Septic rules in Grand Traverse County
Grand Traverse County's time-of-transfer regulation, adopted by the Board of Commissioners on May 21, 2025 and effective Jan 1, 2026, is the newest sale rule we can cite, and its trigger is nearby water. It applies to a property with an onsite sewage or water system and a dwelling within 300 feet of surface water, measured from the nearest part of the dwelling to the water or its high-water mark.
Such a property must be evaluated and approved by the health department before sale, transfer or conveyance, unless it was certified in the preceding 36 months, and the evaluator must be certified by the county. Corrective work follows a plan within 30 days, an escrow of one and a half times the estimated cost at closing, and 180 days to finish, with more time if weather prohibits. The 2026 time-of-transfer schedule lists $300 for an evaluation review with well and septic, $200 for septic only, and $20 per parcel for records.
The 2026 permit schedule lists $545 for a new residential septic permit, $360 for a replacement, $160 for a tank only and $330 for a site evaluation of up to three hand auger holes. Permits run through the EPIC GT portal, and a parcel map viewer helps you check the 300-foot rule. Traverse City, with 15,491 residents and 71.3 percent of homes built before 1980, also touches Leelanau County. See the sale guide.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- Grand Traverse County Health Department, Environmental Health
- Governing code
- Grand Traverse County Regulation for the Evaluation of On-Site Water and Sewage Disposal Systems at the Time of Property Transfer (adopted May 21, 2025; effective Jan 1, 2026)
- Inspection at sale
- Required for premises with an onsite sewage or water system and a dwelling within 300 feet of surface water. Evaluated and approved before sale unless certified within the preceding 36 months; corrective plan within 30 days, escrow of 1.5 times the cost, work within 180 days of approval unless weather prohibits.
- Permit steps
- Online permit portal (EPIC GT); a tax parcel map viewer helps check the 300-foot rule.
- Installers and evaluators
- Time-of-transfer evaluators must be registered and certified by the county. Installer or hauler licensing not addressed on the pages read.
- Records
- Records search and copies $20 per parcel; archived well and septic records portal.
- Still to confirm with the county
- The On-Site Septic page says nothing about winter rules, pumping intervals or setbacks.
Septic fees in Grand Traverse County
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| New residential septic permit | $545 | 2026 schedule |
| Replacement permit | $360 | Same schedule |
| Tank-only permit | $160 | Same schedule |
| Site evaluation, up to 3 hand auger holes | $330 | Same schedule |
| Transfer evaluation review, septic only | $200 | Well and septic $300; the evaluator charges separately |
| Records search and copies | $20 | Per parcel |
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 Grand Traverse 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 Grand Traverse County
These cities, each with 10,000 or more residents, follow Grand Traverse County rules for septic. Each city page points back here.