BOH Approval: The One Document That Changes Everything
There’s one document that can instantly change how a piece of land is viewed.
Not the survey.
Not the listing sheet.
Board of Health approval.
Because in Putnam County, if a property doesn’t have sewer—and most don’t—everything comes down to septic.
And septic comes down to approval.
BOH approval means the property has been tested and deemed suitable for a septic system. It confirms that the soil, drainage, and layout can support what you’re trying to build.
That’s not a small detail—
That’s the foundation of the entire project.
No approval?
You’re guessing.
And guessing on land is where mistakes happen.
Even more important—approvals aren’t always permanent.
Some expire.
Some were issued under older regulations.
Some apply to a specific house size or layout.
So having an approval isn’t enough—
You need to know if it’s still valid and still fits your plan.
I’ve seen buyers feel confident because a property “had approvals,” only to find out they needed to retest or redesign. That changes timelines, costs, and sometimes the entire direction of the project.
On the flip side, when a property has current, valid BOH approval?
It removes a major unknown.
It tells you the land works—at least from a septic standpoint—and gives you a clearer path forward.
That’s why this one document carries so much weight.
So before you move forward on any land purchase, ask:
“Does it have BOH approval—and what exactly does that approval allow?”
Because in land, certainty is hard to come by—
And this is one of the few places you can actually get it.
BOH Approval: The One Document That Changes Everything
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