What needs a permit, and for how long
The statute names five activities that need a permit: construct, repair, modify, abandon and operate. A repair permit is valid for 90 days, against 18 months for a construction permit.
DEP's fee rule, effective June 8, 2026, lists $55 for a permit for a new system, modification or repair, and $50 for an existing system and repair evaluation. In a county where the health department permits, the county decides the total, including any county fees.
Septic repair costs in Florida: our range and the permit fees beside it
The model puts a repair at $405 to $2,725 per repair, an estimate, not a quote. It rests on one national range, widened 15 percent each side and scaled by the Florida-to-US wage ratio for operating engineers, and no Florida company repair price was countable.
Permit fees aren't in it. DEP's state fee for a repair permit is $55, Lee and Seminole each list $350, and Hillsborough lists $455.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $405 to $2,725 per repair | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Florida operating engineer wage ratio (0.79). Two Florida septic companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Florida company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Florida operating engineer wage | $25.28 an hour | Mean hourly wage of Florida operating engineers (BLS, May 2025), the nearest federal occupation to repair digging. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by Florida's operating engineer wage ratio to the US (0.79, BLS May 2025). Not a quote. Two Florida septic companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. We have no counted Florida company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 24, 2026.
Fix one part, or rebuild
Section 381.0065 treats repair, modification and abandonment as separate activities, with a 90-day repair permit and an 18-month construction permit. Which one your job falls under is the county health department's call, so a quote should name the permit it assumes.
- The company can name the part that failed and show it to you.
- The county confirms the job fits a repair permit.
- The county says the work is a modification or a new system and issues that permit instead.
- The company can explain, part by part, why a fix will not hold.
Who may legally do the repair
An owner who personally repairs a system serving his or her own owner-occupied single-family home is exempt from contractor registration but still needs every permit. Anyone else must be a registered septic tank contractor or a plumber state-licensed under section 489.105(3)(m), and the plumber is exempt only from the registration.
DEP's FAQ says offering septic contracting without registration can bring citations and fines.
What three counties charge for a repair permit
County schedules differ. Lee County lists a $350 repair permit application fee, and Seminole County's 2025-2026 schedule lists a $350 repair permit. Hillsborough County's fee sheet effective May 1, 2026 lists $455 for a repair septic tank permit, with lower amounts when a third party does the inspection or the soil evaluation.
In Escambia, Leon, Marion and the other DEP-permitted counties, only the state fees apply.
If sewer reaches your street
An owner whose system needs repair has to connect to an available public or investor-owned sewer within 90 days after written notice from the department, with one extension of up to 90 days for hardship.
Repair calls that can't wait for an estimate
- Sewage is coming back up indoors or sitting above the tank or field.
- A tank lid has broken and left the opening uncovered.
- A drain that runs slow, with no smell and nothing at the surface.
Before anyone comes to the house
- Write down what you see, the date it started and the last pumping date.
- Call the county health department and ask which permit the repair needs and what it charges.
- Ask whether the quote includes the permit fee and a site evaluation.
- Ask for the company's septic tank contractor registration or plumbing license number and keep it with the quote.
Which office approves a repair
The county health department issues the permit in most counties. DEP issues it in 17: the 16 Panhandle counties from Escambia east to Jefferson since January 2, 2025, and Marion since July 1, 2025. Applications use Form DEP 4015, and DEP counties take them through DEP's online permit portal or by mail.
Questions people ask
Which office issues a Florida septic repair permit?
The county health department, or DEP in the 17 counties it permits. Section 381.0065 bars repairing a system without a permit approved by the department, and a repair permit is valid 90 days.
Am I allowed to repair my own Florida septic system?
On your own owner-occupied single-family home, yes, with every permit. The exemption covers contractor registration only. A property owner who does the work is still subject to all permitting requirements.
How much should I expect a Florida septic repair to cost?
A repair runs $405 to $2,725 per repair in the model, an estimate and not a quote. The county's repair permit is a separate charge, $350 in Lee and Seminole and $455 in Hillsborough.
Are there loans or grants for a septic repair in Florida?
DEP's onsite sewage pages don't list a statewide homeowner loan, so look to your county, where Brevard offers an upgrade grant. Brevard's grant reaches up to $20,000 for eligible homeowners in the Indian River Lagoon watershed who upgrade a conventional system to an advanced one.
- s. 381.0065, F.S. (2025) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Rule 62-6.030, F.A.C. (6/8/2026) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DEP: Onsite Sewage FAQ - Permitting Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DEP: Septic Contracting FAQ Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DOH-Lee: New Septic System Application Requirements Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DOH-Seminole: Environmental Public Health Fee Schedule 2025-2026 (PDF) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DOH-Hillsborough: 2026 OSTDS Fees (PDF) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DEP/DOH: OSTDS Transition notice (PDF on franklin.floridahealth.gov) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- s. 381.00655, F.S. (2025) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2073), Florida, mean hourly wage Read Oct 24, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2073), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- SepticMatch: how we estimate costs, Florida (editorial policy) Read Oct 24, 2026.
- DEP: Transfer of the Onsite Sewage Program Read Oct 24, 2026.
- Brevard County: Homeowner Grants Read Oct 24, 2026.