How to Tell if You Have an Underground Oil Tank
Short answer: Look for a fill cap or vent pipe sticking out of the ground near the house, and for unexplained pipes in the basement that dead-end through an outside wall1. A depression or hump in the yard can be another clue1. None of these is proof either way; a professional tank sweep finds buried steel tanks without digging2.
Clues to check
- Fill cap or vent pipe near the foundation; fill caps are often flush with the ground1.
- Pipes that dead-end through an outside wall from the basement or crawl space; check outside at that spot for a fill cap1.
- Uneven ground (a dip or a hump) over the tank area1.
- Oil heat history: old oil-delivery records or a house that converted from oil. In many Lehigh Valley towns a large share of homes still heat with oil (see the table below)3.
- Seller records: Pennsylvania sellers must disclose known material defects4, so ask.
Confirming it
A tank sweep (magnetometry) costs $250–$500 per residential lot per one Philadelphia source2. See oil tank sweep cost and buried oil tank in your yard.
Found one?
You're not required by DEP to remove a home heating oil tank5; the reasons to act are a sale, a lender, an insurer, or leak risk6,7. See removal vs abandonment.
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
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 Census3:
| 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%3. These are 5-year survey estimates; small towns have wide margins of error.
FAQ
Will a home inspection find a buried oil tank?
Not always; a standard home inspection may not fully evaluate a buried tank7. See home inspection found an oil tank.
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 regulated8,5. 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
- Mecklenburg County (NC) Public Health, Home Heating Oil Tanks
- Flagstone, Philadelphia oil tank guide
- Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year Table B25040 House Heating Fuel, county subdivision geography (table-based summary file)
- 68 Pa.C.S. §7303 seller disclosure
- PA DEP Storage Tank Data ("Home heating oil tanks are not regulated")
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B4-1.4-08 Environmental Hazards Appraisal Requirements
- Kash Mortgage Group, PA buyer guide
- Act 32 §103 (UST definition excludes heating oil for consumptive use)
- 25 Pa. Code §245.1 definitions
- PA DEP Installer/Inspector Certification (certified company list)
- Curren Environmental, PA oil tank removal cost
- 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)
- Harned Durham Energy, heating oil tank removal cost
Sources accessed 2026-10-25 by TANKER Traffic.