Best Oil Tank Removal Companies in Connecticut (2026)
Short answer: start with a Connecticut contractor that publishes a verifiable HIC registration, pulls your town's permit, and sends a soil sample from under the tank to a certified lab for ETPH testing. Good firms to call by region: Tankworks (Manchester) for a tank-only specialist, Absolute Tank Removal (Milford) or Sunshine Environmental (Prospect) when cleanup may be needed, K & A Enterprises around Meriden and Wallingford, Enviroshield for abandonment in place, and CPR Environmental in Fairfield and New Haven counties. Every fact links to the company's own site.
By the Tank Removers Editorial Team · Updated October 15, 2026
How we chose
Connecticut does not regulate the installation and use of residential heating oil tanks that serve four or fewer units, but it does regulate any contamination they cause, according to CT DEEP. So what separates contractors here is whether they do the steps that protect you if a leak turns up: the town permit, a proper soil sample, a certified lab result, and a written report. We looked for firms that say they do those things and publish credentials you can check.
- Publishes a Connecticut HIC registration (or a plumbing/heating license or DEEP hazardous-waste listing) that you can verify
- Says it handles the town permit and inspection: fire marshal in many towns, building department in others
- Collects a soil sample under the tank and piping and sends it to a certified laboratory, as CT DEEP describes
- Provides a written letter report or closure package you can hand to a buyer or lender
- Can take on remediation itself or names who will if the soil test fails
- Clear Connecticut service area and free on-site estimates
Nobody paid for placement. We list our own site first because it is a different kind of option (a matching service), and we label it. Credentials are as stated by each company on the date above. Verify current registration with the Department of Consumer Protection before you sign.
Comparison table
| Company | Service area | Stated credentials | Best for | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tank Removers (this is our site) | Connecticut statewide (matching service) | Free quote matching with participating local contractors; we do not perform removals ourselves | Getting several written quotes from one request | site |
| Tankworks Removal & Replacement | Statewide; based in Manchester (Hartford County) | CT HIC #0634110; says it has been in business since 1994; tanks from 275 to 20,000 gallons | A tank-only specialist that handles permits and closing paperwork | site |
| Absolute Tank Removal, Inc. | Connecticut; based in Milford (New Haven County) | Lists HIC 0671953, S1-0385952 and CTHW-692 on its site | Removal plus remediation and site assessment from one firm | site |
| Sunshine Environmental Services Inc. | Throughout CT; based in Prospect (New Haven County) | HOD #845 and HIC #0563031 listed on its site; says it has over 30 years of experience | Underground removals with TPH soil testing and soil disposal | site |
| K & A Enterprises LLC | Meriden, Cheshire, Wallingford, Southington, Middletown, Bristol and nearby towns | Plumbing license P7-282293, HIC #571435 and septic license #006215 listed on its site; says 24+ years of experience | Central Connecticut homeowners who want a local, licensed excavator | site |
| Enviroshield | Connecticut plus Westchester and Putnam counties, NY | CT #HIC.0703100; NY DEC hazardous-waste transport #CT-263; says it has served the area since 1975 | Abandonment in place and closure reports for lenders and attorneys | site |
| CPR Environmental | Fairfield County and New Haven County | Says it is fully licensed, insured and OSHA certified, with 20+ years of experience | Southwest CT oil-to-gas conversions with year-round scheduling | site |
Independent firms are listed in no particular order. No prices, ratings or review counts are shown on purpose.
Tank Removers (this is our site)
Disclosure: Tank Removers is our own website. We are not a removal contractor. You describe the tank once, and we connect you with participating local pros so you can compare written scopes. The catch: only contractors in our network show up, so the independent Connecticut firms below are worth calling directly too. Ask every contractor, including ones we match you with, for the registration numbers described further down this page.
Source: https://tankremovers.com/how-it-works
Get matched free →Tankworks Removal & Replacement
Tankworks describes itself as a contractor that works only on removing and replacing underground and basement or above-ground fuel tanks. Its services page lists permits and inspections for each town, sludge removal, soil sampling and testing at an independent laboratory, backfill and seeding, tank disposal at an approved scrap facility, and a documentation package for your records. It also says it handles remediation paperwork with DEEP and the town and schedules around real-estate closing dates.
