Iowa · Code §455B.172(11)Iowa septic time-of-transfer inspection: before closing, or the deed won't record

If a building where someone lives is served by a private sewage disposal system, Iowa requires the system to be inspected before any transfer of ownership – including when a seller-financed contract is signed – for property with one to four dwelling units (Iowa Code §455B.172(11)(a)). The county recorder won't record a deed or other conveyance until either a certified inspector's report is provided, documenting the system's condition and whether modifications are needed, or – if weather or other temporary conditions prevent the inspection – the buyer has signed and submitted a binding acknowledgment with the county board of health to have the system inspected at the earliest practicable time and to be responsible for any required modifications. At inspection the septic tank is opened and pumped, unless the owner shows it was pumped by a licensed cleaner within the previous three years (§455B.172(11)(b)). A failing system must be renovated to current standards by the seller or, by agreement and within a time set by the county board of health or the department, by the buyer; a system that's treating wastewater properly doesn't have to meet current construction standards (§455B.172(11)(c)). Only a department-certified inspector may do the inspection, and it's valid for two years for any transfers in that period (§455B.172(11)(d), (h)). Exempt transfers include court-ordered transfers, foreclosure-related transfers, estate and trust administration, transfers between joint tenants or tenants in common, to a spouse or lineal relative, divorce transfers, a planned demolition, systems installed within the last two years, partition deeds, tax sale deeds and transfers for $500 or less (§455B.172(11)(a)(1)–(12)).