How do I get a septic permit in the Upper Cumberland?

Septic systems in Tennessee are permitted by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Division of Water Resources, which calls them subsurface sewage disposal systems. The county does not issue them.

The TDEC Environmental Field Office in Cookeville serves Cannon, Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Van Buren, Warren and White counties. That covers every town Morgan's serves, from Cookeville and Baxter to Sparta, Smithville, Crossville, Livingston, Carthage and McMinnville.

In Putnam County, the septic permit comes before the building permit. The county building codes office lists the order as a new 911 address first, then the septic permit from the state environmental office, then the building permit, followed by the plumbing and mechanical permits.

Start the septic application as soon as you know where the house will sit, because the system layout, the house pad and the driveway all have to work together on the lot.

• Get the 911 address for the new home
• Apply to TDEC for the septic construction permit
• Buy the county building permit
• Buy the plumbing and mechanical permits
• Call for inspections in order, starting with the footer before concrete is ordered

TDEC accepts applications online, which it recommends, or on paper at the field office. The application asks for the landowner, the lot location and size, the number of bedrooms and occupants, expected water use, whether there is a basement with plumbing, whether the house and lot are staked, and the installer's name if one is chosen.

It also asks for a rough sketch showing property lines, the house site, any well or spring, the planned driveway and utilities, and directions to the property. Some sites require a soils map from a licensed soil scientist, and large or alternative systems require a design from a licensed engineer.

An Environmental Scientist visits the property to evaluate the soil. TDEC asks owners to make the site accessible, mark the property lines and the corners of the house pad, and mow or bush hog the area. On long property lines, stakes should be no more than 200 feet apart.

Do not cut, fill or grade the area before the evaluation. Disturbing the soil can make it harder to approve the site. If the lot needs clearing for access, keep it to brush and mowing until the evaluation is done.

TDEC's fee for a new conventional system is $400 for up to 1,000 gallons per day of design flow, plus a $100 construction inspection. A new alternative system is $500, plus a $200 inspection. A repair permit has no fee, with a $100 inspection. Those are the state fees only. The installed cost of the system is separate and depends on the soil, the system type and the site.

TDEC says review generally takes about 10 days and must be completed within 45 days of the application. Build that window into your schedule, especially in spring when many new homes start.

The installer builds the system to the permit, then schedules a final inspection with TDEC before anything is covered. Once it passes, TDEC issues a Certificate of Completion.

Morgan's installs septic systems as part of its excavation and site work, so the septic, grading, footings and driveway can be planned and built by one crew on one schedule. Request a site visit at /request-estimate.