Septic rules in Lenawee County
Lenawee County Health Department has jurisdiction over public and private onsite sewage systems up to 10,000 gallons a day, but its septic page names no sanitary code, and the county ordinances page lists no sewage code, so we cannot give you a code title. The fee schedule, printed as updated Feb 24, 2026, lists $205 for a single or two-family construction permit, or $355 with multiple inspections, $205 for an onsite evaluation limited to three holes, and $355 for a tank-only evaluation and permit.
A site evaluation for a change of use or building expansion is $155. Installers are licensed by the county, with a $50 exam and an $80 annual license that expires May 31 each year, and the county posts a list of licensed installers. Pump-and-haul operators register annually for $50. The page says each site evaluation determines isolation from adjacent water supplies, soil permeability, the seasonal high water table and available land, but gives no distances, no winter rule, no pumping interval and no sewer-connection rule.
The county's published pages mention no time-of-sale rule, though that is a limit of those pages and not a county statement. Payments go through an online portal, and a Septic Replacement Loan Program flyer is linked. Adrian, with 20,493 residents and 74.4 percent of its homes built before 1980, is the Lenawee city in our set. Read the installation page for how permits and installers fit together in other counties.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- Lenawee County Health Department
- Governing code
- Not found (the page names no sanitary code)
- Inspection at sale
- No rule found in the county's published code. No time-of-sale rule found in the sewage, environmental health, wells or FAQ pages read.
- Permit steps
- Site evaluation of isolation from water supplies, soil permeability, seasonal high water table and land area; permit; online payment portal.
- Installers and evaluators
- Installers are licensed by the county ($50 exam, $80 annual license expiring May 31); pump-and-haul operators register annually ($50).
- Records
- Records request process not found.
Septic fees in Lenawee County
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Construction permit, single or two-family | $205 | Schedule printed as updated Feb 24, 2026; $355 with multiple inspections |
| Onsite evaluation, up to 3 holes | $205 | Same schedule |
| Tank-only evaluation and permit | $355 | Same schedule |
| Installer license | $80 | Per year; exam $50 |
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 Lenawee 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 Lenawee County
These cities, each with 10,000 or more residents, follow Lenawee County rules for septic. Each city page points back here.