Septic rules in Allegan County
Allegan County's septic rules are the Allegan County Water and Sewage Regulations, approved October 23, 1997 and in effect since November 20, 1997, enforced by the Health Officer in every city, village and township. Nobody may construct, alter or extend a system without a construction permit. A permit expires one year after issue, can be extended a year if you ask before it runs out, and does not transfer to another person or place.
Tanks must be pumped often enough to keep solids out of the absorption field, and only a licensed pumper may remove sewage. The regulations text names no sale requirement, but the Environmental Health Division, at 3255 122nd Avenue, Suite 200 in Allegan and (269) 673-5415, takes applications to evaluate an existing system at a transfer of ownership. Its form asks you to locate the tank and show it was pumped in the last three years, and excavation and pumping costs are yours.
The form lists $275 for well and septic and $225 for septic alone, but it dates from 2018, so ask for the current fee. Allegan has no city of its own in our set, but Holland, with 34,266 residents and 63.6 percent of homes built before 1980, spans Allegan and Ottawa counties. If your Holland address lies in Allegan County, the Ottawa County entry does not apply to you, so ask the department which county's rules govern your parcel.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- Allegan County Health Department, Environmental Health Division, 3255 122nd Avenue, Suite 200, Allegan; (269) 673-5415
- Governing code
- Allegan County Water and Sewage Regulations (effective November 20, 1997)
- Inspection at sale
- No rule found in the county's published code. The regulations text names no sale requirement. The department takes applications to evaluate an existing system at a transfer of ownership.
- Permit steps
- A construction permit comes first. It expires after one year, can be extended one year if requested before it expires, and is not transferable to a person or place.
- Installers and evaluators
- Only a licensed pumper may remove sewage from a system.
- Records
- Evaluation applications must be processed within a goal of 14 business days.
- Still to confirm with the county
- The current fee schedule, and whether the regulations have changed since 1997, are not in the pages we have. Call Allegan County Environmental Health at (269) 673-5415.
Septic fees in Allegan County
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluation, well and septic with water sample | $275 | Form dated 2018; ask for the current fee |
| Evaluation, septic only | $225 | Same form |
| Evaluation, well only with water sample | $225 | Same form |
Rules and fees change every year. Confirm with the health department before you rely on a line. "No rule found" means the pages and code we have say nothing on that line; it is not the county saying there is no rule. Use the county rules lookup to compare counties.
What septic work costs
These are the Michigan-wide estimates from our model, not Allegan County prices. The county's own permit and evaluation fees are in the table above.
| Job | Estimated range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Septic pumping | $255 to $810 | per visit |
| Septic inspection | $130 to $520 | per inspection |
| Drain field | $890 to $6,025 | per repair |
Estimates, not quotes. How we estimate costs.
All septic services
Cities in Allegan County
These cities, each with 10,000 or more residents, follow Allegan County rules for septic. Each city page points back here.