Verified as of September 9, 2026. We re-check these pages quarterly.
The short version
- Georgia regulates septic under DPH Rule 511-3-1. Your county Environmental Health office issues permits, evaluates soil, and inspects installs and repairs. Routine pumping needs no permit.
- The soil decides the system. A county sanitarian digs test pits on your lot; that finding controls what can be installed — not the contractor's preference.
- Red clay is the reason drain fields fail early here and replacements cost $8,000–$20,000+. Clay percs slowly dry and seals completely wet.
- Every system installed after February 20, 2000 has a two-compartment tank and an effluent filter. If your house is newer than that, you have a filter that needs cleaning.
- Sewer is coming to a lot of previously rural streets. When a main reaches you, a mandatory-connection ordinance or an assessment may follow.
Pages in this guide
- Septic permits in Forsyth County — the process, the 20-business-day warning, disposal rules
- Septic permits in Cherokee County — District 2, fees, timelines
- Septic permits in Dawson County — Blue Ridge soils and engineered systems
- The soil evaluation (perc test) — what the sanitarian is looking for
- Red clay and your drain field — the physics of spring backups
- Lake Lanier & Allatoona watershed rules — lakeside lots
- Sewer coming to my street — connection ordinances, assessments, tank abandonment
Who's who. Forsyth, Dawson and Hall fall under North Georgia Health District 2; Cherokee, Fulton, Gwinnett, Pickens and Bartow each run their own Environmental Health office. The three county permit pages below cover the launch core; the process is the same state framework everywhere, and the soil evaluation page applies to all eight. Contractors must be DPH-certified — certification runs $100 per individual or $400 per company every two years and expires February 28 of even-numbered years. The DPH publishes lists of every certified installer and pumper; ask any contractor for their certification.
Verified as of September 9, 2026. Fees and timelines change; confirm with the county office before relying on them.
Call (404) 492-1687 — we'll tell you what the county will say before you spend money finding out.