Oil Tank Removal: Top 4 Things To Ask When Hiring an Oil Tank Removal Company

The search to find a reputable oil tank removal company can be quite tasking.  

Most people do not have much knowledge regarding the oil tank removal industry and find it hard to know where to start.

 
Most times people will get a referral from a friend, realtor or home inspector, or search oil tank removal online.  But how do you know that you have made the right decision.  

It is easy to become overwhelmed with the selection process because most people do not know where to start or what questions they should be asking?

1.  How Long Has The Oil Tank Removal Company Been In Business?

This is an important question to ask from the beginning.  There are a lot of new oil tank removal companies.  

Some companies will say they have a “combined experience” of a certain amount of years;however, this is just a talley of their employees years in the industry.
For example, oil tank removal company X has 5 staff members with 3 years of experience, they may advertise over 15 years of “combined experience”.  

In comparison, we have been in business since 2004.  So if you added up our “combined experience” we would easily have almost 50 years experience. 

Additionally, some companies may have been in business for 10 years; however, they have only been removing oil tanks for a couple of those years. 

Every property is unique, so if they do not have the knowledge and experience to properly perform an oil tank detection, oil tank removal, or soil remediation project, you may end up with more problems then when you started.  

Every property, oil tank removal, and cities regualtions are different. This is why knowledge and experience is paramount when it comes to our industry.

So how can this effect you…

OIL TANK DETECTIONS

If an oil tank removal company does not have trained oil tank detection technicians, or inferior oil tank scanning equipment, there is a higher probablity that your oil tank detection will not be as accurate.
If the oil tank removal company does not have the knowledge, tools and experience to recognize and properly assess your property, you run risk of an oil tank being missed on your property.

This scenario can have serious implications.

If you sell a property and state that no tank is on the property, you may end up facing legal issues in the future.

OIL TANK REMOVALS

During your oil tank removal you should feel comfortable knowing that your contractor will be able to safely, efficently, and cost effectively remove your oil tank regardless of the situation.  

Otherwise, a lack of knowledge can lead to injuries, tank ruptures (causing contamination) or even damage to your property.  

Additionally, an inexperienced quotation and assessment may lead to additional charges.  

It is important to note that all cities have different rules and regulations.  If your oil tank removal company does not follow the local regulations you can end up with fines, an unusable final report or even legal issues.

Furthermore, if the proper procedures are not followed there is a chance that contamination may be missed. Or even worse, clean soil may be removed that is not contaminated at all.

CONTAMINATED SOIL REMOVAL | SOIL REMEDIATION

This may be the most important time you need an knowledgable oil tank removal company at your property.  

Without the proper experience managing a contaminated property, you may find yourself trapped in a situation that goes from bad to worse.

If the contractor lacks experience, they may end up missing contamination on your property, causing contamination on your property, or removing soil that are not even contaminated.  

This would be a costly error.

2.  Does The Oil Tank Removal Company Have Insurance Coverage?

If your oil tank removal contractor cannot provide the proper documentation to prove that they have coverage, you may want to question choosing that company.

Many people do not think about insurance coverage and just assume that their contractor will have all the proper insurance coverage.

However, if your contractor is not properly insured your may end up liable for any injuries that happen on your property.  Additionally, if any damage is done on your property it may by hard to recouperate any losses.

3.  Does The Oil Tank Removal Company Have any Hidden Charges?

This is very a important question to ask an oil tank removal company.  

We highly recommend that you read your quotation from start to finish to make sure that you know what is included.

You may assume that certain things should be already included in your original estimate, for example: labour charges, backfill materials, reports, and your certificate, but sadly this is not always the case.

Know what you are paying for…

Is Backfill And Landscaping Included?

Some companies may tell you that backfill is included in their price, but landscaping is not. When people see that landscaping is not included in there quotation, most people do not question this because they relate landscaping to: tree trimming, laying paving stones etc.

What this means is that they will backfill the existing soil on your property, but they will not bring in any extra sand or topsoil.

So once your project is “completed” you will have a partially filled excavation and a messy yard.

So if you want your excavation to be completely filled, or your yard to look good again, they will charge you at a premium rate for materials and labour.

These oil tank companies do this to make there initial quotation seem $100-$200 cheaper then the rest.

But in the end, once you have realized what has happened, you are trapped in a situation where you will have to pay whatever they say to make your yard safe again.

So intially at first glance they may be $100-$200 cheaper but once all is completed, the cost could potentially substantially more expensive then what you thought you agreed upon.

Is The Oil Tank Detection Certificate Included?

An important part of getting an oil tank detection is having the proper documentation to show that no oil tank was found on your property.
Some companies may say that they offer free oil tank detections, but here are the catches:

They will offer a free oil tank detection but… they will not supply an oil tank detection certificate.  

What happens is…

They will do a quick detection, if they find a oil tank they might get a job.  

If they do not find an oil tank, it doesn’t matter to them that the scan was not thorough because they did not provide an oil tank detection certificate anyway.

Another issue with this offer is that…

simply telling a prospective buyer, lender or insurance company that you do not have an oil tank is usually not accepted.  Most people will want a oil tank detection certificate from an expert.

They will offer a free oil tank detection but… if they find an oil tank, you are obligated to use them to remove your oil tank.

This stipulation can lead to a bad situation because they could potentially charge you whatever they want.

Essentially, you would be blindly signing a quotation before its even written.

Is The Final Report Included?

As with oil tank detections, a very important part of an oil tank removal is the final documentation that supports that there is no longer an oil tank on your property.
This may seem like a silly question up front but if you do not ask your oil tank removal company about this before you sign their contract, they may charge you additional administration fees.

4.  Are They An Accredited Member Of The Better Business Bureau?

Word of mouth, referrals and testimonials should be an important component of your selection process.

The BBB has been a trusted source of researching a companies history for many years. 

Thank you for reading our blog. We hope that by reading this article you have gained a better understanding of some of the questions that you should ask when hiring an oil tank removal company. 

The more you know about the oil tank removal process can help you make informed decisions, instead of just choosing A, B or C.  

Call or email us today if you have any questions about oil tank detections, oil tank removals or soil remedation.

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