Safety rule: Never open or enter a septic tank, pump chamber or test pit, and keep everyone away from open excavations. Site testing, design, installation and inspection are work for licensed or registered professionals and your local health authority.
Building a home where there is no public sewer usually means getting permission before the first shovel goes in. The system has to fit the soil and the lot, and the local health department wants to see that on paper. People who skip or rush this stage often find out later that the lot, the design or the schedule did not work.
This guide walks through the permit sequence as three public health departments describe it: Kittitas County in Washington, Clay County in Indiana, and the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Montgomery office. The details differ, but the order is similar. These are examples from three places, not a national rule. Your own county or state sets the steps, forms, who may do each job and how long it takes, so call your local health department first. We do not give fees, because the pages we read point to fee schedules rather than listing dependable current amounts.
Septic permit process at a glance
| Step | What usually happens | Who is involved |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Site and soil evaluation | Soil and site are tested to see whether the lot can take a system and what kind | County health specialist (Kittitas); registered soil scientist (Clay, IN); registered professional such as a surveyor, soil classifier or engineer (Alabama) |
| 2. Design | A system layout and plot plan is prepared from the soil results | Licensed designer or installer; in Kittitas an owner may do their own design after a pre-design meeting |
| 3. Review and permit | The health department reviews the application and design, then issues the permit | Health department staff |
| 4. Installation | Work follows the approved plan | Licensed installer (an owner may install in Kittitas) |
| 5. Inspection and approval | The health department inspects before the system is covered and gives final approval | Health department inspector |
Step 1: site and soil evaluation
All three departments start with the ground. The soil decides whether a site can take a system, which type, and how large it has to be. See septic perc tests for how one common soil measurement works, and types of septic systems for what the options are.
- Kittitas County, Washington. A site evaluation is the first step toward an installation permit, and an Environmental Health Specialist from the county health department performs it. The evaluation covers soil and site characteristics and sets the type of system (gravity, pressure distribution or an alternative system), the soil loading rate and other landscape and environmental factors. The owner submits an application and fee, then has two holes dug in the proposed drain field and reserve drain field locations. The county specifies each hole as six feet deep and three feet wide, with a step-side access.
- Clay County, Indiana. After the permit application and fee, a soil and site evaluation is done by an Indiana registered soil scientist, who assesses the property layout, takes a minimum of three soil borings where the system is wanted and sends the results to the county environmentalist. The county then sets the minimum requirements the installer must design to.
- Alabama (Montgomery County Health Department). State law requires owners not connected to public sewer to obtain a permit from the local health department before installing a new system or repairing an existing one. The health department advises evaluating the site early, because some lots are not suitable. A registered professional (land surveyor, soil classifier or engineer) evaluates the lot and designs the system. Only registered engineers may design systems where the soil percolation rate is greater than 60 minutes or where there is a shallow limiting zone such as groundwater, clay or bedrock.
Evaluation comes before design in all three, so buying a lot or committing to house plans before it is done is a risk. Alabama’s page says plainly that some lots are not suitable.
Step 2: design
Once the soil results are in, someone has to turn them into a plan. In Kittitas County that is a licensed on-site sewage system designer, although homeowners may prepare their own design if they first have a pre-design meeting with an Environmental Health Specialist. In Clay County, the chosen installer develops a design that meets local regulations and the county’s minimum requirements and returns it to the health department for approval. In Alabama, the registered professional who evaluated the site gives the owner the test results recorded on a permit application form and a plot plan, which is the design drawing for the proposed system.
The design is where tank size, drain field area and layout get fixed. For the sizing logic behind tanks, see septic tank size. For where the money goes overall, see septic system cost.
Step 3: application, review and the permit itself
Review is where many owners expect a rubber stamp and get a checklist. Each department handles it differently:
- Kittitas County reviews the design and notifies the applicant of approval, and says this approval is not an issuance of an installation permit. When the system is ready to be installed, the licensed installer or the homeowner must request the installation permit from the county. Once issued, the installation permit is valid for one year, and a one-year renewal may be issued if the renewal application is submitted before the original expires.
- Clay County notes that under Indiana law the county has thirty days from receipt of a completed application to issue or deny the construction permit.
- Alabama asks the owner to sign the application form received from the professional and submit it with the fee. The Montgomery office wants two sets of the application form and the plot plan. An environmentalist reviews the application, the soil test results and the calculations, and a “Permit to Install” is issued once all state regulations are met. The office also advises applying as soon as the owner receives the application and plot plan, because if the professional’s markers for the test holes are disturbed before the health department reviews them, the owner may have to pay to have the site re-staked.
