Many homes in North Jersey were previously or are currently using oil for their heating systems. Some of these homes had or still have steel underground oil tanks. Unfortunately, steel slowly degrades when buried underground and eventually leaks. If an underground oil tank is discovered on the property, it may have caused oil contamination of the soil which can be very costly to remediate and becomes your responsibility as soon as you purchase the home.

First, we visually inspect the inside and outside of the home for any evidence of an abandoned underground oil tank. We us electromagnetic locating to trace any lines or pipes discovered. Then, we sweep the property 30’ from any foundations on the lot with a magnetometer to detect any underground iron or steel objects. Any areas of concern or magnetically inaccessible areas are then scanned with a top of the line GS8000 ground penetrating radar at no additional charge (most companies do not have a GPR or add an additional fee if needed). A written report with our findings will be provided.

Oil tank sweeps are recommended on every home built before 1990, or where a building foundation on the property may have existed before 1990. Oil tank sweeps can be added to your home inspections for an additional fee or can be ordered as a stand-alone service. Learn more about our advanced tank sweep with GPR here!