Time of Sale Specialist

Doug Urke built a thriving California business on working with real estate agents moving new residents to a beautiful area of California
Time of Sale Specialist

Interested in Onsite Systems?

Get Onsite Systems articles, news and videos right in your inbox! Sign up now.

Onsite Systems + Get Alerts

From the start of his new septic service company in the foothills of California’s High Sierras in 2003, Doug Urke saw a business niche in serving real estate agents looking to close home sales for people moving into this popular area within commuting distance of Sacramento.

Initially Urke Septic Services offered more general pumping and system inspections; however, over time his growing Realtor client list was asking specifically for repair and diagnostic services. He responded to demand, and today 50 percent of Urke’s business is in inspection and repair, and about 90 percent of the work is in support of real estate activity.

“Realtors are our No. 1 priority,” Urke says. “They can get a hold of us 24 hours every day. Even on Sunday. We will always talk. They are helping their clients make buying decisions.”

Urke says that when a real estate agent calls for an inspection, the first task is to pump out the septic tank, then check for defects and load-test the leach field to be sure it is accepting water at the adequate rate. “We walk the leach field to be sure it and the septic tank are at the proper setback from the house, wells and creeks. A report is then sent to the agent.”

A significant portion of the work associated with real estate transactions results in minor repair work due to the age of many systems. There is demand for Urke’s services, even in what has been a tough economy nationwide. “The economy has not hurt us at all at this point. In 2010 we saw an 18 percent increase in revenue over 2009,” Urke reports.

Urke has solidified his real estate business by developing a PowerPoint presentation, which he gives at meetings of local home sellers, with a mission of educating agents about how they can avoid litigation through proper handling of septic systems.

“We show them how (each system) works, and the importance of a proper inspection and repairs; what to look for when writing a contract,” Urke says. While he continues to exploit the market created by brisk home sales, Urke continues to look for ways to build a more varied customer base and expand services.

 

FINDING SUCCESS AT HOME

Urke, 45, had worked as a commercial electrician in the Sacramento area and tired of commuting to work. His father, Al Urke, 67, of Urke Construction has been installing septic tanks since 1976, and he suggested his son start a complementary pumping business to serve the towns of Grass Valley, Nevada City and surrounding counties.

Septic systems are prevalent not only in the rural areas, but also in small towns in the area, and run from newer installations to those 30 and 40 years old. They are typically designed using 1,000- to 1,500-gallon concrete septic tanks. Common system problems Urke encounters include leach fields not accepting water, and the effluent coming to the surface or backing up into the tank. In these situations, Urke will look for root impaction or excessive biomat growth due to organic overloading.

Whether the problems are due to lack of regular maintenance or outside water sources getting into the leach field, Urke determines the best method to correct the problem. Root impaction may require a new leach field. This would be costly for the homeowner, at $10,000 to $30,000, requiring a licensed engineer for design. Rain also can wreak havoc on a system nearing the end of its useful life. They see effluent begin to surface and do what they can to make repairs to extend the life of the system.

 

DEALING WITH BIOMAT

When biomat is the issue, Urke can use bacterial products to help clean out a leach field; he chooses CCLS and AfterShock from Cape Cod Biochemical Co. Urke learned about bioremediation attending seminars through the National Association of Wastewater Transporters Inc., and at Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo International Education Day training. The remediation work is a small percentage of the company’s business, but Urke says it can be a beneficial service.

Other recurring issues are broken inlet and outlet pipes at the tank, and he sees concrete degradation in the outlet chamber. Replacement components may be required, and Urke is always prepared with necessary parts.

In the counties he serves, new systems must be equipped with an effluent filter in the outlet tee and access risers on both chambers. Older systems are not required to be updated. In Grass Valley (11,000 population) and Nevada City (3,000 population), backflow and overflow devices are required on all city sewer lines at the time a house is sold.

“On my service truck I carry a complete inventory,” Urke says. “People make fun of me for carrying such an abundance of material. But it’s my rolling warehouse.”

