You should always get an oil tank scan if:
- Any signs of oil tanks are present
- The house or the neighborhood is pre-1980
- There is no record of an oil tank search
If you’re buying a home or property in Oregon or Washington you may have heard of Heating Oil Tanks. You may not know however that they can turn into a costly headache. Getting an oil tank scan or tank sweep is the only way to know for sure if there is an oil tank which could affect your health or cost many thousands of dollars to remediate.
In most cases when an oil tank is found it is a surprise to the seller. Homes built before 1985 have a high risk of having a buried tank. You should assume every home built in the Portland area before the 80’s has a tank unless you have a tank sweep report that says otherwise.
Buying a house with an oil tank means you are buying the problem if there is one. It is better to do a tank search during the inspection period when buying a home so you can defer the cost to the seller.
A highly professional Oil Tank Search is only $125 and takes about an hour. We recommend getting a tank search if:
- Any signs of oil heat are present
- The house or the neighborhood is pre-1980
- There is no record of an oil tank search
