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Michigan · 30 county pages · 101 city pages

Septic systems in Michigan: county rules, state licensing and what we know about cost

Michigan has more than 1.3 million septic systems, according to EGLE, and the rules that govern them live in county and district health departments. This page is the map: what the state does and does not set, who licenses pumpers, which counties require an inspection at sale, how winter and floods change the work, and what we can and cannot say about cost. Each of the 30 largest counties has its own page, and every Michigan city on this site points to its county.

Septic systems in Michigan
More than 1.3 million
Local health departments running onsite programs
44 of 45
Of the 15 most populous counties, those requiring an evaluation at sale
5
EGLE's range for a replacement system
$8,000 to $30,000

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No statewide code: who decides instead

Under the Public Health Code, onsite wastewater management is a required service for local health departments. The state contracts with them every year, and EGLE's Onsite Wastewater Management Unit offers them assistance and training, but an ordinary home septic permit comes from the county or district. Michigan has 45 local health departments and 44 of them run an onsite wastewater program. They apply their own sanitary code or EGLE's Michigan Criteria for Subsurface Sewage Disposal, an April 1994 revision, whichever is more stringent.

Senate Bill 771 of 2026 would add a statewide code, a construction permit and 10-year evaluations. It was reported with substitute S-2 on June 3, 2026 and placed on third reading on June 17, 2026, and the bill page showed no later action when we checked it on Oct 19, 2026. It is not law, and we do not predict what happens next.

Michigan has no statewide septic code: what SB 771 would change

Who may pump a tank: EGLE Part 117

Anyone who cleans out, hauls or disposes of septage in Michigan, or contracts for it, needs an EGLE septage waste servicing license and a vehicle license. Licenses last five years, the business's responsible agent needs 30 hours of continuing education to renew, and records of volumes, disposal sites and complaints are kept for five years. EGLE publishes a Septage Haulers Directory, which you can search to check a license.

We found no statewide license for septic installers or inspectors. Some counties license or register them, among them Oakland, Livingston, Genesee, Saginaw and Monroe for installers and Macomb, Washtenaw and Ingham for sale evaluators.

Septic pumping in Michigan

Inspection at sale: a county-by-county rule

Of the 15 most populous counties, five require an evaluation before a sale closes: Wayne outside Detroit (per the county's own description of its rule), Macomb, Washtenaw, Ottawa and Ingham. Livingston and Jackson say they have no such rule, and Kent and Kalamazoo could not be confirmed. Shiawassee County requires one, and Grand Traverse County requires one for dwellings within 300 feet of surface water. For the rest we can cite no rule in the published text.

Michigan's Seller's Disclosure Statement asks about septic tanks and drain fields only if the seller knows. EPA says the local permitting authority usually holds the permit and the as-built drawing, and counties charge different fees for copies.

County rules for inspection at sale

Frozen ground, floods and spring thaw

Michigan bans spreading septage on frozen ground, so winter pumping depends on where the hauler can take the load. After a flood, EGLE says not to pump a tank until surface water and groundwater recede, because pumping into high groundwater can float a concrete tank or crush a plastic one. A few counties bar new septic fields in winter: Genesee from December 15 to April 15 and St. Clair from December 1 to March 1, each without approval from the health department.

Winter and spring septic care

Paying for repairs: loans and government ranges

EGLE and Michigan Saves lend up to $50,000 for failing or near-failing systems, with income-based Tier One loans up to $30,000 at a fixed 1 percent, and the local health department must document the failure. EPA puts repair or replacement of a malfunctioning conventional system at $5,000 to $15,000 nationally.

Michigan septic replacement loan program

What septic work costs in Michigan: the evidence we have

Our estimates for the jobs we can model are the first rows below, each a model and not a quote. After them come what we can cite: wages, federal and state ranges and county fees. Michigan publishes no septic price list, and the county permit and evaluation fees are on each county page.

