Does Franklin County, Missouri require a septic inspection to sell a home?
No county mandate foundShallow absorption field riskVerified 2026-09-16
No. Franklin County adopted a brand-new On-Site Wastewater Disposal System Code in 2025 (effective October 1), and it's written entirely around building and repairing a septic system — nothing in its 72 pages says a system has to be inspected before title changes hands. Where Franklin County is unusual is a system type it approves that the state won't recognize: a "shallow absorption field", and the county's own paperwork for it flags a real financing risk (details below). Outside of that one wrinkle, whether an inspection happens at all comes down to your buyer's lender — FHA, VA, USDA and most conventional loans won't close without a sound septic system and well.
Source: Franklin County On-Site Wastewater Disposal System Code (2025) and the Missouri DHSS program pages. Reviewed 2026-09-16.
Who and what this applies to
- Skip this page if Franklin County connects your home to public sewer and public water — none of it applies. It matters only for a private septic system and/or a private well.
- Find out whether your system is a standard trench/lagoon/chamber design or a county-approved "shallow absorption field" (Commission Order 2018-198). The state doesn't recognize that system type, and the affidavit Franklin County requires for it says outright that some lenders and funding programs won't treat it as approved for a sale, purchase, or refinance. That's worth knowing well before you sign a listing agreement, not during underwriting.
- Beyond that one system type, nothing here is county-driven — it's your buyer's loan that decides whether an inspection happens at all. See FHA, VA, and USDA rules.
- A system that's already failing still has to be fixed under a county permit on the county's timeline — that requirement exists independent of any sale.
What a seller should do
- Pull every record you have first: the original permit, the as-built drawing, pump-out history, any past inspection, the well log. That paperwork is the fastest way to see whether you have a shallow absorption field or a standard system. The full pre-listing checklist covers what to gather.
- Have a shallow absorption field? Call your buyer's loan officer before you accept an offer, not after — some lenders will decline to finance against one, and finding that out mid-contract costs everyone time.
- Line up the septic inspection and the water test early, since the home inspection and the water test run on separate schedules and the lab work takes days. A Missouri DHSS-licensed inspector and a certified lab handle these.
- Get a repair estimate in writing the moment anything comes back questionable — from a contractor who isn't also doing your inspection — and start the county's repair-permit process right away so the timeline stays realistic. See what to do if an inspection fails.
Costs and deadlines
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Water-test age limit at closing | FHA 180 days · USDA 180 days · VA 90 days |
| Septic inspection | $300–$700 in Missouri; locating a buried tank is extra |
| Construction/repair permit fee | Set by the Franklin County Commission, not stated in the code itself — confirm the current fee with the Building Department |
Scope of this page
- Permit fees are set separately by the County Commission and are not listed in the code itself. Confirm the current figure with the Building Department.
- Cities within Franklin County may have their own requirements. If the property is inside city limits, check with the city as well.
- Watch the wrong-state trap: Franklin County, Kansas runs an actual point-of-sale septic inspection requirement (its 2017 Environmental Sanitation Code requires the seller to have the system inspected before a sale, lease, or rental). That is a different state and a different county government — it does not apply to Franklin County, Missouri.
For a specific property, the Franklin County Building Department in Union has the current answer on system type, permit status, and any Commission order that applies.
Official authorities
- Franklin County, Missouri — the Building Department (400 E. Locust Street, Union, MO 63084, (636) 583-6384) issues and enforces every on-site wastewater permit under the 2025 code, and holds the shallow absorption field records.
- Missouri DHSS — On-site Wastewater Treatment Program — (573) 751-6095. Runs the statewide licensing baseline that Franklin County's code sits on top of — no statewide sale-triggered inspection exists either, and DHSS maintains the licensed-inspector and registered-installer rosters plus the suspended/revoked list.
Choosing an inspector
Pick an inspector from Missouri DHSS's licensed roster and cross-check the name against the suspended list — state rule keeps the inspector and the repair contractor as two separate people (19 CSR 20-3.070(10)), so you choose each independently. More at choosing a septic inspector and a repair contractor and how we vet contractors.
Sources & last verified
- , franklinmo.gov. Reviewed 2026-09-16. Read in full (all 72 pages); the code contains no provision requiring an inspection at the sale of a home. Section 804's required affidavit is the source for the shallow-absorption-field financing note above.
- (no statewide inspection requirement at a real-estate transaction). Reviewed 2026-09-16.
- ; ; — the loan requirements that apply. Reviewed 2026-09-16.
- — the unrelated same-named county's actual point-of-sale inspection requirement, cited only to rule it out for Missouri readers. Reviewed 2026-09-16.
Found something out of date? Email corrections@homecleared.com.
Common questions
- Does Franklin County require a septic inspection before I sell?
- No. The 2025 On-Site Wastewater Disposal System Code covers construction, installation and repair permits for septic systems. It has no rule requiring an inspection before title transfers.
- What is a "shallow absorption field" and why does it matter for a sale?
- It’s a septic system type Franklin County approves by local Commission order (2018-198) for single-family lots of three or more acres, but it is not recognized as an approved system by the Missouri DNR, DHSS, or EPA. The county’s own required affidavit states that some lending institutions and funding programs may not accept it for a sale, purchase, or refinance — worth confirming with your buyer’s lender before you list.
- If my septic system is already failing, do I have to fix it before I can sell?
- The county’s repair obligation applies whether or not you are selling: a failing system needs a permit and a fix under the county code. Your buyer’s lender will also require the system to be sound at closing.
- If the county does not require an inspection, why would my buyer ask for one?
- Lender rules apply regardless of county code. FHA, VA and USDA loans require the septic system and well to be in working order, and each sets a maximum age for the water test: 180 days for FHA and USDA, 90 days for VA.
- Is this the same rule as Franklin County, Kansas?
- No. Franklin County, Kansas is a different state and a different county government, and it does require a septic inspection at sale, lease, or rental under its own 2017 sanitation code. That rule has no effect on a property in Franklin County, Missouri.