FAQs

It depends on what county the services are being provided in and what service or services are requested. Most fees can be found listed in our “pay online” section or you can call our office at (616)803-1019 for details.

Cash, Check and most credit cards.

Payment is due at the time of service, however, in some situations, other arrangements may be considered on a case by case basis.

It is a good idea to have Miss Dig locate any buried utilities and any physical barriers impeding visual contact with water and sewer components should be moved. Permission to enter the property from an authorized individual, access inside the building, a payment agreement and a signed service contract with our office will be necessary.

No one is required to be present but anyone that would like to be there during the inspection is welcome provided that it was allowed by an authorized individual.

Hamilton Evaluations LLC begins every inspection by first accessing any records from the governing Health Department. An interior inspection for sewer drains, cross connections and connected fixtures. An exterior inspection of septic tank(s), final disposal(s), improper discharges and isolation encroachments. A report is prepared with an included site plan and any other available documentation including any pumping, repairs or corrections.

Hamilton Evaluations LLC begins every inspection by first accessing any records from the governing Health Department. An interior inspection for water distribution system, cross connections and connected fixtures. An exterior inspection of the wellhead, improperly abandoned wells, pits, hydrants, cisterns and isolation encroachments. A report is prepared with an included site plan and any other available documentation including water results, chlorinations, repairs or corrections.

Most of the time a report can be ready within 3 business days that include water samples and one business day when there are no pending water results. Exceptions are when there is a problem with the results, repairs or service is needed or documentation has not been received to complete the necessary entries.

No. It is not a requirement to locate or uncover any portion of the system but any efforts made to ease the process is appreciated.

Not by Hamilton Evaluations LLC. Many purchase agreements will require septic tanks to be pumped as part of a transaction and the timing is often at the discretion of the buyer, agents or lenders. Check with your purchase agreement or contact your agent.

Currently Hamilton Evaluations LLC offers services in counties that do not have any inspection protocols so no credentials are required. There are no registrations, certifications or licenses available to obtain at this time. Our inspector has been inspecting wells and septic in official and non-official capacities since 1996.

Inspections are technically only valid for the day of the inspection. Lenders and underwriters will usually set the expiration durations.

The main two samples most requested are bacteriological and nitrate which are included. Nitrite is another common sample that is also included along with several other, water quality results.

Lead, Arsenic, Copper and VOCs are additional samples that are available as expanded analysis for additional fees.

In most cases water samples should be collected by Hamilton Evaluations LLC to maintain a chain of custody and avoid potential biases. In some instances it may be acceptable if the third party is a qualified, disinterested professional that collected within a reasonable time from the inspection.

Generally speaking, most professionals will suggest anywhere between 2-5 years. Specifically this duration is not so easy to predict. There are many factors that contribute to a household’s frequency of service. How many occupants, full time versus part time occupancy, type of use, garbage disposal, what is allowed to go down a drain etc. By the time your interval is established your living situations change. It’s probably better to err on the side too often than not often enough.

We currently serve 18 counties to some capacity or another. Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Clinton, Eaton, Ionia, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lake, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo and Van Buren with limited service in Ottawa. We have been as far as Kalkaska but not to an extent to hold a place on our list of availability. If there’s a county not listed on our site that you're interested in sending us, feel free to contact our office and we’ll check into it.