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Joseph Potyak, OwnerWhat looked like an ordinary crawl space told Joseph Potyak a different story. During one inspection, he noticed several support beams positioned unusually close to the foundation wall. A closer examination revealed significant bowing (technically knuckling) along two sides of the house, a condition he associated with hydrostatic pressure. The seller maintained that it had been that way for years, but Potyak explained the concern to the prospective buyers and why a superficial repair would be little more than a “big band-aid.” He recalls a repair estimate of roughly $40,000 to $50,000. The buyers ultimately decided not to purchase the property.
The inspection did not determine whether they should walk away. It gave them information they did not have before the inspection, allowing them to make that decision themselves. That approach is central to Riverside Home & Septic Inspections, which helps residential buyers understand both the property and its septic system before completing a purchase.
“The person looking to buy the house is the client. Our role is to identify the issue, explain what it means and give them the information to make their own decision,” says Potyak, owner.
Examining the Property
Riverside provides residential home inspections along with specialized septic, water and radon testing. Many clients come through their real estate agents after an offer has been accepted, while others reach out knowing they need a particular inspection, with Riverside helping those unfamiliar with the process identify what should be evaluated.
Its home inspection extends from the crawl space or basement to the roof, covering major electrical, plumbing and heating systems along with accessible components like doors, windows and garages. The objective is to identify conditions that may warrant attention rather than simply document what is visible during a walkthrough.
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The person looking to buy the house is the client. Our role is to identify the issue, explain what it means and give them the information to make their own decision.
Potyak's more than 25 years of construction and management experience, including several years in structural repair, informs this work. His particular focus is on foundations, wood structures and support systems, especially in older homes. Technology complements that experience. Riverside uses drones for difficult roof views, moisture meters to investigate potential moisture concerns and other tools suited to specific systems. Inspection software allows photographs, comments and video clips to be incorporated into reports in real time. When connectivity permits, buyers can receive the completed report before the inspector leaves the property.
Going Beneath the Surface
Septic inspection requires a different approach since much of the system is underground. Potyak’s son Joey, a certified septic inspector, handles this specialized work. Where necessary, Riverside digs to access the tank, opens accessible lids and examines the tank’s, inlet and outlet lines. A fiber-optic LED camera is used to inspect lines, potentially as far as the distribution box, for breaks, crushed or disconnected sections, blockages and root intrusion. Water is also run through the system to observe drainage.
The stakes can be substantial. Pipe damage may require excavation and replacement, while a failed septic tank can cost roughly $10,000 to $15,000 depending on its type and size. The biggest concern can be a failing leach field, which prevents wastewater from draining properly, causing the tank level to rise and potentially sending effluent back toward the home.
The company's expertise is deliberately complementary. Potyak brings structural and construction experience to the home inspection side, while Joey's septic certification addresses the specialized requirements of underground wastewater systems. That same focus has led Riverside to remain a small operation, allowing Potyak to stay closely involved, answer client questions directly and maintain the attention to detail he expects from every inspection.
Ultimately, its approach is built on a simple principle: buyers deserve to know what they are getting before they commit to it. By combining detailed property inspections with specialized septic expertise, the company helps bring hidden concerns to light and gives buyers the clarity to decide how they want to proceed. That commitment has contributed to Riverside Home & Septic Inspections being recognized as Top Septic Inspections Solutions 2026.
What a Septic Inspection should reveal
A septic inspection carries unusual weight in a property transaction because the most expensive defects may sit underground, outside ordinary visual access. A system can appear functional during a brief walkthrough while still containing damaged piping, a compromised tank, poor drainage or defects in the disposal field. For buyers and the professionals advising them, the inspection therefore needs to produce evidence about condition rather than a superficial indication that wastewater moved during the visit. Scope matters more than a broad service label.
Access and inspection depth should be examined closely. Providers differ in how far they will go to expose components, open the tank, inspect buried lines and test drainage behavior. A limited visual review can miss defects that only become apparent inside piping or after water has been run long enough to test drainage behavior. Buyers should ask what portions of the system will be physically accessed, what prevents full access, which components may remain unverified and how those limits will be documented. The practical distinction is between observing an accessible surface and examining the path wastewater actually follows.
Equipment is equally important because underground defects often cannot be judged from the tank opening alone. Camera scoping can reveal crushed sections, blockages, disconnections or root intrusion inside lines. Flow testing can show whether wastewater is moving through the system at an acceptable rate or beginning to back up. Inspection quality depends less on the number of tools carried than on whether each tool answers a specific condition question that cannot be resolved visually.
“Riverside Home & Septic Inspection also checks the tank condition and runs water to assess drainage, providing a view of the system that goes beyond what can be determined from accessible lids or dye testing alone.”
Reporting also affects the usefulness of the inspection after the site visit. Findings need to be clear enough for a buyer, agent or contractor to understand what was observed without relying on a verbal summary. Photographs, video, written comments and location notes can reduce ambiguity when the report becomes part of a repair discussion or price negotiation. Limitations should be equally visible. If a line could not be reached, a lid could not be opened, flow could not be tested or a component could not be confirmed, that boundary belongs in the record rather than being left to assumption.
The inspector’s judgment remains a separate buying factor. Septic systems interact with the property around them, including drainage patterns and the location of structures. An inspector who recognizes when a symptom may point to a larger property condition can give the buyer a more useful account of what deserves further attention. That does not mean extending beyond the inspection role. It means distinguishing observed defects from interpretation while documenting what is known. It also means avoiding conclusions the inspection cannot support.
Riverside Home & Septic Inspections physically accesses septic tanks when necessary and uses a fiber-optic camera to examine buried lines for breaks, blockages, disconnections and root intrusion. The team also checks the tank condition and runs water to assess drainage, providing a view of the system that goes beyond what can be determined from accessible lids or dye testing alone. Its inspection reports document findings with photographs, video clips and comments produced in real time, with completed reports often available before the inspector leaves when connectivity permits.
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