Can You Remove an Oil Tank Yourself?
Short answer: No state rule bars it. Pennsylvania's storage tank law doesn't regulate most home heating oil tanks used on the premises: tanks storing heating oil for use where it is stored are excluded, and DEP lists home heating oil tanks as not regulated1,2. Local rules, lenders and buyers may still require action, such as a permit, testing or removal before a sale. Even so, doing it yourself is rarely a good idea. A full 275-gallon tank weighs over a ton3, leftover oil and sludge must be pumped out and disposed of, and a buyer's lender may want a contractor's removal report or closure paperwork you can't produce yourself4. Permit rules vary by municipality.
Why most homeowners hire it out
- Weight and handling: DEP notes a 275-gallon tank full of heating oil weighs over one ton3.
- Digging rules: anyone excavating for a buried tank must contact PA One Call (811) at least 3 business days ahead5; DEP also says the tank should be inspected for holes, corrosion and signs of a leak once it is out6.
- Leak risk: spills contaminate soil and water and can lead to very expensive cleanup that typical homeowner's insurance often doesn't cover3.
- The fill pipe: DEP says to remove the fill line after the tank comes out, or permanently seal both ends, and tell your oil company, because oil has been delivered into fill pipes for tanks that no longer exist3.
- Paperwork: lenders may ask for testing, soil sampling or removal/closure documentation4. A contractor report with soil results is what buyers usually expect7.
- Permits: Permit rules vary by municipality; your matched contractor will confirm and pull any required permit. Find your town's office on our town pages.
What it costs to hire out
Published figures: above-ground or basement $500–$1,500; underground $1,000–$3,000+8. See cost by size.
Related
- Does an old oil tank have to be removed?
- Oil tank removal cost by size
- Oil tank sweep cost
- Lehigh Valley oil tank guide
- Towns we serve
More homeowner questions
- Buried oil tank and homeowners insurance in PA
- Oil tank removal before closing
- Oil tank removal vs abandonment in place
- Who pays for oil tank removal: buyer or seller?
Quick answers
- How long does oil tank removal take?
- How to tell if you have an underground oil tank
- Signs of a leaking oil tank
Lehigh Valley towns with the most oil-heated homes
Municipalities we cover where at least 30% of occupied homes are heated mainly by fuel oil or kerosene, estimated by the Census9:
| Town | Fuel-oil share | Homes (± margin of error) |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Mount Bethel Township | 55.9% | 1,475 ± 243 |
| Lower Mount Bethel Township | 53.5% | 634 ± 117 |
| Washington Township (Northampton) | 53.2% | 1,030 ± 207 |
| Portland borough | 53.2% | 125 ± 48 |
| Roseto borough | 52.1% | 295 ± 68 |
| Stockertown borough | 50.7% | 149 ± 46 |
| Lehigh Township | 47.0% | 2,021 ± 304 |
| Tatamy borough | 44.0% | 199 ± 51 |
| Walnutport borough | 43.6% | 354 ± 77 |
| Lower Milford Township | 42.4% | 616 ± 132 |
| Plainfield Township | 41.6% | 1,045 ± 282 |
| Coopersburg | 40.3% | 442 ± 96 |
| Wind Gap | 39.9% | 603 ± 142 |
| Bushkill Township | 39.5% | 1,255 ± 210 |
| Pen Argyl | 39.2% | 545 ± 184 |
| Heidelberg Township | 38.8% | 503 ± 118 |
| Washington Township (Lehigh) | 37.5% | 1,020 ± 207 |
| North Whitehall Township | 33.6% | 2,017 ± 298 |
| East Bangor borough | 32.7% | 144 ± 49 |
| Lynn Township | 32.3% | 551 ± 135 |
| Moore Township | 32.2% | 1,113 ± 208 |
| Bangor | 31.7% | 630 ± 197 |
| Williams Township | 31.2% | 818 ± 215 |
| Nazareth | 30.3% | 908 ± 208 |
For comparison: Allentown 14.1%, Easton 8.6%9. These are 5-year survey estimates; small towns have wide margins of error.
FAQ
Is it legal to remove my own heating oil tank in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's storage tank law doesn't regulate most home heating oil tanks used on the premises: tanks storing heating oil for use where it is stored are excluded, and DEP lists home heating oil tanks as not regulated1,2. Local rules, lenders and buyers may still require action, such as a permit, testing or removal before a sale. There is no state certification rule for a homeowner's own tank. Local permit rules vary by municipality.
Does PA DEP require me to remove my home heating oil tank?
No. Pennsylvania's storage tank law doesn't regulate most home heating oil tanks used on the premises: tanks storing heating oil for use where it is stored are excluded, and DEP lists home heating oil tanks as not regulated1,2. Local rules, lenders and buyers may still require action, such as a permit, testing or removal before a sale. Owners usually act because of a sale, a lender, an insurer, or leak risk.
Get a free quote
Tell us where the tank is (basement, side yard, buried, or unknown) and whether you're buying, selling, or refinancing. Allentown Tanks will connect you with a qualified local tank contractor. (215) 434-1322 · Request a quote
Sources
- Act 32 §103 (UST definition excludes heating oil for consumptive use)
- PA DEP Storage Tank Data ("Home heating oil tanks are not regulated")
- PA DEP, Tips for Residential Heating Oil Tank Owners
- Kash Mortgage Group, PA buyer guide
- PA One Call System, Excavators (3–10 business days notice, Act 287 as amended by Act 127 of 2024)
- PA DEP, Residential Home Heating Oil (tank removal tips)
- Curren Environmental, PA oil tank removal cost
- Harned Durham Energy, heating oil tank removal cost
- Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year Table B25040 House Heating Fuel, county subdivision geography (table-based summary file)
- 25 Pa. Code §245.1 definitions
- PA DEP Installer/Inspector Certification (certified company list)
- 68 Pa.C.S. §7303 seller disclosure
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-1.4-08 Environmental Hazards Appraisal Requirements
- Flagstone, Philadelphia oil tank guide
- PA DEP Storage Tanks Financial Assistance (Underground Heating Oil Tank Cleanup Reimbursement Program)
- PA DEP, Apply for Oil Tank Cleanup Reimbursement
- USTIF Heating Oil Tank Program (voluntary, tanks of 3,000 gallons or more)
Sources accessed 2026-10-25 by TANKER Traffic.