Why older homes have them
Before natural gas heating took over, most Vancouver homes were heated by an oil furnace fed from a steel tank buried in the yard, usually near the furnace. Buried tanks also turn up on the North Shore and elsewhere in Metro Vancouver. When owners switched to gas or electric heat, some tanks were removed, some were emptied and left in place, and some were simply forgotten.
Steel tanks corrode, and a tank that has leaked can contaminate the soil on the property and beyond it. That’s why tanks matter to buyers, insurers and municipalities.
Signs of a tank
- A fill pipe or vent pipe outside, sometimes cut off near the ground
- Capped lines or patched holes in the foundation wall near the furnace room
- An old oil furnace, or oil burner parts left in the basement
None of these proves a tank is still there, and a tank can be present with no visible sign at all.
Why it matters
Insurers in BC often ask about oil tanks, and some won’t cover a home with a buried tank until it has been removed. In Vancouver, it’s the owner’s responsibility to find out whether a tank is there. The City requires heating oil tanks that haven’t been used for two years to be removed under a permit, and recommends an environmental professional for any contaminated soil. The District of North Vancouver and other municipalities have their own processes for tank removal.
What to do
- Before subject removal: hire an oil-tank detection company to scan the property and give you a written report.
- Ask the seller for any records of a tank removal; the municipality may also have permit records.
- If a tank is found: get removal quotes, confirm the permit process, and ask about soil testing before you commit.
What our inspection covers
We look for signs of past oil heat inside and out, and the report says plainly when a tank scan is worth doing. We don’t scan for tanks. A buried tank can only be found with detection equipment, such as a metal detector or ground-penetrating radar, operated by a specialist.
Buying a house built before the 1970s? Book an inspection, and plan the tank scan for the same subject period.
Reviewed October 26, 2026 by Nick Hawley, Watch House Inspections. General information, not advice about a particular home.