Septic rules in Clinton County
Clinton County is served by the Mid-Michigan District Health Department, whose Clinton branch office is at 1307 E. Townsend Road in St. Johns, and its Environmental Health Regulations, effective March 2019, are the same regulations that govern neighboring Gratiot and Montcalm counties. The text holds no time-of-sale requirement. The department offers a mortgage evaluation of the septic system for $220 and a septic and water supply evaluation for $370, which look like loan services and not mandates.
The schedule for Oct 1, 2026 to Sept 30, 2027 lists $250 for a new sewage permit, with a $215 vacant land evaluation required first, $280 for a replacement system and $105 for a gravity mound inspection. Anyone installing a sewage system in the three counties must register with the department, a registered-installer list dated Oct 14, 2026 is posted, and homeowners may install their own with a permit except for alternative systems.
Section 1.2, as we understand it, says facilities where public sewage is available must connect, and the old septic tank is to be properly abandoned. The isolation distance table did not extract cleanly, so we do not quote Clinton's septic-to-water distances; the Montcalm County entry quotes section 4.5 of the same regulations. We saw no online permit portal; applications arrive by mail, in person or by email. Clinton has no city of its own in our set, although Lansing and East Lansing reach into it. The sewer guide covers connection duties.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- Mid-Michigan District Health Department (Clinton, Gratiot, Montcalm), Clinton branch office, St. Johns
- Governing code
- Mid-Michigan District Health Department Environmental Health Regulations (effective March 2019)
- Inspection at sale
- No rule found in the county's published code. A mortgage evaluation is offered by application and appears to be a loan service.
- Permit steps
- Vacant land evaluation first ($215), then the sewage permit; applications by mail, in person or email (no online portal); a Letter of Transfer form moves a permit to a new owner.
- Installers and evaluators
- Anyone installing a sewage system in Clinton, Gratiot or Montcalm counties must register with the district department; owners may install their own with a permit (not alternative systems).
- Records
- FOIA records request form.
- Still to confirm with the county
- Winter limits and a pumping interval were not found; the isolation table's layout could not be confirmed.
Septic fees in Clinton County
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| New sewage permit | $250 | Schedule for Oct 1, 2026 to Sept 30, 2027 |
| Vacant land evaluation | $215 | Required first |
| Replacement sewage system | $280 | Same schedule |
| Mortgage septic evaluation | $220 | Septic and water $370 |
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 Clinton 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 Clinton County
These cities, each with 10,000 or more residents, follow Clinton County rules for septic. Each city page points back here.