Two lessons come out of these. First, design approval and permit issuance can be separate steps, so ask what exactly you will receive and what else you must request. Second, permits can expire, and a delay in construction can mean a renewal.
Step 4: installation
Installation follows the approved plan. Alabama tells the owner to give a licensed installer the “Permit to Install,” and notes that designed systems require installation by experts with advanced licenses, so it suggests asking the designing engineer to recommend installers familiar with the design. Kittitas County requires a county OSS installer license for all septic system installers and septic tank pumpers contracting work in the county, and allows homeowners to install their own systems. Clay County’s procedure simply has the work done following the approved system plans.
In all three procedures the permit comes before the installation, so confirm with your health department that the permit has been issued before any work starts. If a property already has a system, see how to find septic system records.
Step 5: inspection and final approval
The inspection steps are where schedule mistakes cost the most, because inspections have to happen before the system is covered.
| Department | What the page says |
|---|---|
| Kittitas County, WA | All systems must be inspected by an Environmental Health Specialist before final approval. Inspection requirements, including as-built and electrical components if applicable, must be completed before scheduling the final inspection. No drain field can be backfilled before final inspection. Licensed designers and installers may request an inspection online |
| Clay County, IN | The county inspects the excavated area before the system is covered, and requires a minimum of two business days’ notice before excavation begins to request an inspection date. Failure to give notice may delay completion. After inspection the installer covers the system and the process is complete; the page says the system is then legal to use |
| Alabama | Call the health department before installation begins to schedule an inspection. The health department issues an “Approval for Use” before the building can be occupied |
Notice the pattern. Do not cover or backfill until the inspector has seen the work, and do not move in until the approval is issued. In Alabama the approval is tied to occupancy of the building.
What to ask your health department first
- Who is allowed to do the soil evaluation and the design in my county?
- Does design approval also issue the permit, or is that a separate request?
- How long is the permit valid, and how do I renew it?
- How much notice do inspections need, and what must be done before each one?
- Is a reserve (replacement) area required, and where does it go?
- Can an owner design or install their own system here?
- What are the current fees? Ask for the fee schedule in writing.
The reserve-area question comes from Kittitas County, which has test holes dug in both the proposed drain field and the reserve drain field locations. It is worth asking everywhere, because the area has to stay free for later use.
If you are buying a home that already has a system
This process applies to new installations and repairs. Buyers of existing homes face a different question: what was permitted, and is it working? See septic inspection when buying a house. If sewer service might become available, see septic vs sewer before you spend on a system. For a design that exists because of limited soil, see septic mound systems.
What does a septic permit cost?
We are not giving a price. Kittitas County points readers to its current public health fee schedule for current fees, and the other pages we read mention fees without a figure we could rely on. Total cost also includes soil testing, design, installation and inspection, which different people may charge for separately. Ask each party for written estimates and get the official fee schedule from your health department.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to install a septic system?
In the places we read, yes. Alabama state law requires a permit from the local health department before installing a new system or repairing an existing one, and Indiana’s Clay County and Washington’s Kittitas County describe permit steps for installation. Your local authority decides the rules for your property.
What is the first step in getting a septic permit?
Usually a soil and site evaluation. Alabama advises evaluating the site early, because some lots are not suitable for onsite sewage disposal.
Can I design or install my own septic system?
It depends on the county. Kittitas County allows homeowners to design their own system after a pre-design meeting and to install their own, while Alabama says designed systems require installation by experts with advanced licenses. Ask your health department.
How long does it take to get a permit?
Local timelines vary. Clay County cites an Indiana law giving the county thirty days from a completed application to issue or deny the construction permit. Other places do not list a timeline on the pages we read.
Is design approval the same as a permit?
Not in Kittitas County, where the county says design approval is not an issuance of an installation permit and a separate request is needed.
When is the septic inspection done?
Before the system is covered. Kittitas County says no drain field can be backfilled before final inspection, and Clay County inspects the excavated area before covering and wants at least two business days’ notice.
Sources and further reading
- Kittitas County (WA) Public Health: On-Site Sewage permitting process
- Clay County (IN) Health Department: Septic System Permit Procedure (October 2024)
- Alabama Department of Public Health, Montgomery County: Onsite Sewage Disposal
This article provides general U.S. homeowner information based on three county health department pages. Permit steps, who may do each job, timelines and fees vary by state, county and site. Always follow your local health department’s requirements and the advice of licensed local professionals.