Septic rules in Midland County
Midland County Department of Public Health, through its Environmental Health Services Division, is a county department and not part of a district health department. Its governing document is the Midland County Environmental Health Code, effective Nov 7, 1994 and last amended March 6, 2018. We searched the code text and found no mandatory time-of-sale rule, and the county's fee schedule describes its mortgage evaluation, for home sales and refinancing, as not mandatory, at $160 in total.
The 2026 schedule lists $250 for a residential septic permit, $400 for a repair up to 2,000 gallons a day, $100 for a tank only, $135 for a raw land evaluation with no credit toward the permit, and $160 for an existing-system evaluation, which is mandatory only when replacing a structure. Anyone in the business of installing systems must register with the department under code section 302.1, and homeowners may install their own with a permit.
A customer information sheet from Oct 10, 2025 puts the septic tank and field 50 feet from a deep well and from a lake, river, stream or pond, 100 feet from surface water in a subdivision, and 10 feet from a property line. Online septic applications are not available at this time, though an online payment portal, a records and FOIA request form and a map exist. Midland, with 42,461 residents and 67.9 percent of homes built before 1980, is the Midland city in our set and also touches Bay County. The installation page explains the permit sequence.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- Midland County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Services Division
- Governing code
- Midland County Environmental Health Code (effective Nov 7, 1994; amended March 6, 2018)
- Inspection at sale
- No rule found in the county's published code. No mandatory time-of-sale rule found in the code text. A mortgage evaluation for sales and refinancing is offered and not mandatory; an existing-system evaluation is mandatory only when replacing a structure.
- Permit steps
- Septic permit applications are not available online; online payment, a records and FOIA request form and a GIS map exist; a township inspector list is posted.
- Installers and evaluators
- Anyone installing systems for a business must register with the department (code 302.1); homeowners may install their own with a permit.
- Records
- Records and FOIA request form; GIS map.
Septic fees in Midland County
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Residential septic permit | $250 | 2026 schedule |
| Repair up to 2,000 gal/day | $400 | Same schedule |
| Tank only | $100 | Same schedule |
| Raw land evaluation | $135 | No credit toward the permit |
| Mortgage evaluation, not mandatory | $160 | Same schedule |
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 Midland 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 Midland County
These cities, each with 10,000 or more residents, follow Midland County rules for septic. Each city page points back here.