Michigan cost evidence, prices as of Oct 19, 2026
ItemFigureWhat it is
Septic pumping$255 to $810 per visitEstimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Septic inspection$130 to $520 per inspectionEstimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Septic repair$535 to $3,625 per repairEstimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan operating engineer median wage ratio (1.05). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Drain field$890 to $6,025 per repairEstimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan operating engineer median wage ratio (1.05). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Drain field (per replacement)$2,675 to $18,100 per replacementEstimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan operating engineer median wage ratio (1.05). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Septic installation$6,025 to $20,200 per systemEstimated range, not a quote. Built from two national published ranges, adjusted by the Michigan operating engineer median wage ratio (1.05). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Riser and lid$170 to $460 per riser installedEstimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Riser and lid (per lid)$130 to $690 per lidEstimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Aerobic system$17,800 to $48,200 installedEstimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan operating engineer median wage ratio (1.05). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Pump and float$85 to $345 per float switchEstimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Pump and float (per pump replacement)$425 to $1,725 per pump replacementEstimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Real estate inspection$255 to $750 per inspectionEstimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Septic tank servicer wage, Michigan mean$24.85 an hourPay, not price (BLS, May 2025, statewide)
Routine maintenance, pumping and inspection (EPA)$250 to $500 every three to five yearsNational figure, undated
Repair or replace a conventional system (EPA)$5,000 to $15,000National figure, undated
Replacement septic system (EGLE)$8,000 to $30,000July 2025 news release; EGLE gives no source for the range
New residential septic permit, counties that publish a fee$175 to $743Muskegon County (2026) to Ottawa County (Oct 1, 2026); fees change every year
Septic pumping$255 to $810 per visit
Estimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Septic inspection$130 to $520 per inspection
Estimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Septic repair$535 to $3,625 per repair
Estimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan operating engineer median wage ratio (1.05). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Drain field$890 to $6,025 per repair
Estimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan operating engineer median wage ratio (1.05). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Drain field (per replacement)$2,675 to $18,100 per replacement
Estimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan operating engineer median wage ratio (1.05). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Septic installation$6,025 to $20,200 per system
Estimated range, not a quote. Built from two national published ranges, adjusted by the Michigan operating engineer median wage ratio (1.05). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Riser and lid$170 to $460 per riser installed
Estimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Riser and lid (per lid)$130 to $690 per lid
Estimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Aerobic system$17,800 to $48,200 installed
Estimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan operating engineer median wage ratio (1.05). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Pump and float$85 to $345 per float switch
Estimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Pump and float (per pump replacement)$425 to $1,725 per pump replacement
Estimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Real estate inspection$255 to $750 per inspection
Estimated range, not a quote. Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan septic tank servicer median wage ratio (1.00). No Michigan septic company published a range we could count.
Septic tank servicer wage, Michigan mean$24.85 an hour
Pay, not price (BLS, May 2025, statewide)
Routine maintenance, pumping and inspection (EPA)$250 to $500 every three to five years
National figure, undated
Repair or replace a conventional system (EPA)$5,000 to $15,000
National figure, undated
Replacement septic system (EGLE)$8,000 to $30,000
July 2025 news release; EGLE gives no source for the range
New residential septic permit, counties that publish a fee$175 to $743
Muskegon County (2026) to Ottawa County (Oct 1, 2026); fees change every year

How we estimate costs. The Estimated range rows are models, not quotes. Each takes one or two published national ranges for the job (a third-party cost guide that we have not verified and do not cite, plus EGLE's replacement range for installation), widens a single range 15 percent each side, and multiplies it by Michigan's wage ratio to the US for the nearest federal occupation: septic tank servicers 1.00 and, for repair, drain field, installation and aerobic work, operating engineers 1.05 (BLS 2025 data). No permit or evaluation fee is added; county fees are on each county page. The wage row is what workers are paid, not what customers are charged. EPA's and EGLE's ranges are shown as they are published. We have not collected Michigan septic quotes, and the few company prices we found were too few to call a range. Always get written quotes. Full method.

Questions about septic systems in Michigan

Does Michigan have a statewide septic code?

No, not as of Oct 19, 2026. County or district health departments issue permits under their own sanitary code or EGLE's 1994 Criteria, whichever is more stringent, and Senate Bill 771 of 2026, which would create a statewide code, was awaiting third reading in the Senate when we last checked it.

Does Michigan require a septic inspection when selling a house?

We found no statewide requirement: it depends on the county. Five of the 15 most populous counties require one, Livingston and Jackson say they do not, and the county guide lists the rest.

Who licenses septic pumpers in Michigan?

EGLE does, under Part 117, with a septage waste servicing license and a vehicle license valid five years. Ask for the license number and check EGLE's Septage Haulers Directory.

Are septic tank locations public record in Michigan?

We can cite no single statewide record: ask your county health department. EPA says the local permitting authority usually holds the permit and as-built drawing. Genesee County charges $5 an address and Grand Traverse County $20 per parcel for records.

How much does septic tank pumping cost in Michigan?

