About Iowa Septic Pros
Iowa Septic Pros is a free, independent guide to septic work in Iowa, built around the one rule that catches most homeowners off guard: the time-of-transfer inspection required before a sale.
Most of that surprise lands in one place: a home on a private septic system in the Des Moines area, in Polk County, that goes on the market before anyone checks whether the system passes. Iowa's time-of-transfer inspection sits between that seller and their closing, and it is the rule this whole site is organized around.
What this site is
Iowa Septic Pros is an information resource and a free matching service for Iowa homeowners. We are not a septic contractor, not a certified inspector, and not a government office. We publish plain, sourced answers about the work and the local rules that drive it, and we connect homeowners who want a bid with an independent local professional who does the work.
The centerpiece is the Iowa time-of-transfer septic guide, the full walk-through of the inspection Iowa law requires before most on-septic sales can close. It draws on the Iowa DNR time-of-transfer program and Iowa Code Chapter 455B, and it names the county office that administers the rule where you live.
How the match works
Tell us your county and your situation on the contact form. We route the request to an independent local septic contractor or a certified Iowa time-of-transfer inspector who covers your area. You decide who to hire and pay them directly, at their own quoted price. The choice is always yours, and nothing on this page ranks or endorses a specific company.
We are paid a referral fee by the professional we match you with, never by you, and that fee does not change your price. The full explanation is on how we make money.
The plain disclosure
Iowa Septic Pros is operated by Compass Camper LLC, doing business as Compass Lead Group. We are a referral and matching service and do not perform septic, inspection, or evaluation work. All work is performed by independent local professionals. Contacting us connects you with one of those professionals.
Sources, and why they carry dates
Iowa's septic rules, county fees, and inspection procedures change, so every specific claim on this site links to a primary source: the Iowa DNR, Iowa Code Chapter 455B, a county environmental health or public health office, or Iowa's certified inspector and licensed pumper lists. When we cannot confirm a number, we keep it qualitative or leave it out rather than invent one.
Ready to start? Get matched, or read the services and your service area first.