Question about buying a house with a septic system vs city sewer

I was at my neighbor's cookout last weekend, and he's been dealing with a septic backup for two weeks now, cost him like $3,200 to get it pumped and inspected. But my other buddy who bought a place with city sewer says he pays $45 a month for sewer service and never thinks about it. I grew up in a house with septic and my dad always said city sewer bills add up over 30 years, but now I'm wondering if the peace of mind is worth it. On one hand, septic is your own system and no monthly fees, but on the other hand, you're on the hook for repairs and replacements out of pocket. My neighbor's system is 22 years old and he's dreading the day it fails completely. Has anyone here made the switch from one to the other, and which one do you feel is actually cheaper in the long run?

3 comments

3 Comments

aaron_mitchell27d ago

...and that $3,200 hit is exactly why I'm glad I'm renting right now so the landlord has to deal with it. City sewer feels like a subscription for peace of mind, but my truck's registration is already enough monthly bills I don't want more. I'll stick with being a broke firefighter who pays somebody else to worry about it.

susansingh27d ago

City sewer is paying a subscription fee to never think about poop again.

sage_moore3727d ago

Wait is your neighbor's system actually failing or just old? I grew up on septic too and honestly the monthly sewer fee is worth it for me now, I got tired of stressing every time the ground got too wet.