Septic rules in San Bernardino County
Environmental Health Services, San Bernardino County's public health office at 385 N. Arrowhead Ave, stopped reviewing new and replacement septic systems inside incorporated cities after May 13, 2018. Each city answers for its own now, and Rancho Cucamonga, Yucaipa and Redlands run programs approved by the Santa Ana Regional Water Board. In unincorporated areas, design review and holding tank applications have gone to Land Use Services through EZOP since 1/22/2024.
EHS, at 800.442.2283, still takes the operating permit applications. The EHS fee schedule dated 6/30/2026 charges $464 to review a percolation report for a single-family home and $896 for an alternative or experimental design. A Qualified Professional runs the perc test: a registered civil engineer, engineering geologist, geotechnical engineer, registered geologist or REHS. Plans need a to-scale plot plan showing a 100% replacement area, and Building and Safety issues the permit once EHS has reviewed them.
With sewer within 200 feet, you connect. Selling a house usually involves no county step, because EHS doesn't certify private systems and isn't involved in property transfers. Designated Maintenance Areas are different. In Forest Falls, Angelus Oaks, Mountain Home Village and the Big Bear tracts, a change of ownership calls for a certification by a Qualified Professional, and the new owner needs a DMA permit, $107 every two years. Whoever pumps the tank holds a county health permit, and the receipt must list the compartments pumped, the volume, the disposal site and the charges.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Services (EHS), Wastewater program, 385 N. Arrowhead Ave, 2nd Floor; 800.442.2283. Since 1/22/2024, design review and sewage holding tank applications go to Land Use Services via EZOP; DMA and alternative system operating-permit applications still go to EHS. EHS does not review new or replacement systems inside incorporated cities after May 13, 2018; Rancho Cucamonga, Yucaipa and Redlands have their own Santa Ana Water Board approved programs.
- Governing code
- San Bernardino County Code sec. 33.0859(d) and 33.0860 govern septage pumper receipts and disposal sites. The county LAMP was approved by Lahontan Water Board Resolution R6V-2017-0032 on July 13, 2017, effective May 13, 2018; a revised LAMP was approved by Resolution R6-2025-0018 on May 13, 2025.
- Inspection at sale
- Not confirmed. Countywide, EHS does not certify private systems and is not involved in property transfers. In Designated Maintenance Areas, a change of ownership requires an OWTS Certification by a Qualified Professional and the new owner must obtain a DMA operating permit; alternative treatment system and holding tank permits are not transferable.
- Permit steps
- Percolation test by a Qualified Professional (Registered Civil Engineer, Certified Engineering Geologist, Geotechnical Engineer, Registered Geologist or REHS); submit the soil percolation report, engineering details and a to-scale plot plan with 100% replacement area for review, then obtain the permit from Building and Safety. New lots minimum 1/2 acre; sewer connection required within 200 ft. A septic certification is required before any ADU is approved.
- Installers and evaluators
- No county installer registration was found. Certification forms are completed by a contractor holding a CSLB A, C-36 or C-42 license, or by a PE, CEG or REHS. Alternative treatment systems are installed by a CSLB A, C-42 or C-36 contractor and serviced by a manufacturer-trained Qualified Service Provider. Pumpers need a county health permit and dispose only at EHS-approved sites.
- Still to confirm with the county
- Designated Maintenance Areas (Forest Service tracts, Mill Creek basin above 2,600 ft including Forest Falls, Angelus Oaks, Mountain Home Village, Big Bear tracts) have a biennial EHS inspection and permit fee instead of sewering. The Santa Ana Water Board has prohibited subsurface disposal since 1973 in Grand Terrace, Yucaipa-Calimesa, Lytle Creek, Mill Creek above 2,600 ft, and Bear Valley.
Septic fees in San Bernardino County
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| SFD perc review | $464 | EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026 |
| Commercial perc review | $532 | EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026 |
| Minor subdivision | $469 | EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026 |
| Alternative/experimental sewage disposal review | $896 | EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026 |
| Perc report resubmittal | $243 | EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026 |
| Septic certification review | $122.50 | EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026 |
| Perc design-rate review | $61.25 | EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026 |
| Billable inspection | $245/hr | EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026 |
| DMA individual septic permit | $107 | Biennial; EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026 |
| Sewage holding tank operating permit | $143/yr | EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026 |
| Alternative treatment system operating permit | $176/yr | EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026 |
| Liquid waste hauling/disposal application review | $799 | EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026 |
| Liquid waste vehicle | $249/yr | EHS Fee Schedule, data date 6/30/2026 |
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 San Bernardino 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 San Bernardino County
Each of these cities has 10,000 or more residents and follows San Bernardino County rules for septic, and its city page points back here.