 

EQUIPMENT TO RELY ON

Urke’s vacuum truck is a 1996 Kenworth T800 with a 3,500-gallon steel tank, hoist and a Masport pump from LMT Inc. The hoist is handy to level the tank while pumping on hillsides that dominate the landscape. The service truck also carries a Crust Buster tank agitator from Schmitz Brothers LLC. Urke also runs a 1997 Ford Super Duty flatbed that carries an extensive inventory of parts and fittings. This has a beaver tail so Urke can haul his Bobcat 323 mini-excavator. A 2,500-gallon aluminum tanker trailer is used along with the pump truck when they have large loads and long distances to cover.

At the yard in an industrial park Urke has three 5,000-gallon tanker trailers used to store septage, and two 20-foot storage containers to stock parts and equipment. Because all tanks are mobile, Urke is not required to have a permitted facility. The office is located in the Urke home.

Waste is hauled to Inviro-Tec, a treatment plant in Lincoln, Calif., a 46-mile drive. Tallying travel time and waiting in line to dump can mean three-hour roundtrips. Urke says the disposal procedure is very costly, running 23 cents per gallon including all hauling and dumping expenses. In 2010, he hauled over a million gallons to the plant.

Unfortunately for Urke and the other pumping companies, a better disposal solution doesn’t appear likely. There has been discussion among pumpers about setting up a treatment process, but with regulations, cost and the time involved — about two years — nothing has come to fruition.

In recent years, when Urke’s clients requested sewer system inspections and repair, he added a MyTana Mfg. Company Inc. mini-cam system, and an InsightVision Digital Xpress camera system. He uses a Rycom Instruments Inc. 8872 locator.

 

MORE COMPLEX SYSTEMS

An opportunity for growth comes in maintaining more complex systems, both new and those built within the last 10 years. The counties require they be monitored and maintained annually by a certified provider. The homeowner must sign an annual contract with the county and service provider. Urke Septic Services is responsible for more than 200 systems under this provision.

Components for these systems typically come from Orenco Systems Inc. The technologies used include pressure dose, sand filters and mound systems. Urke says his electrical background has been helpful in repairing and maintaining these systems, which are suitable for properties where soil conditions or higher water tables prohibit using more conventional septic systems.

Since adding sewer inspection, Urke has been impressed with the advances in camera systems and locating.

“I can’t imagine doing some of this work without locators,” he says, “and cameras give a visual aid. You can show the customer right where the problem is.”

For maintenance promotion, Urke finds it beneficial to have effluent filters and access risers so the homeowner sees the lid in the yard as a reminder. “It’s not ‘out of sight out of mind.’ They need to have the filter cleaned once a year. They are visible, and access is important. Unfortunately most tanks are buried in the back yard and people (Realtors included) don’t have a clue where the tank is.”

 

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

The current real estate climate has brought a significant change in the way inspections are handled. In the past, the seller paid. But with bank-owned properties, the buyer foots the bill, and in most transactions the buyer is at the inspection and wants to learn about the process. This provides Urke the opportunity to build on a residential customer relationship. Urke likes solving problems, and he always welcomes a homebuyer at inspection time.

“A lot of our new buyers are people who are retiring and moving from the cities, and their number one question is about adding bacteria to the tank,” Urke says. “We don’t recommend this unless there is a potential problem because of medications they are taking, which might cause the bacteria to struggle. In some situations we will put in an automatic bacteria dispenser so the bacteria can compensate. The dispenser will add CCLS back into the system on a weekly basis. We check periodically to see how the sludge and scum layers are doing.”

In this process, on occasion a real estate agent will be concerned about the cost of recommended repairs, and want to know if there are ways to cut corners.

“We have heard the sob stories,” Urke says. “Worries that they might lose the sale. But this has to be done properly.’’ He adds that some agents will not use his services because they think he’s too thorough. Urke’s response: “I take that as a compliment.”



Discussion

Comments on this site are submitted by users and are not endorsed by nor do they reflect the views or opinions of COLE Publishing, Inc. Comments are moderated before being posted.