Septic rules in Monroe County
Monroe County Health Department recommends pumping by a licensed pumper every one to two years, shorter than EPA's three to five, while the county's own code says only to pump at such intervals as necessary. The Monroe County Environmental Health Sanitary Code, with Chapter 5 on Onsite Sewage Disposal and a May 2007 edition linked, is the governing document. Neither the page nor Chapter 5 held a time-of-sale rule that we could see.
That is a limit of what we can cite, not a statement by the county. A permit is valid for 12 months and does not transfer to a new owner. Fees effective Jan 1, 2024 list $200 for a site evaluation, $250 for a new residential permit, $275 for a replacement and $150 for a tank only, though the county's two-column layout should be confirmed. A tank and absorption field must sit 50 feet from a drilled well and 100 feet from a dug or point well or surface water, with 10 feet to a property line, and deviation is not granted where bedrock lies within 4 feet of the native surface.
Contractors for hire need a county installation license after a written exam and a performance bond, $125 to start, and the county posts a list. Haulers' vehicles are inspected annually by the county for EGLE. Additions, pools and outbuildings may need approval for distance to the septic and well before a building permit. Monroe, at 86.4 percent of homes built before 1980, is the one Monroe city here.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- Monroe County Health Department, Environmental Health Division
- Governing code
- Monroe County Environmental Health Sanitary Code, Chapter 5 Onsite Sewage Disposal (May 2007 edition linked)
- Inspection at sale
- No rule found in the county's published code. No time-of-sale or transfer evaluation found on the county page or in Chapter 5. Ask the county whether Chapter 6 or any other part of the code adds a sale rule.
- Permit steps
- Site assessment (soil borings), plans if soils are unsuitable (by a licensed engineer, RS or REHS), permit valid 12 months, then inspections after the gravel bed and piping, of tanks, pumps, alarms and filter, and a final after sand cover and berms.
- Installers and evaluators
- Contractors for hire need a county installation license: written exam and performance bond (license $125 new, $62.50 renewal).
- Records
- Ask the county health department how to request the permit file for your address.
- Still to confirm with the county
- Lines read from a two-column layout; confirm amounts with the county.
Septic fees in Monroe County
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Site evaluation | $200 | Schedule effective Jan 1, 2024 |
| New residential permit | $250 | Same schedule |
| Replacement permit | $275 | Same schedule |
| Tank-only permit | $150 | Same schedule |
| Contractor license, new | $125 | Renewal $62.50 |
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 Monroe 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.