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Easiest Septic Permits

Delivered January 14, 2020. Contributor: Amy R.

Goals

To identify the jurisdictions that offer the easiest and most expedited permits for septic system installation in order to identify the cites and counties where it will take the least amount of time to get permits to build a single-family house.

Early Findings

  • Almost all land in the United States is subject to state and local laws governing the installation and maintenance of septic systems (due to the public health risks of failing systems).
  •  Marion County Public Works (Oregon) posted details on the type of septic application a person might need. Within this county, a septic site evaluation is the first step and a septic construction-installation permit is the next.
  •  Lee County in Florida notes that they have an expedited process for new septic systems. That process includes a $390 fee, as well as additional fees throughout the process, a site plan, floor plan, engineering design, and survey. More details are available here.
  •  Thompson Environmental Consulting, in North Carolina, reports receiving a lot of calls about expediting septic system applications. “Expedited septic permitting consists of a package prepared for the county (septic system proposal) that includes a soil and site evaluation as well as a septic system installation narrative and scaled septic layout with all of your site improvements shown (house location, driveway, garage, storage building, pool, well location, etc.). A septic system proposal can cut your wait time in half.”
  • Thompson Engineering also notes that they have a process allowing home builders to get to work in 15 days or less, called the “Engineered Option Permit.”
  • In Sonoma County California, a building permit is not required for these home-related structures: accessory structures, prefabricated structures of no more than 500 square feet, and movable and temporary items.
In addition to this public search, we scanned our proprietary research database of over 1 million sources and were unable to find any specific research reports that address your goals.

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