Documents to Gather Before an Engineer Reviews Your Property
Start with the property address, tax map key (TMK), number of dwellings and bedrooms, current wastewater system if known, and the reason you are seeking help. Add any surveys, plans, wastewater approvals, pumping records, or agency letters you can find. Missing records are common, so make a clear list of what is unknown.
What information is enough to start?
- Property address and full TMK.
- Your name and relationship to the property.
- What you believe serves the property now: cesspool, septic system, aerobic treatment unit (ATU), sewer, or unknown.
- The number of dwellings and bedrooms, including detached or rental units.
- The reason for the project, such as a Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) letter, system problem, renovation, sale, or new dwelling.
- Access limits involving gates, tenants, pets, vegetation, steep areas, or private roads.
You can start with Hawaiʻi Cesspool Help even if the file is incomplete. We collect the basic property information and connect homeowners with licensed professionals who can evaluate the property and explain the next steps.
Property and survey records
- Deed, title report, or another record showing the parcel and owner.
- Boundary survey, plot plan, subdivision map, easements, or condominium property regime documents.
- Building plans, site plans, grading plans, driveway plans, and records for additional dwellings.
- Known well, waterline, stream, shoreline, drainage, or utility information that may affect the design.
Wastewater records
- Cesspool card or existing cesspool information form.
- Approved individual wastewater system (IWS) plans and specifications.
- Approval to construct and approval to use letters.
- Site evaluation, percolation test information, record drawing plan, inspection report, or contractor certification.
- Septic tank, ATU, pump, alarm, control panel, or maintenance documents.
- Pumping, service, repair, overflow, backup, complaint, or enforcement records.
Household and project information
- Current and planned property use.
- Planned additions, renovations, plumbing changes, pools, accessory structures, or landscaping.
- Known system location and where the building drain exits.
- Areas that must remain open for vehicles, farming, tenants, or future construction.
- Budget questions, preferred schedule, and whether financial assistance may be needed.
Photos and field notes
Useful photos can show the general yard, slopes, access, possible lids, wet areas, retaining walls, wells, streams, utilities, and the route from the house. Take photos from a safe location. Never open, enter, or stand on an uncertain cesspool or tank cover.
Label anything you could not verify instead of guessing. The engineer may need to verify locations through records, tracing, survey work, or field investigation.
What the engineer will still need to do
Documents help the licensed civil engineer understand the property, but they do not establish the final system. The engineer evaluates the site, determines the design basis, prepares the plans, and submits the IWS package. Additional survey, testing, or specialist input may be needed.
Before work begins, confirm the professional's active Hawaiʻi license and written scope. Hawaiʻi Cesspool Help can collect your starting information and connect you with a licensed professional.
Ready to put the property records to use?
Send the address or TMK and list the records you already have. We will help connect you with a professional who can review the property information.
Official sources
- Hawaiʻi Department of Health Individual Wastewater Systems
- Hawaiʻi Department of Health General Information and Frequently Asked Questions
- Hawaiʻi Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Professional and Vocational Licensing Search