How do you get a septic permit in Tennessee?
Septic permits in Tennessee come from the Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Water Resources. You apply, and a state scientist then evaluates your soil and site. The state issues the permit and the system design. A permitted installer builds it, and the state inspects the work before backfill. A new conventional permit costs $400.
The state calls a septic system a subsurface sewage disposal system. Its rules say no owner or installer may build, alter, extend or repair one without a valid construction permit. Get the permit before any dirt work starts.
Who issues a septic permit in Tennessee?
The Department of Environment and Conservation issues septic permits through its Division of Water Resources. Nine Tennessee counties run their own septic program instead. Davidson County septic work goes through the Metro Public Health Department in Nashville. Robertson, Sumner, Cheatham and Montgomery counties all stay with the state.
The state lists its nine contract counties as Blount, Davidson, Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, Madison, Sevier, Shelby and Williamson. Everywhere else, the file goes to your county’s Environmental Field Office. The Nashville field office covers Robertson County and the counties around it. That office reviews the application for a new septic system installation and for a repair on an older system.
What are the steps to get a septic permit in Tennessee?
You apply, the state looks at your soil, and the permit comes back with a design. Then an installer builds the system the way the permit shows. The Division inspects every installation before it is covered. When the work passes, the state issues a Certificate of Completion.
| Step | Who does it |
|---|---|
| Apply for the permit | The property owner or their agent |
| Site and soil evaluation | A state environmental scientist, plus an approved soil consultant when a soils map is required |
| Permit and system design issued | The Division of Water Resources |
| Installation | An installer holding a state installer permit |
| Construction inspection before backfill | The Division of Water Resources |
A construction permit expires three years from the date it is issued. The application asks for lot size, bedroom count, occupancy and water use. It also asks for a sketch showing the property lines, the house site, the well, the driveway and the utilities.
Can you apply for a septic permit online in Tennessee?
Yes. The state takes applications through its online Septic Service Request, and the Division recommends applying that way. Paper applications still go to your Environmental Field Office on form CN-0971. The online form is not used in the nine contract counties. Those applications go to the county program instead.
The same portal covers more than new systems. It handles repair permits, modification permits, alternative system permits, subdivision evaluations and inspection letters.
How much does a septic permit cost in Tennessee?
The state publishes a set fee schedule. A new conventional permit runs $400 for up to 1,000 gallons per day of design flow. A new alternative system permit runs $500. Construction inspection adds $100 on a conventional system and $200 on an alternative one. A repair permit carries no fee at all.
| Tennessee permit or inspection | Published state fee |
|---|---|
| New conventional or large diameter gravelless pipe permit, up to 1,000 gpd | $400 |
| Each additional 1,000 gpd | $100 |
| Conventional construction inspection | $100 |
| New alternative system permit, up to 1,000 gpd | $500 |
| Each additional 1,000 gpd | $150 |
| Alternative construction inspection | $200 |
| Repair permit | No permit fee |
| Repair construction inspection | $100 |
Those are the state’s fees for the paperwork and inspections, not the price of the system. For the build itself, see our post on what a new septic system costs in Tennessee.
What decides whether you get a conventional or an alternative system?
Your soil does. A state environmental scientist evaluates the site and sets the system type and size. Ground that drains well and has enough depth can carry conventional trenches. Tight soil, shallow rock or a high water table changes the design. Alternative systems include low pressure pipe, mound and drip systems.
An alternative system permit needs an extra high intensity soils map before the state can evaluate the property. That map comes from a soils consultant licensed in Tennessee, and the state publishes a list of approved consultants. Since July 1, 2025, the department handles that approval itself and charges no fee for it. Large conventional systems and alternative systems also need a design from a licensed engineer.
Ground north of Nashville runs into these limits often. USDA soil series descriptions put common Highland Rim and Nashville Basin uplands in clay weathered from limestone. Bedrock often sits 20 to 40 inches down, and the soil drains slowly. Some of it carries karst features.
Do you need a perc test in Tennessee?
Tennessee leads with a soil evaluation, not a percolation test. A perc test may only follow a general or high intensity soil evaluation by an approved soil consultant. The soil has to qualify too. The rules call for at least 24 inches of undisturbed soil and slopes of 30 percent or less.
A water problem on the site rules a perc test out. The state has to be told at least three days before a perc test runs. Its environmental scientist decides whether a soils map is needed.
When do you need a repair or a modification permit?
A repair permit comes before any work on a failing septic system. The Division of Water Resources designs the repair and issues that permit. There is no permit fee, though the repair construction inspection costs $100. Repair permits apply when tanks or absorption field line go in to correct a failure.
That covers a failed drain field replacement as much as a new tank. A modification permit covers something else. You need one when an existing system or an issued permit changes. Examples include adding a bedroom or building a shop over the system.
How do you find the septic permit for a house you are buying?
The state keeps septic records in an online search called Search for Septic Tank Permits. You can pull the permit file for an existing system there. The Division also issues inspection letters that document the status of a system. Buyers, realtors and lenders request those letters during a sale.
The permit record tells you what was approved and the flow it was sized for. It does not tell you what shape the system is in today. A septic inspection before you close answers that part.
How long does a septic permit take in Tennessee?
The state says its review generally takes about 10 days. By rule it must be completed within 45 days of the date the application was submitted. That clock runs on a complete application. If the state needs a soils map or a better site plan, the file waits until that arrives.
You can move it along before the site visit. The state asks you to mark property lines and corners, with intermediate stakes no more than 200 feet apart. Stake the four corners of the house pad. Mow or bush hog the house site and the soil evaluation area.
Building the system to the approved permit
The permit is issued to the property owner, and the design on it is the state’s. Our part starts after that. We build to the approved permit and the approved design, and the state inspects the work before it is covered.
Wiley Rooter and Septic Pros is based in Greenbrier and works the north side of the Nashville area. The crew handles its own excavation and sets precast concrete tanks. Estimates are free.
Call or text (629) 285-6381 before you apply. We will tell you what your site needs for septic tank installation and tank replacement.