A parcel advertised as having a perc test still needs a careful records review. The test is one part of evaluating onsite wastewater disposal, not a building permit or a guarantee that the buyer's preferred house can be constructed. Connect the test to the actual location, design and approval process before relying on it.
What should you request about the testing?
Obtain the complete records, including the property, test locations, dates and the professionals or officials involved. Ask the local board of health and designer how those results relate to a proposed system and what further evaluation is needed. MassDEP publishes Title 5 forms and guidance, but a form's existence does not establish an approved design for your project. A verbal claim that land passed a test leaves too much uncertainty about scope and relevance.
How does the proposed house change the question?
Describe the intended building, occupancy and site layout so the designer can evaluate the actual plan. The system location, required separation, access and available area may affect where other improvements can sit. Recorded lot acreage does not identify the usable building envelope. If the proposal differs from an earlier plan, ask whether existing results and approvals still apply. Keep the land's current documented status separate from assumptions about a larger or differently located project.
What else must a buyer investigate?
Access, zoning, water supply, environmental review and construction costs remain separate questions. The sewer and water entries below describe municipal system presence, not serviceability for an undeveloped lot. If connection is being considered instead of an onsite system, confirm the actual provider requirements and costs. Obtain estimates for the full site development, including work outside the house itself. The purchase decision should rest on a feasible, costed proposal rather than the price of the land plus an unsupported construction allowance.
What does the local record show?
These towns provide local context for the decision in this article. The figures describe the published records and survey periods identified below. Compare the same measures across places, then confirm the details of any actual home before using them in a budget or offer.
Local Figures for This Decision
Download CSV, same columns, same definitions
Selected municipalities, shown alphabetically. Definitions below distinguish assessments, administrative benchmarks and survey estimates from current market quotes.
| Town | Median Lot Acres | Sewer Recorded | Community Water Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belchertown | 1.06 | Recorded | Recorded |
| Southwick | 0.92 | Recorded | Recorded |
| Wilbraham | 0.71 | Recorded | Recorded |
What These Columns Mean
- Town
- Municipality; follow its record below for the full data and address check.
- Median Lot Acres
- Median recorded single-family parcel acreage. Lot area is not a measure of buildable, dry or accessible land and does not establish a surveyed boundary.
- Sewer Recorded
- Whether a sewer system is recorded for the municipality. Town-level presence does not establish street coverage, a private connection, available capacity or connection cost.
- Community Water Recorded
- Whether a community water system is recorded for the municipality. A yes does not show that a particular parcel is connected or eligible for connection; confirm with the provider.
Cite: RE413. “Local Figures for This Decision.” Updated September 19, 2026. https://www.re413.com/news/perc-test-buying-land-massachusetts/, underlying sources at https://www.re413.com/sources/.
Belchertown's town record. Median lot acres: 1.06. Sewer recorded: Recorded. Community water recorded: Recorded.
Southwick's town record. Median lot acres: 0.92. Sewer recorded: Recorded. Community water recorded: Recorded.
Wilbraham's town record. Median lot acres: 0.71. Sewer recorded: Recorded. Community water recorded: Recorded.
What should you check next?
- Obtain complete test records and confirm their location, date and relevance with the board of health and designer.
- Evaluate the actual proposed house and site layout, including remaining design and approval requirements.
- Investigate access, water, zoning and other site work separately and build a complete development-cost estimate.
Keep the address, document date and source alongside each answer. If records disagree, identify which period and property each describes before treating the difference as a change. A missing result leaves a question open; it does not establish that a property has no problem or no cost.
Where can you continue the comparison?
- The complete land-purchase investigation
- Reviewing environmental constraints
- Construction-cost context
Browse all housing guides by subject.
Open the linked town records for the wider context, including sources and dates. Use the property-specific records to narrow a decision, and keep current quotes separate from the historical figures used to explain it here.
Which official guidance supports this article?
- MassDEP: Title 5 septic system forms. Guidance checked 2026-09-05; confirm current requirements for your transaction.
- MassDEP: buying or selling property with a septic system. Guidance checked 2026-09-05; confirm current requirements for your transaction.
Sources
- MassGIS and municipal assessors. median lot acres. Figures through Belchertown: FY2026; Southwick: FY2025; Wilbraham: FY2026. Checked 2026-08-21.
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, public sewer systems. sewer recorded. Checked 2026-09-07.
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, community water systems. community water recorded. Checked 2026-09-07.
"Figures through" is the period the publisher's data describes; "checked" is only when we last asked. The full sourcing: sources and method.