Septic rules in Harris County
Harris County's Office of the County Engineer, Water Quality Permitting, issues septic permits for land that's in the county but not inside any city, and plans go in through the county's ePermits system. The county's own pages say the County Engineer permits these systems under a Harris County Local Order, listed under Additional Resources on the permit page. The checklist asks for a valid address and HCAD tax number, an Affidavit to the Public recorded with the County Clerk, the Acknowledgement of Testing Requirement form, and a site evaluation report from a Professional Engineer or Registered Site Evaluator.
Add a survey if the lot isn't in a recorded subdivision, a septic design site plan drawn to scale, and a maintenance contract with an OSSF Maintenance Provider. The undated county FAQ puts plan review at three to five days, and your septic permit has to be issued before a development permit can be. Changing an approved drawing costs $150 for a home and $300 for a commercial system, and the revised sheet needs the seal of a Professional Engineer or Registered Sanitarian.
For a new system the page says only "See Fee Schedule," so ask Wastewater Permits at (713) 274-3900 for that figure. Reinspection fees may apply. Failing to submit the maintenance contract can bring misdemeanor charges in the Justice of the Peace Courts. Inspections are called in at (713) 274-3800 with at least 24 hours notice, and only an installer holding a license may make that call, so ask each installer you're comparing whether they'll be the one making it.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- Harris County Office of the County Engineer, Water Quality Permitting (Wastewater Permits), main phone (713) 274-3900; inspections (713) 274-3800.
- Governing code
- Harris County Local Order for OSSFs, listed under Additional Resources on the county permit page; the county's own pages say the County Engineer permits OSSFs in unincorporated Harris County under it.
- 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
- Apply through the county ePermits system: application with address and HCAD tax number, recorded Affidavit to the Public, Acknowledgement of Testing Requirement, site evaluation report by a Professional Engineer or Registered Site Evaluator, survey if not in a recorded subdivision, septic design site plan, and a maintenance contract. The Authorization to Construct is issued after fees are paid. The undated county FAQ says plans take three to five days to review and the permit must be issued before a development permit.
- Installers and evaluators
- Inspections are requested at (713) 274-3800 with at least 24 hours notice; only an installer holding a license may call them in.
- Still to confirm with the county
- The new-system permit fee is not printed on the county pages ("See Fee Schedule"). Reinspection fees may apply. The maintenance contract is required for a permitted system; failure to submit may be handled as a misdemeanor in the Justice of the Peace Courts.
Septic fees in Harris County
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Amendment of an approved OSSF drawing, residential | $150 | County permit page, year not stated |
| Amendment of an approved OSSF drawing, commercial | $300 | County permit page, year not stated |
Rules and fees change every year, so confirm a line with the Harris County Office of the County Engineer 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 Harris 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.