Septic inspection in Kent County: what to know
The county evaluates septic and well together for $295, or the septic alone for $250 when municipal water serves the home, and it will not evaluate one without the other if both exist on site. Utilities must be marked through MISS Dig before the visit, a missed appointment can cost $75, and fees are not refundable after 90 days. Call Environmental Health at (616) 632-6900 to ask whether your buyer or lender will want one.
Of the 15 most populous counties, Wayne, Macomb, Washtenaw, Ottawa and Ingham require an evaluation at sale and Livingston and Jackson say they do not, while Kent and Kalamazoo offer evaluations without a written sale rule that we found. What an inspection should cover does not depend on the county. EGLE's yearly list includes opening the tanks, pumping if the tank is more than one-third full, cleaning the effluent filter, testing the alarm and pump, walking the drain field and checking inspection ports for standing water. EPA says the local permitting authority usually holds the permit and as-built drawing, which is where your Kent file would be.
Permits for septic inspection in Kent County
A pumper hired during the inspection needs EGLE septage licenses under Part 117.
Kent County Health Department, Environmental Health Division, 700 Fuller Ave NE, Grand Rapids; (616) 632-6900. A permit is needed to construct, repair, enlarge or relocate a system; it is valid two years unless extended and is not transferable as to holder or property. A city, village or township may not issue a building permit for a new structure needing a system until the sewage permit exists. The Kent County septic rules
Kent County septic fees
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Septic and well evaluation | $295 | County application form, 2025 |
| Septic evaluation, municipal water | $250 | Same form |
| Well evaluation, connected to sewer | $295 | Same form |
| Missed appointment | $75 | May be charged |
| Cancelled application, before field work | $50 | Processing fee |
When an inspection cannot wait
- Sewage backing up into the house or surfacing in the yard: call your local health department.
- An alarm sounding, or a wet, foul-smelling patch over the tank or field.
- A routine inspection on the one-to-three-year cycle EPA suggests.
- A buyer's inspection with a closing date weeks away (check your county's sale rule first).
Before you book
Get the permit and as-built drawing from the county before you book an inspector, and share it with them.
- Ask the county health department for your permit and as-built drawing.
- Clear the lids and note the tank size and last pumping date.
- Ask whether the visit includes pumping, the filter cleaning and a written report.
- Ask your county if it registers or certifies the inspector.
What septic inspection costs
The estimate below is the Michigan-wide one and not a Kent County price. The same table is on the septic inspection page. How we estimate costs. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $130 to $520 per inspection | 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 | What Michigan septic tank servicers are paid (BLS, May 2025, statewide), not what you are charged. |
| Routine septic maintenance, pumping and inspection (U.S. EPA) | $250 to $500 every three to five years | EPA's national figure for maintenance fees, undated. It is not a Michigan price. |
| Wayne County, health department evaluation | $358 | Fee schedule effective Jan 16, 2024. A $161 "transfer evaluation" is listed separately, and the schedule does not say who performs it. |
| Macomb County, property transfer evaluation | $384 | 2026 schedule; excludes pumping. |
| Ottawa County, real estate evaluation, sewage only | $347 | Fees effective Oct 1, 2026; sewage and water together $461. |
| Saginaw County, mortgage or performance evaluation, septic only | $440 | Fee schedule effective Oct 1, 2026. |
| St. Clair County, septic evaluation only | $225 | Fee schedule as of Oct 1, 2026. |
| Muskegon County, septic evaluation | $150 | 2026 schedule; the county describes evaluations as voluntary. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. It takes one published national range for this job (a cost guide from a third-party site that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies it by Michigan's septic tank servicer median wage ratio to the US (1.00, BLS 2025 data). No permit or evaluation fee is added: the county rows are shown as the schedules print them. The wage and fee rows are what workers are paid and what a county charges, and neither is a price you will be quoted. We have not collected Michigan septic quotes, and one company's published pumping price is not a range. Your tank, soil and site move a real quote outside any range, so get written quotes. Full method.
Questions about septic inspection
What does septic inspection consist of?
EGLE lists tank inspection, scum and sludge measurement, filter cleaning, alarm and pump testing and a drain field walk. It also checks inspection ports for standing water and looks for leaking fixtures.
How are septic systems inspected?
By a visual check of the tank, filter, controls and drain field, with the tank usually opened and measured. Some counties require the tank to be pumped during the evaluation, as Saginaw County does.
How much does a septic inspection cost in Michigan?
Our estimate for a routine inspection is $130 to $520 per inspection, a model and not a quote. Counties that do evaluations publish fees, from $150 in Muskegon County to $440 in Saginaw County for septic only. Private evaluators set their own.