Septic rules in McLennan County
The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District says its septic program "serves as the designated representative for McLennan County," under an agreement between the City of Waco and McLennan County that covers the county and its cities. As of September 2025 its office was the City of Waco Health District, 401 Franklin Avenue, Mae Jackson Development Center, 1st floor, (254) 299-2473. Its schedule effective September 1, 2025 lists $430.00 for a non-aerobic permit or major repair on a single-family home, and $630.00 for commercial or non-single-family.
An aerobic unit is $530.00 single family and $630.00 commercial. Minor repairs run $230.00 single family and $330.00 commercial. Reinspection is $200.00 single family or $300.00 otherwise, and a design re-submittal is $50.00. Plat review is $100.00. Each permit carries a $30.00 Texas On-Site Wastewater Treatment Research Council fee. Once an aerobic unit's warranty period ends, it must have an ongoing maintenance contract. A $20.00 annual fee per unit goes to the district, sent by the provider, or by you if you maintain the system yourself.
A provider that doesn't file faces a $25.00 penalty per contract. If you're choosing between system types, the aerobic unit is the one that brings the yearly contract and the $20.00 annual fee.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- Waco-McLennan County Public Health District (City of Waco Health District), 401 Franklin Avenue, Mae Jackson Development Center, 1st floor; (254) 299-2473. The district says its OSSF program serves as the designated representative for McLennan County, under an agreement between the City of Waco and McLennan County.
- 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.
- Still to confirm with the county
- After the initial warranty, all aerobic units must have an ongoing maintenance contract; the annual fee is submitted by the provider, or by the owner if the owner maintains the system personally.
Septic fees in McLennan County
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Non-aerobic permit and major repairs, single family | $430.00 | Schedule effective September 1, 2025 |
| Non-aerobic permit and major repairs, commercial / non-single-family | $630.00 | Schedule effective September 1, 2025 |
| Aerobic treatment unit, single family | $530.00 | Schedule effective September 1, 2025 |
| Aerobic treatment unit, commercial | $630.00 | Schedule effective September 1, 2025 |
| Minor repairs, single family | $230.00 | Schedule effective September 1, 2025 |
| Minor repairs, commercial | $330.00 | Schedule effective September 1, 2025 |
| Reinspection, single family | $200.00 | Schedule effective September 1, 2025 |
| Reinspection, other | $300.00 | Schedule effective September 1, 2025 |
| Design re-submittal | $50.00 | Schedule effective September 1, 2025 |
| Annual aerobic unit maintenance fee | $20.00 | Per unit; schedule effective September 1, 2025 |
| Maintenance provider administrative penalty | $25.00 | Per contract; schedule effective September 1, 2025 |
| Subdivision plat review | $100.00 | Schedule effective September 1, 2025 |
| Texas On-Site Wastewater Treatment Research Council fee | $30.00 | Carried by each permit; schedule effective September 1, 2025 |
Rules and fees change every year, so confirm a line with the Waco-McLennan County Public 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 McLennan 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.