Septic rules in Ottawa County
Ottawa County enforces its sale rule through its own code. The County of Ottawa Environmental Health Regulations, effective September 1, 2016, make it unlawful to sell or transfer a dwelling with its own onsite sewage or water system without first obtaining a Real Estate Evaluation, and the seller must give the buyer the results at closing. The evaluation rates a system, it does not approve or grandfather it, and a correction order does not stop the closing.
Fees effective Oct 1, 2026 list $347 for sewage only and $461 for sewage and water, a rush option that adds $347 for a five-business-day turnaround, and a $250 charge on top of the fee for a sale that closed with no evaluation. A preliminary report that allows closing costs $138. The code says a report is valid 12 months while the program flyer says six, so ask the county before you rely on an older one.
New private sewage permits are $743 and repairs $486, with up to four site visits included, double if installed without a permit, and permits expire after 24 months. The code requires a reserve area for a replacement system at least as large as the first, and a minimum 50 feet from tank or field to a private well. Article XX adopts Part 117 for septage hauling. Holland, Allendale, Jenison and Grand Haven are the Ottawa cities here; Allendale has only 19.8 percent of homes built before 1980. See septic pumping in Ottawa County.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- Ottawa County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Division, Holland
- Governing code
- County of Ottawa Environmental Health Regulations (effective September 1, 2016), Article XIII.B Real Estate Evaluation
- Inspection at sale
- Required. Unlawful to sell or transfer without a Real Estate Evaluation; seller gives the buyer the results at closing; a violation can bring a civil citation or misdemeanor ticket. Validity: the code says 12 months and the flyer says six: ask the county.
- Permit steps
- Permit required for new and repair systems; the site must meet the code; permits expire after 24 months; the installer notifies the department for the final inspection before anything is covered and the health officer responds within two working days.
- Installers and evaluators
- Code lets the health officer require training or certification of contractors for alternative systems only, per the county's code as we have it, so confirm with the department; we found no general installer license.
- Records
- Evaluation processing can take 3 to 4 weeks.
Septic fees in Ottawa County
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Private new sewage permit | $743 | Effective Oct 1, 2026; up to 4 site visits |
| Private repair permit | $486 | Same schedule |
| Real estate evaluation, sewage only | $347 | Sewage and water together $461 |
| Rush evaluation | $347 | Added to the evaluation fee |
| Site visit for an existing system | $278 | 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.
Septic services in Ottawa County
- Septic pumping in Ottawa CountyOttawa County's code adopts Part 117 for septage hauling, so a pumper there answers to the county code and to EGLE.
- Septic inspection in Ottawa CountyOttawa County makes it unlawful to sell a house with its own septic system without a Real Estate Evaluation.
- Drain field in Ottawa CountyOttawa County requires a reserve area for a replacement drain field at least as large as the first one.
What septic work costs
These are the Michigan-wide estimates from our model, not Ottawa 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 Ottawa County
These cities, each with 10,000 or more residents, follow Ottawa County rules for septic. Each city page points back here.