Duxbury's Board of Health adds its own requirements to state Title 5, and the town's coastal groundwater means inspections here take a little more care. Here's what Duxbury homeowners, buyers and agents should know.
Title 5 inspections in Duxbury
Standard Title 5
$425- Required for home sales and transfers
- Town records and water usage pulled for you
- Report filed with your Board of Health
Confidential System Evaluation
$500- Full camera inspection of the lines
- Private report to you. Nothing filed with the town
- Find problems on your own timeline, before you list
Not an official Title 5 inspection. It can't be used for a sale or transfer.
Duxbury rules that go beyond state Title 5
- A Title 5 inspection is required for any addition larger than 50 square feet, even if it doesn't add bedrooms or flow.
- Cesspools are automatic failures, and all seepage pits must be located, opened and inspected.
- The Health Agent may require a soil evaluation by a DEP-certified soil evaluator for any inspection. The town keeps a list of streets where one is needed.
- Inspectors check real-time data from USGS monitoring well #79 to decide whether groundwater readings need adjusting.
- Reports go to the Board of Health on the official DEP form within 30 days.
What this means for you
Planning an addition or a sale in Duxbury? Ask early whether your street is on the soil-evaluation list. It can add a step to the inspection, and it's better to know before you set a closing date.
Duxbury Board of Health
Duxbury Board of Health
878 Tremont Street, Duxbury, MA 02332
Phone: 781-934-1100 ext. 5490
Septic and Title 5 information from the town
Summarized from the town's published regulations as of September 2026. Rules change, so always confirm current requirements with the Board of Health.
If your Duxbury system needs work
A failed inspection or a Conditional Pass isn't the end of the road. J. Bean Excavation handles septic repairs and full replacements, working with your engineer and the Duxbury Board of Health. We also do drainage and land clearing.
Have questions first? See the Title 5 FAQ.