Septic rules in Tarrant County
Tarrant County Commissioners Court Order 146317, adopted November 11, 2025, says every lot in a single-family subdivision must be at least one acre, net of drainage and floodplain easements. Tarrant County Engineering Services, Environmental, runs the On-Site Sewage Facility Permit and takes residential and non-residential applications online. You'll need a permit for all new construction and whenever a renovation significantly changes square footage or assigned water flow. Changing any component of an existing system calls for a repair or remodel permit.
The page lists a wastewater specialist at 817-212-7082 and an environmental specialist at 817-884-2634. A residential application is $277 whatever the system type; non-residential is $277 conventional or $285 aerobic. Two inspections come with the permit fee. One more, asked for on the Inspection Request Form, is $92. A new aerobic system also needs a notarized OSSF Affidavit recorded with the County Clerk, which tells later owners the system needs maintenance.
The county page doesn't state how long the maintenance contract runs, so ask when you apply. Inside Fort Worth, the city regulates septic in its own jurisdiction through Environmental Services, Consumer Health. Its City Council adopted an OSSF Model Ordinance on September 29, 2026. The city page says Consumer Health OSSF fees take effect October 1, 2026 and posts them as a separate fee sheet. For a Fort Worth address, get those amounts from ossf@fortworthtexas.gov or 817-392-7255.
The county's rules, line by line
- Who permits septic systems
- Tarrant County Engineering Services, Environmental, On-Site Sewage Facility Permit; wastewater specialist 817-212-7082, environmental specialist 817-884-2634. Inside Fort Worth: City of Fort Worth Environmental Services, Consumer Health, ossf@fortworthtexas.gov, 817-392-7255.
- Governing code
- Tarrant County Commissioners Court Order 146317, adopted November 11, 2025: lots in single-family subdivisions must be at least one acre, net of drainage and floodplain easements. The maintenance terms in the court order are not stated on the county page.
- 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. The Texas Seller's Disclosure Notice (TREC form 55-1, dated 05-04-2026) asks whether the property has a septic system, but it records what the seller knows and is not an inspection.
- Permit steps
- Apply online (residential or non-residential). A permit is required for all new construction and whenever a renovation significantly changes square footage or assigned water flow; a repair or remodel permit is required whenever an existing system's components are changed. A new aerobic system needs a notarized OSSF Affidavit recorded with the County Clerk.
- Still to confirm with the county
- Fort Worth's City Council adopted an OSSF Model Ordinance on 2026-09-29; the city page says its Consumer Health OSSF fees take effect 2026-10-01 and posts them as a separate fee sheet (amounts not shown here). A Tarrant County address inside Fort Worth may use the city. The county page does not state a maintenance-contract term.
Septic fees in Tarrant County
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Residential permit application (any system type) | $277 | County page, year not stated |
| Non-residential, conventional | $277 | County page, year not stated |
| Non-residential, aerobic | $285 | County page, year not stated |
| One additional inspection (after the two in the permit fee) | $92 | County page, year not stated |
Rules and fees change every year, so confirm a line with Tarrant County Engineering Services (inside Fort Worth, the city's Environmental Services) 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 Tarrant 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.