Frequently Asked Questions

If the tank is above ground, in the basement, the garage, or outside, it gets removed. Abandonment is only for buried tanks.

For a buried tank, NYS DEC says removal is generally preferred where it's practical. Abandonment (closing it in place: cut open, pumped out, cleaned, and filled with sand) makes sense when the tank is under a driveway, deck, patio, or addition, close to the foundation, or somewhere a machine can't reach. If you're selling, ask the buyer's side first; some prefer removal. Answer five questions for our read. We confirm on site.

It depends on where the tank is, how big it is, and how hard it is to get to. A basement tank with a clear path out is a very different job from a buried tank under a driveway.

The estimate is free. Photos often let us price it without a visit. Send a request and we'll call you with a price. A deposit may be required depending on the job; we'll tell you up front. The county also charges its own fee: in Nassau it's $70 for an abandonment and $90 for a removal, set by the county and subject to change.

Most jobs take less than a day; removals take longer. Most of the calendar time is scheduling, not work. In Nassau, the county inspection has to be booked at least 7 days ahead. We'll tell you how long your job will take when we give you the price.

If you have a closing date, tell us up front.

A basement tank: no digging at all. A buried tank: there will be a hole about the size of the tank plus room to work. When the tank is out, the hole is backfilled and the grass or dirt restored. If the tank was under a driveway, the driveway is patched.

If the tank is under a patio, deck, or addition, removal may mean cutting through it. That's often a reason to abandon the tank in place instead. We'll tell you how the ground is left before you agree to anything.

In Nassau, small residential tanks go through the county Health Department's small tank program. The inspection must be scheduled at least 7 days in advance, and the county charges a fee ($70 for abandonment, $90 for removal, set by the county and subject to change).

In Suffolk, closure of residential underground tanks up to 1,100 gallons is governed by county code and Article 12 of the Sanitary Code, and written proof of closure is filed with the Department of Health Services.

We file everything with the county. Your town's building department may have its own requirements. We'll tell you what we know for your town.

We file everything with the county. You get a receipt from us showing it was filed. One to two weeks later, the completed work shows up in the county's online records, where you, your attorney, or your buyer can look it up. In Nassau, the county also issues a verification letter after its inspection. In Suffolk, written proof of closure goes on file with the Department of Health Services.

No law says you need it to sell. But attorneys, lenders, title companies, and insurers commonly ask for proof that a tank was properly closed, and closings stall without it. Keep the receipt with your house papers. More for sellers.

We don't do cleanup, and we don't sell it. If there's evidence of a leak, the county inspector makes the call on whether the NYS DEC gets involved. We'll tell you what the county said and what the next step is. For reference, the NYS DEC Spill Hotline is 1-800-457-7362.

Because cleanup isn't our business, we have no reason to go looking for a problem.

Often, yes, when the closure was done properly and the paperwork is there. But it's the lender's call, and some buyers or lenders want the tank removed. Ask the buyer's attorney before you book the work so it only has to happen once.

It can be. Some insurers ask whether there's a buried oil tank on the property, and some want proof an old tank was removed or properly closed. We can't speak for your policy. Call your agent and ask what they need to see.

Look for a vent pipe coming out of the ground or up the side of the house, a fill cap in the lawn or driveway, and two small copper lines coming through the basement wall near the burner. A patched hole in the foundation, an old oil gauge, or a house that was converted from oil to gas are clues too. The full signs guide.

A basement tank sits inside, where you can see it. Taking it out involves no digging. A buried tank is underground in the yard, you can't see its condition, and it's either dug up and removed or closed in place. Nassau County notes that tanks around 30 years old are prone to failure.

Before the tank is opened or moved, what's left inside is pumped out. That can be a few inches of sludge or a few hundred gallons of oil. A certified oil recycling company removes it.

It depends on the size and type of boiler, where it is, and the path out: stairs, tight turns, how far to the truck. The estimate is free. A photo of the boiler and one of the stairs helps us price it. Send a request and we'll call you with a price.

In pieces. Most cast iron boilers are built from sections bolted together. The boiler is taken apart or cut into sections, and the pieces are carried up the stairs one at a time. No walls opened up. How boiler removal works.

It could. Older boilers and heating pipes were often insulated with materials that may contain asbestos. New York's Industrial Code Rule 56 requires an asbestos survey before a contractor demolishes or removes building components, and only a licensed asbestos removal company may remove asbestos-containing insulation.

We don't do asbestos removal. If asbestos is found, we get a quote from a licensed asbestos removal company, and that work is completed before the boiler comes out. Don't pull or scrape it yourself.

Plenty of installers would rather not haul old cast iron, so they leave it to us. You replace the boiler, we haul the old one. Usually your installer disconnects and drains it, we take it out, and they set the new one. Tell us who your installer is and we'll work out the timing.

Not much. The scrap value of a residential cast iron boiler is small, and it doesn't move the price of the job much.

Most jobs take less than a day. Exactly how long depends on the boiler, the stairs, and whether it's already disconnected and drained when we get there. We'll tell you how long to expect when we give you the price.