Winston-Salem · Greensboro · High Point
That pipe sticking out of your yard is probably an old oil tank.
Thousands of Triad homes built before the 1970s were heated with fuel oil, and many still have the tank. We connect you with a licensed local crew to find it, test it and pull it out.
- Free quote from one vetted contractor, not a call center
- Buried, basement and outdoor tanks
- Closing soon? Tell us the date and the crew sees it first
Do I have one?
Four signs your house had oil heat
Many sellers don't know a tank is there. A previous owner may have switched to gas or a heat pump decades ago and left the tank in the ground.
A capped pipe in the yard
A 2-inch pipe with a screw cap, usually within a few feet of the house, is the fill pipe a delivery truck used.
A short vent pipe
A thinner pipe with a mushroom cap, often against the foundation or near a corner of the house.
Copper lines through the foundation
Two small copper lines entering the crawlspace or basement wall, often cut off, once fed the furnace.
A tank in the basement
A 275-gallon oval tank on legs is easy to spot. These count as aboveground tanks and are the simplest to remove.
Your options
Remove it, close it in place, or leave it
North Carolina rules, in plain English
What the state actually requires
Home heating oil tanks of 1,100 gallons or less are treated as non-commercial tanks. They are not held to the closure rules that apply to gas station tanks.
If you find signs of a leak, it has to be reported to NC DEQ within 24 hours. For Forsyth County that's the Winston-Salem Regional Office.
The state's homeowner cleanup fund was phased out. Leaks discovered after October 1, 2015 are not reimbursed.
A tank sitting on or above a basement floor is not an underground storage tank under state law, even though it's below ground level.
Details and sources on our NC oil tank rules page.
Who this is for
Buyers, sellers and anyone done with oil heat
Home buyers
The inspector flagged a fill pipe, or the house is from the 1940s–60s and nobody knows. A tank locate and soil check before closing tells you what you're buying. More for buyers
Sellers
Pulling the tank before you list removes a question that can stall a sale or knock thousands off an offer.
Homeowners switching heat
Moving from an oil furnace to a heat pump or gas? The old tank is the last piece to deal with.
Agents and investors
Send clients our way. We route every request to one licensed crew, so nobody gets five phone calls.
Questions
Common questions
How much does oil tank removal cost?
It depends on where the tank is, how big it is, and whether the soil is clean. Basement and aboveground tanks cost the least. Buried tanks need excavation and backfill, and the price climbs if testing finds a leak. Our cost guide covers what drives the price.
Who will contact me?
One independent contractor that removes residential tanks in your area. We don't sell your request to a list of companies.
Is this free?
Yes. The contractor pays us a referral fee. Your price is between you and them.
Can't I just leave the tank in the ground?
For a non-leaking home heating oil tank, NC law generally allows it. Most people remove or close it anyway because a rusting tank can leak, cleanup isn't reimbursed by the state anymore, and buyers often ask.
What if they find a leak?
The contractor will explain the next steps, which usually include reporting to NC DEQ within 24 hours and soil testing. Cleanup scope depends on how far the oil spread.
Service area
Across the Piedmont Triad
- Winston-Salem
- Clemmons
- Lewisville
- Kernersville
- Walkertown
- Rural Hall
- King
- Pfafftown
- Greensboro
- High Point
- Jamestown
- Thomasville
- Lexington
- Mocksville
- Yadkinville