Pre-purchase grinder pump inspection
A home inspector looks at the house. A sewer scope looks at the pipe. Nobody looks at the grinder pump, & it's the one thing in the yard that costs real money when it quits. For $375 we open the lid during your inspection period & tell you, in writing with photos, what you're buying.
- KCMO Master Plumber #014780
- MO Advanced OSWTS Installer #30617
- Insured
- Serving Kansas City since 2008
The most expensive thing nobody inspects
If the house is on a low-pressure sewer system, the grinder pump in the yard is the only way wastewater leaves the property. When it fails, the house stops. A new pump is a four-figure repair; a new system is more. Yet it sits outside the scope of the home inspection & out of reach of a sewer scope.
We put a pre-purchase grinder pump inspection where it belongs: next to the sewer scope in your due-diligence list. One visit during the inspection period, one written report with photos, one number to negotiate with.
What a buyer learns
- The pump's brand, age & condition, with amp readings
- Whether the floats, alarm & panel actually work
- The state of the check valve, discharge line, tank, risers & lid
- What needs repair now, what's wearing, & what each costs
- Whether parts are still available for that brand
Buyer's agents in Lake Winnebago, Loch Lloyd, Creekmoor & the Lee's Summit lake neighborhoods order these the same day they order the sewer scope. Send us the address & the deadline.
The inspection, step by step
- Open the lid, inspect tank, risers & lid seal
- Pump amp draw & a full run cycle
- Each float, the alarm & the silence circuit
- Control panel, wiring & breaker
- Check valve & discharge line pressure
- Tank cleaning: grease & grit out
- Photos & a written report, usually same day
Book an inspection or call 888-936-9377.
A report you can negotiate with
Plain English, photos of every component, pass or fail on each item, & a priced estimate for anything that needs work. Hand it to your agent, your lender or the seller. If everything checks out, you close knowing the pump has years left & what to do when the alarm goes off.
We service every grinder pump brand in the Kansas City metro & have since 2012. The inspector who opens the lid is the same crew that fixes the system, so the estimate in your report is a real price, not a referral.
- Every brand
- Photos included
- Priced findings
- Scheduled to your deadline
No mystery math
Three prices are public. Everything else is quoted on site, in writing, before we start.
- Service call
- $195
- Plumbing labor
- $180/hr
- Annual or pre-purchase grinder pump inspection
- $375
After-hours rates apply. Parts & bigger jobs are quoted on site.
After you close
Grinder pump emergency service
Repair, replacement, maintenance & annual inspections on every brand: E/One, Liberty, Zoeller, Myers, Barnes & more.
See the serviceGrinder pump installation
New Franklin Electric grinder pump systems for homes, additions, builders & whole subdivisions.
See the serviceSeptic & on-site sewer systems
Soil profile analysis, design, permitting, installation, repair & replacement of OSWTS: lagoons, laterals, drip, ATUs.
See the servicePre-purchase inspection questions
How do I know if the house has a grinder pump?
Look for a round green or black lid in the yard, usually 2 feet across, & a gray control panel with a red light on the outside wall or a post. The listing may say low-pressure sewer, LPS, grinder pump or STEP system. Whole neighborhoods in Lake Winnebago, Loch Lloyd, Creekmoor & the Lee's Summit lake areas have them. If you're not sure, send us the address.
Isn't this covered by the home inspection or the sewer scope?
No. Home inspectors note that a pump exists & move on. A sewer scope cameras the gravity line inside a house; on a grinder system it can't see the pump, the floats, the check valve or the pressurized discharge line. This inspection covers exactly the parts those two skip.
What does the $375 cover?
The same full inspection we do for our annual customers: pump amp draw & run cycle, every float, the alarm circuit, the control panel & breaker, the check valve & discharge line, the tank, risers & lid, plus a tank cleaning. You get a written report with photos & a repair estimate if anything needs attention.
How fast can you get out during my inspection period?
Within 24 hours is our norm, outside of Sundays. Tell us your inspection deadline when you call & we schedule to it. Agents can book for their buyers directly.
Do I need the seller's permission?
Yes, the same access as any other inspection. We need power on & a clear path to the lid & the panel. We don't disturb landscaping & we leave the system exactly as we found it, minus the grit.
What if the inspection finds problems?
The report prices them. A tired pump, a stuck float or a failed check valve each cost something specific, & you'll have that number before you negotiate. If a replacement is the right call, the report says so & quotes a Franklin Electric system.
Do you inspect septic systems for buyers too?
Yes. On-site system inspections for home purchases on acreage are a separate visit; call & we'll quote it for the property.
What's going on?
Tell us what you're smelling, hearing, seeing. Your request goes straight to our scheduling board.
- Faster by phone888-936-9377
- Usually within 24 hoursWithin 24 hours is our norm, outside of Sundays.
- HoursMon–Fri 7:00am–6:00pm. Sat 9:00am–4:00pm. Closed Sundays. After-hours rates apply.
Request service online
Prefer to talk? Call 888-936-9377. If the form doesn't load, open it here.
Smell something?
Hear something?
That's our cue. Call now or request service online.