How Long Does Oil Tank Removal Take?
Short answer: It varies, and nobody can promise a fixed number without seeing your tank. The calendar is driven by the steps around the dig, not the dig itself: municipal permit rules (which vary by municipality), a legally required wait of at least 3 business days after the PA One Call (811) locate request before any digging1, soil sampling and lab results if the tank is buried, and, if a leak is found, a cleanup. Your matched contractor will give you a written schedule.
The steps, in order
- Get quotes. DEP suggests getting written quotes from at least two reputable environmental professionals, asking each for the same information2.
- 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.
- Utility marking (buried tanks): whoever digs must contact PA One Call (811) no less than 3 and no more than 10 business days before excavating, and no digging may start before the lawful start date1.
- Removal day: the tank is emptied, removed and inspected for holes, corrosion, staining or vapors2.
- Soil samples: typically 2–3 samples go to a lab3; the wait for results depends on the lab.
- Fill pipe: the fill pipe and vent line are removed or sealed and your oil company is told the tank is gone2,4.
- Paperwork: you get the contractor's report with any lab results. Lenders may ask for it5.
What adds time
- Contamination: if contamination is seen or suspected, DEP says to notify your regional DEP office2, and the job becomes a cleanup3. Buried tanks of 3,000 gallons or less may qualify for DEP reimbursement6.
- Permits and inspections: these depend on your municipality.
Selling or buying?
Start early, because the lab report and closure paperwork usually come last. See oil tank removal before closing.
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
- Can you remove an oil tank yourself?
- 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 Census7:
| 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%7. These are 5-year survey estimates; small towns have wide margins of error.
FAQ
Can an oil tank be removed in one day?
Sometimes the on-site work is short, but we don't have a reliable published source for a typical duration, so ask your contractor for a written schedule. Buried tanks also need the 3-business-day 811 wait first1.
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 regulated8,9. 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
- 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
- PA DEP, Tips for Residential Heating Oil Tank Owners
- Kash Mortgage Group, PA buyer guide
- PA DEP, Apply for Oil Tank Cleanup Reimbursement
- Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year Table B25040 House Heating Fuel, county subdivision geography (table-based summary file)
- Act 32 §103 (UST definition excludes heating oil for consumptive use)
- PA DEP Storage Tank Data ("Home heating oil tanks are not regulated")
- 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)
- USTIF Heating Oil Tank Program (voluntary, tanks of 3,000 gallons or more)
- Harned Durham Energy, heating oil tank removal cost
Sources accessed 2026-10-25 by TANKER Traffic.