Absolute Tank Removal, Inc.
Absolute lists removal, installation, abandonment, remediation, site assessment and testing, plus vacuum-truck pump-out and disposal at a licensed facility. It publishes three Connecticut license and registration numbers on its homepage, including its HIC registration, so they are easy to look up before you sign. Having remediation in-house is useful when a removal turns into a cleanup.
Source: https://absolutetank.com/
Sunshine Environmental Services Inc.
Sunshine lists underground fuel oil tank removal and replacement, total petroleum hydrocarbon soil testing, remediation and disposal of contaminated soil, and general excavation. It schedules on-site estimates rather than quoting by phone, which is the right habit for buried tanks.
K & A Enterprises LLC
K & A says it handles the whole job: permits and inspections, a composite soil sample, tank disposal, backfill, and a soil report from the lab. It publishes a specific list of the towns it serves, which makes it easy to tell whether you are in its area.
Source: https://www.kaenterprisesllc.com/services/inground-tank-removal/
Enviroshield
Enviroshield describes both removal and abandonment in place. Its process includes permit processing, coordination with the fire marshal or building department, cutting the tank open for cleaning, vacuum-truck removal of residual oil and sludge, soil sampling beneath the tank, state-certified lab analysis, and closure reporting for lenders, attorneys and agencies. That is a good fit when a tank sits under an addition or patio and removal would be risky.
CPR Environmental
CPR Environmental focuses on residential tank removal in southwest Connecticut, often when homeowners switch from oil to gas. Its page lists vacuum-truck removal of remaining oil, field soil analysis after removal, independent certified-lab analysis of soil samples, certified disposal, and a written report for regulators, realtors, attorneys and lenders. It also advertises year-round service and 24/7 emergency response.
What Connecticut actually requires (and who sets it)
The contractor. Town fire-marshal fact sheets, such as those from Salisbury and East Hampton, say residential tank removal contractors must hold a Connecticut Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration. The exceptions are contractors with a Connecticut plumbing and heating license or a DEEP hazardous-waste contractor listing. Separately, CT DEEP says that under CGS Sec. 20-420, contractors who remove or replace residential underground heating oil tank systems must complete DEEP-approved training: OSHA's 40-hour HAZWOPER course with annual 8-hour refreshers, and the ICC's UST Tank Decommissioning (U2) training. Ask for both the registration number and the training.
The permit. Your town sets it, and it isn't the same office everywhere. Salisbury and East Hampton require a fire marshal permit to remove or abandon an underground fuel oil tank, with no fee. Milford sends one- and two-family homes to the Building Department instead. Westport requires a mechanical permit application from its Building Department. A good contractor knows which office your town uses and pulls the permit for you.
The soil sample. CT DEEP says a soil sample must be collected from beneath the tank and piping and analyzed for Extractable Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (ETPH) at a Connecticut-certified laboratory. Most contractors collect it and deliver it for you. DEEP also recommends photos of the tank and excavation and a short letter report with the lab results. Keep these, because buyers usually want proof the tank didn't leak.
If it leaked. DEEP says you are responsible for cleaning up the resulting pollution, including any that reached a neighbor's property. If a leak is known before removal, a permitted spill-cleanup contractor must remove the tank. For releases under Connecticut's Release-Based Cleanup Regulations (RBCRs), the cleanup has to be certified by a Permitted Environmental Professional or verified by a Licensed Environmental Professional. DEEP also states there is no state funding for residential heating oil tank removal, replacement, or leak cleanup.
Abandon or remove? DEEP discourages abandoning tanks in place unless the tank is inaccessible or removal would endanger a foundation, and a soil sample must come back clean before the tank is filled. Some towns are stricter about fill material: Westport says sand is generally not acceptable and calls for approved foam or cement slurry. See our removal vs. abandonment guide.
