What TREC form 55-1 asks the seller
Form 55-1 carries a header date of 05-04-2026 and replaces form 55-0. Item 1 asks whether the property has a septic system or a public sewer system, and item 3 asks about known defects in plumbing, sewers and septics. It records what the seller knows. Looking at the tank and the field is a separate job.
A septic inspection for a Texas sale: our range
Our model gives a sale inspection $225 to $660 per inspection, an estimate, not a quote. One Texas company, in Collin County, publishes a sale inspection price, below the five needed to set a range from company prices, so the national estimate adjusted by the Texas wage ratio stands.
No county fee is in that figure, and Bell County's $200 real estate inspection is its own line on the district's sheet.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $225 to $660 per inspection | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Texas septic tank servicer wage ratio (0.88). Eight Texas septic companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (one counted Texas company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Septic tank servicer pay, Texas mean | $22.64 an hour | Average pay for the occupation in Texas (BLS, May 2025); an inspection is priced by the company. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by Texas's septic tank servicer wage ratio to the US (0.88, BLS May 2025). Not a quote. Eight Texas septic companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Only one Texas company publishes a price we could count for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.
What a county may charge around a sale
Bell County's public health district lists $200 for a real estate inspection, one the district performs itself, on its fee sheet revised May 15, 2024. Brazos County charges no fee to transfer an OSSF's ownership when only the name changes (revised 9/18/2025). TCEQ's Find a Local Contact search names the permitting authority for each of Texas's 254 counties.
Inspection findings that can't wait for closing
- Wastewater is at the surface or backing up into the house.
- A pre-listing look at a system that drains normally.
Before a house with a septic system changes hands
- Read items 1 and 3 of form 55-1 for the property.
- Ask the county permitting office for the file on the system, including its permit.
- Ask the inspector what TCEQ license, if any, they hold.
- Agree in writing who pays for repairs the inspection finds.
Is there a permit for a sale inspection?
TCEQ's permit page lists constructing, altering, repairing, extending and operating a system as permit work. A repair the inspection turns up goes through the county or other authorized agent, so get the office's answer before you agree on who pays.
Questions people ask
What does a Texas seller's disclosure say about septic?
Item 1 asks whether there's a septic system, and item 3 asks about known defects in plumbing, sewers and septics. Form 55-1 records what the seller knows, and it isn't an inspection.
Does any Texas county charge for a real estate septic inspection?
Bell County's public health district lists $200 for one, on its fee sheet revised May 15, 2024. The district performs that inspection itself. Your own county's permitting office can say what it offers.
How much does a septic inspection for a home sale cost in Texas?
$225 to $660 per inspection in our model. It's an estimate, not a quote, built from a national range and one Texas company's published price. Ask the inspector for a written price.
- TREC Seller's Disclosure Notice 55-1 (PDF) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Bell County Public Health District: On-Site Sewage Fees (PDF) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Brazos County Health District: EH Fee Schedule (PDF) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TCEQ: OARS Search by County Read Oct 23, 2026. Check this with the source before you count on it.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners (SOC 47-4071), Texas, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners (SOC 47-4071), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- SepticMatch: how we estimate costs, Texas (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TCEQ: Getting a Permit for an OSSF Read Oct 23, 2026.