When buying a rural home, the documents to request from a rural home seller can reveal important details about the property’s well, septic system, legal access, permits, and land-use agreements. Ask for available records early, then verify key details with the relevant county office, local health department, and title or closing professional. This is a due-diligence checklist, not a claim that sellers everywhere must provide every item; disclosure practices and local requirements vary by state and county.
Request a copy of the current deed and legal description, any recent boundary survey or plat, and recorded easements or rights-of-way. If the driveway or road is private, ask for any road-maintenance or access agreements. Also ask whether utilities, driveways, gates, or wells are shared.
Find out who maintains a private road and how maintenance, storm cleanup, or other shared responsibilities are handled. A fence, driveway, or informal map does not by itself confirm a legal boundary or right of access. Ask your title or closing professional to review recorded documents and explain any title exceptions or access concerns.
Ask for the septic permit, approved design or as-built drawing, installation and repair records, inspection reports, and pumping receipts. Ask where the tank and drainfield are located, how many bedrooms the system was permitted to serve, when it was last inspected or pumped, and whether any work was recommended.
The county or local health or environmental department may have permits and system records. Requirements and inspection practices vary by location, so ask the local authority what records exist and what applies to the property. Seller documents provide useful background, but do not replace an inspection by a qualified septic professional. (S2)
Frequent Questions on Septic Systems | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ↗
Request the well-completion or construction record, the well’s location, pump and treatment-system details, repair history, and prior laboratory results. Ask whether anyone else uses the well and, if so, request any written shared-well agreement.
A prior test shows only what was measured at that time. Arrange current testing through a state-certified laboratory, and ask the local health department which tests make sense for the area. CDC guidance covers private-well testing and notes that private wells are not monitored in the same way as public water systems. (S3)
Guidelines for Testing Well Water | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ↗
Request available permits, final approvals, and contractor records for additions, barns, garages, finished basements, wells, septic work, major electrical work, and new or altered driveways. For land you may want to build on or use differently, ask for zoning decisions, variances, and any existing site evaluations.
Confirm permits and allowed uses with the local office responsible for building, planning, roads, or environmental health. If you are considering a future building site or septic area, a soil map can help identify possible limitations, but it is not an on-site approval. Local review may require additional investigation. (S4)
Tips for purchasing and building on shoreland property | University of Minnesota Extension ↗
Ask for any seller property-condition disclosure used in the state, plus available records of significant water intrusion, flooding, fire, structural repairs, pest treatment, or insurance claims. Request invoices, warranties, and permits for repairs when available. Disclosure forms and rules differ by state, so do not assume a form from another state applies.
Ask whether the home, access road, well, or septic area has flooded or been damaged. FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center provides flood-hazard map information; use it as one part of your research, not as a guarantee that flooding will or will not occur. (S1, S5)
Appendix H: Flood Maps | Federal Emergency Management Agency ↗
Ask for active farm, grazing, hunting, timber, solar, cell-tower, or other use agreements, along with conservation easements and documents affecting mineral, water, or timber rights. Check for expiration dates, renewal terms, and whether an agreement might continue after the sale.
Do not assume that surface ownership includes every related right. In some places, surface and mineral ownership can be separate. Have your title professional review the deed and title work for the specific parcel and explain any recorded rights or exceptions. (S6)
Mining - Split Estate due to Stock Raising Homestead Act | Bureau of Land Management ↗
Request the current property-tax bill and available records explaining exemptions or special assessments. Ask for documents related to propane or fuel tanks, solar equipment, generators, private utility lines, and service contracts. Clarify whether equipment is owned, leased, or subject to a service agreement.
Contact the county office or service provider to confirm relevant records, service availability, transfer steps, and whether obligations are tied to the property or a separate contract. Availability and procedures vary by location and provider.
Before signing, discuss inspection and document-review deadlines with your real estate agent or attorney; contract terms and local rules vary. Send the seller a written request and label items “if available.” If a record is missing, ask whether the seller knows which county office, contractor, or service provider may have it.
Verify recorded documents with the county recorder or title professional, and ask the local health department about well and septic files. EPA identifies local permitting authorities as a source for septic permits and as-built drawings. Arrange specialized inspections for the septic system, well and water quality, and any other property-specific concerns. Resolve important access, title, permit, or land-use questions with the relevant local professionals before closing. (S2)
Frequent Questions on Septic Systems | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ↗
You can write: “Please provide any available deed and survey; recorded access or easement documents; well and septic permits, inspection, and service records; permits for improvements; seller disclosures and repair records; and any current leases or land-use agreements affecting the property.” Add questions about shared roads, wells, utilities, or equipment if they apply.
Not necessarily. Seller disclosure practices and document requirements vary by state and county, and this checklist is for due diligence rather than a statement of universal legal requirements. Ask your local real estate professional or attorney what applies to the transaction.
Ask which local permitting or health department may hold the records, then contact that office directly. Arrange an appropriate septic inspection and current well-water testing rather than treating missing paperwork or old test results as confirmation of current condition. (S2, S3)
Request recorded access or right-of-way documents and any road-maintenance agreement. Ask who maintains the road and how shared costs and storm cleanup are handled. Have a title or closing professional review the recorded documents for the parcel.
No. Soil information can flag potential limitations, but it is not a site-specific approval. Confirm the proposed use and any necessary evaluation with the local offices responsible for planning, building, and septic permits. (S4)
Use official flood-hazard map information as one part of your research, alongside the seller’s available history and local information. A map is not a guarantee about future flooding or damage. (S1, S5)