One more DEEP flag: if you have a 275-gallon tank buried underground, DEEP says it should be removed as soon as possible, because those tanks are designed for above-ground use and are much more likely to leak underground.
Questions to ask every Connecticut contractor
- What is your HIC number (or plumbing/heating license or DEEP hazardous-waste listing), and does your crew have HAZWOPER and ICC U2 training?
- Which office issues the permit in my town, and will you pull it and schedule the inspection?
- Where will you take the soil sample, which certified lab runs the ETPH test, and when do I get the results?
- Will I get a letter report with photos, a sketch, and the lab results?
- If the soil fails, do you remediate yourselves, and who is the PEP or LEP that signs off?
- Is the fill pipe and vent coming out too, and how will you restore the lawn, driveway or patio?
What drives the cost (we don't publish prices)
- Tank size and where it sits: basement, garage, or buried near the foundation
- Access for equipment, and what has to be cut or restored (driveway, patio, landscaping)
- Removal vs. abandonment in place, and your town's permit and inspection process
- Piping, fill and vent lines that have to come out with the tank
- Soil results, and remediation plus PEP/LEP sign-off if a leak is found
See also: Connecticut oil tank removal guide, how to choose a tank company, removing a tank before you sell, and our neighboring-state lists for New York and New Jersey.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the best oil tank removal company in Connecticut?
There is no official ranking, and the right firm depends on your town. On our criteria, Tankworks (Manchester) stands out as a tank-only specialist, Absolute Tank Removal (Milford) and Sunshine Environmental (Prospect) cover removal plus soil cleanup, K & A Enterprises serves the Meriden and Wallingford area, Enviroshield handles abandonment-in-place and closure reports, and CPR Environmental focuses on Fairfield and New Haven counties. Get two or three written quotes and compare permit handling, soil testing, and what happens if the soil fails.
What does Connecticut require when an underground heating oil tank is removed?
CT DEEP says to hire a registered contractor and have a soil sample collected from beneath the tank and piping and analyzed for Extractable Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (ETPH) at a Connecticut-certified laboratory. It also recommends photos and a brief letter report with the lab results. Your town sets the permit: many towns issue removal permits through the fire marshal, while some, such as Milford and Westport, route one- and two-family homes through the building department.
Does Connecticut make me remove a residential oil tank by a deadline?
No. CT DEEP says there is no deadline for residential heating oil USTs, but leaking tanks must be promptly emptied and removed. Some towns add their own rules for tanks that are no longer in use. Westport, for example, says a discontinued underground tank must be removed or properly abandoned within 90 days.
Can I abandon my oil tank in place in Connecticut?
CT DEEP discourages it unless the tank is inaccessible, such as under a deck, patio or addition, or removal would endanger a foundation. A soil sample from underneath must show no leak before the tank is filled. Check with your local fire marshal or building department for local ordinances. Westport, for example, says sand is generally not acceptable and requires approved foam or cement slurry.
How much does oil tank removal cost in Connecticut?
We do not publish price ranges. Cost depends on tank size and location (basement, garage or buried), access, your town permit, whether piping must come out, soil test results, and whether remediation is needed. CT DEEP notes there is no state funding for residential heating oil tank removal, replacement or leak cleanup, so compare itemized written quotes that spell out what happens if the soil test fails.
Sources
- CT DEEP — Residential Home Heating Oil Tanks FAQs
- CT DEEP — Residential Home Heating Oil Tanks (contractor training under CGS 20-420)
- CT DEEP — Residential Underground Home Heating Oil Tank Releases
- CT DEEP — UST Clean-Up (no state funding for residential tanks)
- CT DEEP — Home Heating Oil Tank Maintenance
- Town of Salisbury Fire Marshal — UST removal/abandonment application and fact sheet
- Town of East Hampton Fire Marshal — Residential underground oil tanks fact sheet
- Milford Fire Marshal — Aboveground and underground storage tanks (2025)
- Westport Building Department — Residential oil tank guidelines
Get written quotes to compare
Describe your tank once and we'll match you with participating Connecticut contractors. Free, no obligation, and every quote is yours to compare.
Get free quotes →