Sourced from TDEC and the Tennessee Code — last checked August 2026.
Tennessee Has Two Septic Permitting Systems
Most states have one answer to the question of who issues your septic permit. Tennessee has two, and which one applies depends entirely on your county.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation permits subsurface sewage disposal systems statewide under Tenn. Comp. R. and Regs. 0400-48-01. But nine counties run their own programs under contract with TDEC. In those counties the state process is not your process — the county is. TDEC words it carefully: the contract counties may require an additional permit.
That sentence is doing a lot of work, and it is why people in these counties so often call the wrong office first.
The Nine Contract Counties
| County | Largest city | More detail |
|---|---|---|
| Blount | Maryville and Alcoa | Blount County septic permits |
| Davidson | Nashville | Nashville metro septic guide |
| Hamilton | Chattanooga | Hamilton County septic permits |
| Jefferson | Dandridge | — |
| Knox | Knoxville | Knox County septic permits |
| Madison | Jackson | Madison County septic permits |
| Sevier | Sevierville and Gatlinburg | Sevier County septic permits |
| Shelby | Memphis | Shelby County septic permits |
| Williamson | Franklin | Williamson County septic permits |
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What TDEC Charges in the Other 86 Counties
These are the state fees, published by TDEC. They apply where TDEC does the permitting.
| Permit or inspection | Fee |
|---|---|
| New conventional or large diameter graveless pipe system permit | $400 up to 1,000 gallons per day design flow |
| Each additional 1,000 gpd | plus $100 |
| Conventional construction inspection | $100 |
| New alternative system permit | $500 up to 1,000 gpd |
| Each additional 1,000 gpd | plus $150 |
| Alternative construction inspection | $200 |
| Experimental system permit | $500 |
| 🎯 Repair permit | No permit fee |
| Repair construction inspection | $100 |
🔴 And the limit of this table. These are TDEC’s fees. A contract county sets its own, and TDEC does not publish contract-county fees. We are not going to invent them. If you are in one of the nine, the county is the only reliable source for what you will pay.
If You Are in One of the Other 86 Counties
You apply to TDEC’s Division of Water Resources through the Environmental Field Office covering your area. Completed applications and fees go to the field office — not to Nashville centrally, and not to your county health department.
Two worked examples on this site, both TDEC counties rather than contract counties: Wilson County and Rutherford County. Both are fast-growing middle Tennessee counties where people routinely assume the county handles septic, and it does not.
The Rule Chapter, and a Dead Number to Avoid
The governing rules are Tenn. Comp. R. and Regs. 0400-48-01, Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems, under T.C.A. sections 68-221-401 through 414.
Two Statutory Rights Worth Knowing
Both come from 2019 Tennessee Acts, Chapter 116, Section 1, effective April 9, 2019, which amended T.C.A. section 68-221-409.
Sewer being accessible is not automatically grounds to refuse you a permit
The statute provides that the commissioner shall not deny a permit for a subsurface sewage disposal system solely because a public sewer system is accessible — if a moratorium exists and the required documentation is provided.
Read that condition carefully, because it matters: this is not a blanket right. But if you are being told that sewer is available so no septic permit is possible, and there is a connection moratorium in place, the statute is on your side.
A seller has to disclose a future obligation to connect
For residential transfers of one to four dwelling units with an installed septic system, the potential future obligation to connect to public sewer must be disclosed by the seller to the purchaser. Remedies match those under Title 66, Chapter 5, Part 2 — the same framework as Tennessee’s other residential disclosure duties.
If you are buying on septic where sewer is being extended, that disclosure is the document telling you whether a five-figure connection is coming. See buying or selling a home with septic in Tennessee and can I connect to sewer.
What It Costs Beyond the Permit
The permit is the small number. See Tennessee installation costs, repair costs and pumping costs. If paying for the work is the problem, Tennessee septic financial assistance covers USDA Section 504, which lends up to $40,000 at 1 percent and grants up to $10,000 to owners aged 62 or older.
Questions About a Tennessee Septic Permit?
Who Handles Your Septic Permit in Tennessee
In most of Tennessee the permit comes from TDEC. But in nine counties the county health department runs its own program under contract with the state — and may require an additional permit, with its own fees, its own forms and its own rules. Knowing which one you are in is the first thing to establish, and almost nobody publishes it plainly.
We are an independent information resource, not a health department and not TDEC. Fees shown are the county program fee, never the TDEC fee — the state fee rule 0400-48-01-.21 contains no contract-county provision, so the two are set separately and must not be added together without checking. Confirm before you budget.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which Tennessee counties issue their own septic permits?
Nine counties run their own septic permitting under contract with TDEC: Blount, Davidson, Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, Madison, Sevier, Shelby and Williamson. In those counties you apply to the county rather than a TDEC field office, and TDEC notes they may require an additional permit. The other 86 counties go through TDEC.
How much does a septic permit cost in Tennessee?
Where TDEC does the permitting, a new conventional system permit is $400 for up to 1,000 gallons per day of design flow plus $100 for each additional 1,000 gpd, with a $100 construction inspection. An alternative system permit is $500 plus $150 per additional 1,000 gpd, with a $200 inspection. An experimental system permit is $500. A repair permit carries no fee, though the repair construction inspection is $100. Contract counties set their own fees and TDEC does not publish them.
Is a septic repair permit really free in Tennessee?
Yes, in the counties TDEC permits. TDEC lists the repair permit as carrying no permit fee. You still pay $100 for the repair construction inspection. Do not delay a repair because you assume the permit will be expensive.
What rule governs septic systems in Tennessee?
Tenn. Comp. R. and Regs. 0400-48-01, Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems, under T.C.A. sections 68-221-401 through 414. If you see a page citing Rule 1200-1-6, it is out of date. That chapter was renumbered to 0400-48-01 effective September 18, 2013.
Can Tennessee refuse me a septic permit because public sewer is available?
Not automatically. Under 2019 Tennessee Acts Chapter 116, effective April 9, 2019, the commissioner shall not deny a permit solely because a public sewer system is accessible, if a moratorium exists and the required documentation is provided. The condition matters, so this is not a blanket right, but where a connection moratorium is in place the statute is on your side.
Does a seller have to tell me I will need to connect to sewer?
Yes, for residential property of one to four dwelling units with an installed septic system. Under T.C.A. section 68-221-409 the potential future obligation to connect to the public sewer system must be disclosed by the seller to the purchaser, with remedies matching Title 66, Chapter 5, Part 2.