends the flow to one side of the field.
• The inlet from the tank.
• Risers and access if the box is raised to grade for future checks.

Laterals before backfill

This is the set that matters most, because it is the one you can never retake.

• The trench or bed after excavation, showing width and the bottom, with a tape for depth.
• The stone in the bottom, before the pipe or chambers go in.
• The pipe or chambers laid, with the holes or openings oriented as designed, then a shot along each run to show level or the planned slope.
• Cover stone and fabric or barrier over the top, before soil.
• End caps and observation ports.
• Spacing. A tape across between adjacent runs.
• Every run, not just one. Shoot each lateral at its start, middle and end.

Setbacks and measurements

Setbacks are the distances from the tank and the field to a well, a property line, a building, a water line, a stream or a slope. Your plan lists the required distances. Photograph the proof:

• A tape pulled from the tank to the well, with both ends in the frame or a second photo of each end.
• The same for the field to the property line, building and any water line.
• A wide shot that shows the whole layout with the landmarks that set the distances.

Hold the tape where it can be read, and say the number out loud or write it on a board that goes in the photo. A number nobody can read does not help.

Backfill and finish

• The backfill in progress, to show clean material over the stone and no equipment driving over the field.
• The finished grade, with risers and lids visible.
• A final wide shot from two sides, and the location of the tank lid and the field marked for the homeowner.

GPS and timestamp notes

A photo that shows the right thing is only half of the record. The other half is where and when. A date and a location on each shot ties it to the permit address and the day of work, and it makes it much harder to dispute later.

• Use a camera that stamps location and time on the photo, or at least stores them with it. A plain phone camera roll can lose the link once files are sent around.
• Take shots in order. The sequence tells the story: base, tank, connections, box, laterals, cover.
• Check the phone clock and location setting before you start. A wrong clock puts every photo on the wrong day.
• Keep the photos on the job, not in one person's phone. If the crew lead is out sick, the office should still be able to find them.

TrackOver's job camera puts GPS and a timestamp on each photo and files it to the job as you take it. Stamped job photos are included on Pro and up, and the Free plan holds up to 30 photos total. See TrackOver for septic installers for how it fits an install, and our piece on what to document on every dirt job for the wider list.

A short routine your crew can follow

1. Name the photo group on the job: tank, connections, box, field, setbacks.
2. Tick each group off before the machine moves to backfill it.
3. Have the lead look through the set before the inspector arrives.
4. Send or share the set with the inspector if they accept photos.

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Common questions

Do photos replace the inspection? No. Many offices still need to see the work or sign off. Photos back up the inspection and cover you when the inspector is not there at the moment you backfill.

How many photos is enough? Enough that someone who was not there can tell what was built. A typical install is a few dozen shots. Shoot every lateral run, since that is what you cannot go back for.

How long should we keep them? Longer than you think. Septic questions come up when a house sells or a system fails, often years later. Ask your attorney or insurer about the period that suits your state.