Our estimate for one pumping visit is $255 to $810 per visit, a model and not a quote. EPA's national figure for routine maintenance is $250 to $500 every three to five years, and Michigan septic tank servicers earn a mean of $24.85 an hour, which is pay and not a charge.

Is there help paying for a failing septic system in Michigan?

Yes: EGLE and Michigan Saves lend up to $50,000 for failing or near-failing systems, with income-based loans up to $30,000 at a fixed 1 percent. The local health department must document the failure.

Michigan counties and cities

We match septic requests by county, so the location pages are county pages: the 30 most populous counties each have one, written from the county health department's own pages, and the 101 cities with 10,000 or more residents point to theirs. Counties we have not researched are described by region, and the county rules tool says so plainly.

County rules lookup

By region

Southeast Michigan

Southeast Michigan holds the most septic rules we can cite, and they disagree. Wayne County (outside Detroit), Macomb and Washtenaw require an evaluation before a sale closes, Livingston County says in writing that it has no point-of-sale program, and for Oakland, Monroe, St. Clair, Lenawee and Lapeer we can cite no sale rule in the published text. St. Clair bars new septic fields from December 1 to March 1 without approval, and Monroe recommends pumping every one to two years, a shorter interval than EPA's three to five. Counties in this region without a page of their own follow the same pattern: a county or district health department, its own sanitary code, and a permit before work. Ask which office covers your parcel, whether a sale evaluation is required and where the as-built drawing is, then use the county rules tool for the counties we researched.

West Michigan

In West Michigan, Ottawa County is the one county we confirmed requires an evaluation at sale, with fees effective Oct 1, 2026. Kent, Kalamazoo, Berrien and Allegan counties publish regulations, a code or an ordinance whose text names no sale rule, though each health department evaluates systems on request, and the pages we have for Muskegon, Van Buren, Ionia and Montcalm show no sale rule either. Muskegon's $175 permit includes the site evaluation, Van Buren/Cass requires connection to an available sewer within 18 months of written notice, and Montcalm is served by the Mid-Michigan District Health Department, which asks for a pump card before it releases a mortgage evaluation. A county in this region without a page of its own still has a health department, a sanitary code and a permit file. Call it before you list a house or book work, and ask for the code, the fee schedule and the record of your system.

Mid-Michigan

Mid-Michigan splits on sales. Ingham and Shiawassee counties require an evaluation before closing, Jackson County says there are no requirements at transfer, and Eaton, Calhoun and Clinton have no sale rule in their published text. Eaton County, through the Barry-Eaton District Health Department, requires certified installers only for certain technologies, while Clinton shares one set of regulations with Gratiot and Montcalm. Shiawassee's ordinance also requires servicing of a tank not pumped in two years as part of a sale. The published new-permit fees run from $250 for a new permit in Clinton to $469 in Eaton. For a mid-Michigan county that has no page here, the questions are the same: which health department, which code, whether a sale evaluation applies and what your permit file holds. The sale guide lists what we found.

Thumb and Saginaw Bay

Of Genesee, Saginaw, Bay and Midland counties, we can cite no time-of-sale septic rule in the published text for any, though Saginaw, Bay and Midland each offer an evaluation to lenders or buyers on request and Genesee sells a records search. Genesee County bars field installation from December 15 to April 15 and licenses installers for $220 a year, Saginaw registers installers every three years, Bay County publishes a public septic map and requires a 5-foot trench for evaluation in frozen soil, and Midland's code is dated 1994 with a 2018 amendment. Counties in the Thumb and around Saginaw Bay that have no page here are not described by these four, so ask the local health department for its code and for the permit record of your address. Use the winter care guide if you plan work between December and April.

Northern Lower Peninsula

Grand Traverse County is the one northern Lower Peninsula county we researched, and its rule is built around water: a time-of-transfer regulation effective Jan 1, 2026 applies to a dwelling within 300 feet of surface water, with evaluations valid 36 months and a $200 county review for a septic-only report. Its 2026 permit schedule lists $545 for a new residential septic permit and $20 per parcel for records. We did not research the other counties of the northern Lower Peninsula, and nothing here should be read as their rule. They have their own health departments, which may be district departments serving several counties, and their own sanitary codes. Ask which office covers your parcel, if a lake or river setback changes your options, and if a sale evaluation applies. The state framework applies everywhere: permits come from the local health department, and pumpers need EGLE septage licenses.

