Septic rules in Galveston County
A residential septic permit from the Galveston County Health District costs $310.00 and a commercial one $510.00, each including the $10.00 state charge, on the schedule effective October 1, 2025. No work on a septic system may start until the district's Environmental Health Services, Consumer Health Services, has issued that permit, and its designated representative inspects installations on 24 hours notice. Permits are tied to building officials. You won't get a building permit without an approved septic plan, and an alternative system also needs an Affidavit to the Public.
The schedule's other rows include a one-time $125.00 Maintenance Agreement fee for perpetual aerobic maintenance contracts, and a re-inspection after a failed construction inspection at $150.00 residential or $250.00 commercial. A variance request is $150.00. Subdivision review is $20.00 per lot for five or fewer lots, or $100.00 and $5.00 per lot for six or more, and a groundwater review in the Bolivar and Galveston area is $100.00. A recent change in the local regulations lets you maintain your own aerobic system once the initial service agreement ends.
The district accepts an 8-hour Aerobic Treatment Operation and Maintenance course, listed by codes 0821, 0434, 0656 and 0904 (1134 for drip emitters), or a Class D Wastewater Operator license. The contract copy stays on file for the life of the system either way. If you'd rather do the upkeep yourself, take one of those courses before the service agreement runs out.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- Galveston County Health District, Environmental Health Services, Consumer Health Services; designated representative inspects installations on 24 hours notice.
- Inspection at sale
- No rule found in the county's published code. The county's septic pages state no inspection rule for a sale or transfer.
- Permit steps
- A permit must be obtained from the district before any work on a septic system. Building permits are not issued without an approved OSSF plan. An Affidavit to the Public is required if an alternative system is needed.
- Still to confirm with the county
- Homeowners may maintain their own aerobic OSSF after the initial service agreement, with an acceptable 8-hour Aerobic Treatment Operation and Maintenance course (codes 0821, 0434, 0656, 0904; 1134 for drip emitters) or a Class D Wastewater Operator license. Aerobic systems carry perpetual maintenance contracts kept on file for the life of the system.
Septic fees in Galveston County
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Residential OSSF permit | $310.00 | Includes the $10.00 state charge; schedule effective October 1, 2025 |
| Commercial OSSF permit | $510.00 | Includes the $10.00 state charge; schedule effective October 1, 2025 |
| Maintenance Agreement (perpetual aerobic maintenance contracts) | $125.00 | One time; schedule effective October 1, 2025 |
| Re-inspection after a failed construction inspection, residential | $150.00 | Schedule effective October 1, 2025 |
| Re-inspection after a failed construction inspection, commercial | $250.00 | Half the permit fee; schedule effective October 1, 2025 |
| Subdivision review, 5 or fewer lots | $20.00 | Per lot; schedule effective October 1, 2025 |
| Subdivision review, 6 or more lots | $100.00 | Plus $5.00 per lot; schedule effective October 1, 2025 |
| Groundwater review (Bolivar/Galveston area) | $100.00 | Schedule effective October 1, 2025 |
| Variance request | $150.00 | Schedule effective October 1, 2025 |
Rules and fees change every year, so confirm a line with the Galveston County Health District before you rely on it. "No rule found" means the pages and code we have say nothing on that line, which isn't the same as the county telling you there's no rule. To compare counties, use the county rules lookup.
What septic work costs
These are statewide Texas estimates from our model, so they aren't Galveston County prices; where the county posts its own permit fees, they are on this page.
| Job | Estimated range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Septic pumping | $300 to $600 | per visit |
| Septic inspection | $110 to $455 | per inspection |
| Drain field | $690 to $4,650 | per repair |
These are estimates, not quotes. How we estimate costs.