Septic permit application
- Owner and property
- Lot size, use and bedrooms
- Water source and wells
- Site plan notes: house, tank, drainfield, setbacks
- Soil or perc results
- Proposed system type
Homeowners · septic
Where will the septic system go?
Enter the property: ePlan pulls soils, slope and flood data, estimates the system type and drafts your county septic permit application. Free to read.
- Free to read
- No sign-up until the draft
- Every fact cites its source
ePlan fills in
- Soil limits for septic fields
- Slope
- Flood zone
- Streams and wetlands nearby
- Permitting office
How it works
Septic permit application, from one answer
- Enter the propertyOne answer starts the project. ePlan names it and looks up the place.
- Answer three questions3 more questions, each with a "not sure yet" way out.
- Read the application free; download it for $49The draft marks what to check (amber), what to pick (blue) and what to fill in (violet).
What you get
Septic permit application and 3 more documents
The first draft is free to read. Each document after it is drafted from the same confirmed facts.
Site evaluation request
- Property and access
- Proposed house and drainfield location
- Preferred dates
- Contact
System sizing sheet
- Bedrooms and design flow
- Soil loading rate
- Tank size
- Drainfield area
Site plan notes
- Setbacks to wells, streams, property lines
- Reserve area
- Slopes and drainage
From public data
What ePlan fills in, and from where
- Soil limits for septic tank absorption fieldsUSDA NRCS Web Soil Survey
- SlopeUSGS 3D Elevation Program
- Flood zoneFEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Streams nearbyUSGS National Hydrography Dataset
- Wetlands nearbyUSFWS National Wetlands Inventory
1 in 5
More than one in five U.S. households depend on a septic or small cluster system, and states, tribes and local governments regulate them.
Source: U.S. EPA
Questions
Septic permit: what people ask
Who issues septic permits?
States, tribes and local governments regulate septic systems, usually through a county health or environmental health office. EPA does not issue them, so rules on soil testing, setbacks and system types vary by state and county.
Why does the permit depend on soil?
Wastewater flows from the house to a buried tank, where solids settle. The liquid then goes to a drainfield, and the soil treats it as it percolates down. If the soil can't do that, the system fails.
Can I check my soil before the site visit?
Yes, as a screen. USDA's Web Soil Survey maps soils and rates their limitations for septic tank absorption fields. It is map-scale only; the on-site soil evaluation or perc test decides the permit.
The rules this door follows
Related doors
Other projects people start from here
New York applicants filing with a town or village board
SEQR EAF Part 1, Filled In for Your Site
Where is the project site in New York?
Washington applicants and consultants filing non-exempt projects
SEPA environmental checklist
Where is the project in Washington?
Event organizers
Special event permit
What's your event, and where is it?
Emergency managers and clerks of small counties, towns, districts and tribes
Emergency operations plan
Which jurisdiction is the plan for?
Colorado land buyers and owners planning a well
Colorado Exempt Well Permit
Where is the Colorado parcel?
Land buyers, home builders and septic designers
Soils and wetlands screening note
Where is the land you want soils for?
Septic permit: start with one answer
Answer it and the project exists. Three more questions, then the draft.