Septic rules in Kern County
Chapter 8.62 of the Kern County Code requires an installation permit before anyone builds, alters or replaces a septic system, and no building permit is issued until Environmental Health signs off. That permit is good for one year and can't be transferred to someone else. Environmental Health sits within the county Public Health Services Department, and its Land and Waste programs cover septic systems and septic pumpers. The application needs a site evaluation and plans.
The code leaves the fees to a Board of Supervisors resolution, so ask Environmental Health for the current amounts before you budget. Where a public sewer is within 200 feet, the house connects. Standard trenches and beds need 7 feet of soil above groundwater, and seepage pits need 12. Alternative systems may get by with less, but a Registered Professional (an RCE, REHS or PG) has to design them, a contractor holding a CSLB A, C-42 or C-36 license installs them, and they carry an operating permit renewed every year.
Cesspools aren't allowed. The county's management program was approved on June 9, 2017 by the Central Valley Water Board, with the boards for Regions 3 and 6 concurring. Anywhere in the Lahontan region, a cumulative impact study is mandatory. Pumping companies hold an Environmental Health liquid waste pumper permit. Before final approval, the designer or installer has to give both you and Environmental Health written operation and maintenance guidelines for the system.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- Kern County Public Health Services Department, Environmental Health; its Land and Waste programs include Septic Systems and Septic and Grease Pumpers.
- Governing code
- Kern County Code Chapter 8.62, Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (Ord. No. G-8682, 2-14-17); standards detail in the Onsite Systems Manual (8.62.060). The county LAMP was approved June 9, 2017 by the Central Valley Water Board, Resolution R5-2017-0068, with Regions 3 and 6 concurring.
- Inspection at sale
- No rule found in the county's published code. Chapter 8.62 and the county's management program name no septic inspection at sale or transfer, and the state OWTS Policy sets no statewide one; ask Kern County Environmental Health before closing.
- Permit steps
- An installation permit is required before constructing, altering or replacing a system (8.62.100); no building permit issues without Environmental Health approval (8.62.090). Site evaluation (8.62.170) and plans (8.62.180) are required, with fees set by Board of Supervisors resolution (8.62.130). Permits are valid one year (8.62.110) and non-transferable (8.62.120). Sewer connection is required within 200 feet (8.62.070). O&M guidelines go from the designer or installer to Environmental Health and the owner before final approval (8.62.190).
- Installers and evaluators
- No county installer registry was found. Alternative systems are designed by a Registered Professional (RCE, REHS, PG) and installed by a contractor holding a CSLB A, C-42 or C-36 license, with a renewable annual operating permit. Septic pumpers hold an Environmental Health liquid waste pumper permit.
- Still to confirm with the county
- Minimum soil depth to groundwater is 7 ft for trenches and beds and 12 ft for seepage pits; cesspools are prohibited (8.62.250); cumulative impact studies are mandatory anywhere in the Lahontan region. No fee schedule found.
Rules and fees change every year, so confirm a line with the health department before you rely on it. "No rule found" means the pages and code we have say nothing on that line, which isn't the same as the county telling you there's no rule. To compare counties, use the county rules lookup.
What septic work costs
These are statewide estimates from our model, so they aren't Kern County prices; where the county posts its own permit and evaluation fees, they are on this page.
| Job | Estimated range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Septic pumping | $325 to $600 | per visit |
| Septic inspection | $135 to $555 | per inspection |
| Drain field | $1,200 to $8,150 | per repair |
These are estimates, not quotes. How we estimate costs.
All septic services
Cities in Kern County
Each of these cities has 10,000 or more residents and follows Kern County rules for septic, and its city page points back here.