Upper Peninsula

Marquette County is the one Upper Peninsula county we researched. It enforces the Upper Peninsula Environmental Health Code of Marquette County, effective Jan 1, 2022, offers a free online records search, and lists a 2026 onsite sewage permit at $368. The text we have holds no sale rule, and the code itself is something to request from the county. We did not research the other Upper Peninsula counties, so we state nothing about their rules, and the same applies to Sault Ste. Marie and Escanaba, which fall in counties without a page here. Septage hauling follows the same state rule everywhere: EGLE bans spreading septage on frozen ground. Ask your health department for its code, its fee schedule and your permit record. The county rules tool will say plainly when a county has not been researched.

Sources on this page
  1. EGLE FAQ: Septic systems Read Oct 19, 2026.
  2. EGLE: Michigan 2023 Statewide Failed Sewage System Evaluation Summary Report (Nov 2024) Read Oct 19, 2026.
  3. Wayne County Septic/Onsite Sewage page (waynecountymi.gov) Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
  4. Property transfer regulation - Macomb County Read Oct 19, 2026.
  5. Regulation for the Inspection of Residential Onsite Water and Sewage Disposal Systems at Time of Property Transfer (Washtenaw) Read Oct 19, 2026.
  6. County of Ottawa Environmental Health Regulations (PDF), Art. XIII Read Oct 19, 2026.
  7. A Guide to Transferring Property in Ingham County Read Oct 19, 2026.
  8. EGLE news release, July 29 2025 Read Oct 19, 2026.
  9. EGLE: Onsite wastewater management Read Oct 19, 2026.
  10. EGLE: Wastewater Permitting Authorities Explained (guide for LHDs) Read Oct 19, 2026.
  11. Michigan Criteria for Subsurface Sewage Disposal (MDPH; EGLE-hosted PDF) Read Oct 19, 2026.
  12. Michigan Legislature: Senate Bill 771 of 2026 Read Oct 19, 2026.
  13. SFA analysis, SB 771 (S-2) as reported Read Oct 19, 2026.
  14. MCL 324.11702 Read Oct 19, 2026.
  15. MCL 324.11717b (fees) and 324.11706 Read Oct 19, 2026.
  16. EGLE: Septage Waste Program FAQs Read Oct 19, 2026.
  17. MCL 324.11703 Read Oct 19, 2026.
  18. MCL 339.6107 Read Oct 19, 2026.
  19. Onsite Sewage Disposal System (Septic) - Oakland County Read Oct 19, 2026.
  20. Livingston County Sanitary Code (PDF) Read Oct 19, 2026.
  21. Septic: GCHD Environmental Health Program Read Oct 19, 2026.
  22. Waste Water Management/Septic Read Oct 19, 2026.
  23. Chapter 5, Section 502 Read Oct 19, 2026.
  24. Realtor Resources - Livingston County Read Oct 19, 2026.
  25. Well & Septic Information - Point of Sale Information Read Oct 19, 2026.
  26. Shiawassee County Ordinance 01-07-26 (time of transfer) Read Oct 19, 2026.
  27. GT County time-of-transfer regulation (PDF) Read Oct 19, 2026.
  28. MCL 565.957 (Seller Disclosure Act form) Read Oct 19, 2026.
  29. EPA: Frequent Questions about Septic Systems Read Oct 19, 2026.
  30. Genesee County Sewage Disposal Construction Standard Read Oct 19, 2026.
  31. Residential Sewage Disposal Permit Application Read Oct 19, 2026.
  32. EGLE news release, May 22 2024 Read Oct 19, 2026.
  33. EGLE: SRLP Program Minimum Standards (August 2026) Read Oct 19, 2026.
  34. EPA: Why Maintain Your Septic System Read Oct 19, 2026.
  35. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners (SOC 47-4071), Michigan Read Oct 19, 2026.
  36. O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor), Michigan wages, Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners (SOC 47-4071), republishing BLS OEWS 2025 Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
  37. SepticMatch: how we estimate costs (editorial policy) Read Oct 19, 2026.
  38. O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor), Michigan wages, Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2073), republishing BLS OEWS 2025 Read Oct 19, 2026. The source implies this without saying it, so check with the source before you act on it.
  39. Public Health – Muskegon County: 2026 Environmental Quality Fee Schedule Read Oct 19, 2026.
  40. Environmental Health Fees | Ottawa County, MI Read Oct 19, 2026.
  41. SFA analysis, SB 771 (S-2) Read Oct 19, 2026.
  42. 2026 Time of Transfer Fee Schedule (PDF) Read Oct 19, 2026.
  43. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates (tables B01003, B25034, B25077) Read Oct 19, 2026.
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