Wells and septic in Wexford County: what buyers should know

Once you leave Cadillac, Manton, and the villages, most homes out here run on a private well and a septic system instead of city water and sewer. The county’s health department — District Health Department #10 — handles the permits for both. And here’s the part that surprises people: Michigan is the only state with no statewide septic code, so the rules get set locally, county by county.

That matters in Wexford because of what the county does not require. Two of Wexford’s neighbors — Manistee and Kalkaska — make a seller get the septic system inspected and signed off before a sale can close. Wexford doesn’t. An inspection at the time of sale here is voluntary, though a lender may ask for what’s called a “mortgage evaluation” before approving a loan. So the smart move is to put your own well and septic inspection right in your offer — don’t assume one already happened. And on vacant land, you’ll want a “perc test” to confirm the soil will actually pass for a drain field before you buy.

One thing worth watching down the road: lawmakers in Lansing have floated a statewide septic-inspection law more than once. Nothing has passed yet, but if you’re buying a place on a septic system, it’s worth keeping an eye on.