Selling a house in Silver Lake, MN: what the city requires
McLeod County, Minnesota · Last checked November 2026
Silver Lake requires a sewer service compliance inspection before a home connected to city sewer is sold. Unfinished corrections can be escrowed at 1.5 times the estimate, with one year to complete them.
What Silver Lake requires
Sewer Service Compliance Inspection (Ordinance 100)
- Who does it
- Licensed contractor files the city compliance form. The Public Works Supervisor approves it.
- What is checked
- Televising of the sewer service line plus a walk-through. Homes built in the last 10 years may skip televising at the city's discretion.
- Valid for
- 5 years from the date the system passed.
- If not done by closing
- Escrow of 1.5 times the estimated correction cost, held by the city or the title company. The buyer then has one year after closing to finish.
- Applies to
- Sale or transfer of a property connected to city sewer. In effect since January 1, 2023, amended April 6, 2026.
Housing in Silver Lake
- Median year homes were built
- 1958
- Median home value
- $202,600
- Owner-occupied homes
- 283 of 353 (80%)
- Total housing units
- 373
Half the homes here were built in 1958 or earlier, so many sewer laterals are 68+ years old and made of clay or cast iron. Older laterals are the ones most likely to fail a test, so budget for a camera inspection before you list.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates for Silver Lake city, McLeod County, Minnesota.
Need this done in Silver Lake?
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How the point-of-sale sewer inspection process works
Some Minnesota cities require a camera inspection of the private sewer line at sale, to find cracks, roots and illegal connections such as sump pumps that drain into the sanitary sewer.
- Hire a sewer contractor to televise the line.
- File the inspection with the city.
- Repair defects the city flags, or arrange for the buyer to take them on if the city allows it.
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Sewer camera inspection | $200 to $500 |
| Sewer line repair | $3,000 to $20,000 |
Read the full point-of-sale sewer inspection guide
Other towns with the same requirement: Sewer lateral video or dye test
If the house fails
You can repair before closing, use an escrow or extension where the city allows it, let the buyer assume the work for a credit, or sell as-is. Compare the options.
Frequently asked questions
What does Silver Lake require before I sell my house?
Silver Lake requires a sewer service compliance inspection before a home connected to city sewer is sold. Unfinished corrections can be escrowed at 1.5 times the estimate, with one year to complete them.
How long is it valid?
5 years from the date the system passed.
What if the repairs are not finished before closing?
Escrow of 1.5 times the estimated correction cost, held by the city or the title company. The buyer then has one year after closing to finish.
Who pays, the buyer or the seller?
The ordinance usually makes the seller responsible for ordering it, but who pays for repairs is negotiable in the purchase agreement.
How old are the homes in Silver Lake?
The median home in Silver Lake was built in 1958, and the median home value is $202,600, according to the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey.
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Sources
- City of Silver Lake, Ordinance 100, Point-of-sale certification of sanitary sewer service compliance (amended April 6, 2026)
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25035, B25077, B25003, B25001)
Last checked November 2026. Rules and fees change by ordinance and resolution. Confirm with the municipality before you list. See something out of date? Report a change.