Sourced from Wilson County Government and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) — last checked July 2026.
Quick answer: Wilson County’s Codes and Zoning Department explicitly does not handle septic permits. All septic system permitting in Wilson County — Lebanon, Mt. Juliet, Watertown, and surrounding communities — goes through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Field Office at 931-520-6688. Same statewide TDEC process as most of Tennessee, no county-specific regulatory overlay.
Who Handles Septic Permits in Wilson County?
Wilson County’s official guidance is unambiguous: the county Codes and Zoning Department does not permit or conduct septic inspections. All septic permitting routes through the TDEC Field Office at 931-520-6688. If you contact Wilson County’s building or zoning office about a septic project, they’ll direct you to TDEC — start there directly.
This means Wilson County, like Rutherford County, operates under TDEC’s standard statewide framework. The process is familiar, well-documented, and significantly simpler and less expensive than Williamson County’s county-specific system.
The Wilson County Septic Permit Process Under TDEC
- Contact the TDEC Field Office at 931-520-6688 to initiate the site evaluation process.
- TDEC evaluates your site under Rule 0400-48-01 — soil type, depth, slope, and setback distances from wells and property lines.
- If the site qualifies, TDEC issues a construction permit for the appropriate system type.
- A licensed Tennessee installer completes the work to permit specifications.
- TDEC inspects before any work is covered.
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Wilson County’s Growth and the Sewer Question
Mt. Juliet in particular has been one of Tennessee’s fastest-growing cities, and Lebanon is not far behind. Sewer expansion has followed residential growth in many parts of Wilson County. Before investing in a significant septic repair or new installation in Wilson County, it’s worth confirming whether sewer is already available or expected for your address. Use our sewer availability checker for a directional read, then confirm with Wilson County’s Water and Wastewater Authority (615-449-2951) for your specific address.
Contact for Wilson County Septic Permits
TDEC Field Office (Wilson County)
Phone: 931-520-6688
Website: tdec.tn.gov
Water and Wastewater Authority of Wilson County (for sewer availability questions)
680 Maddox-Simpson Parkway, Lebanon, TN 37090
Phone: 615-449-2951
What Your Permit Costs in Tennessee
Tennessee runs two permitting systems. Nine counties permit their own and set their own fees. The other 86 go through a TDEC field office on one statewide schedule. Most guides describe only the second one — which is why people ring the wrong office.
TDEC figures are the state’s own published schedule. County figures come from each county’s own published table and carry the dating caveat shown against them. Confirm with the office that will actually issue your permit before you budget from any of it. Where a fee is not shown, we could not retrieve a published one — that is not the same as there being no fee. Note also that Tennessee renumbered its septic rule from 1200-1-6 to 0400-48-01 in September 2013; a guide still citing the old number has not been checked in over a decade.
Questions About Wilson County Septic?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who handles septic permits in Wilson County, Tennessee?
The TDEC Field Office at 931-520-6688. Wilson County's Codes and Zoning Department explicitly does not handle septic permits — all septic permitting in Lebanon, Mt. Juliet, and surrounding Wilson County communities goes through TDEC directly.
How much does a septic system cost in Wilson County, Tennessee?
Wilson County septic installation typically runs $8,000-$16,000 for a conventional system under TDEC's standard statewide process. Williamson County next door runs its own septic department with an extra layer of local requirements, so the process there is more demanding. But neither Williamson County nor the state publishes cost data, and the $80,000-$100,000 figure widely quoted for Williamson comes from a September 2025 newspaper opinion column by a county commissioner arguing for deregulation, not from a price survey. Get quotes for your own site.
Is sewer available in Mt. Juliet or Lebanon instead of septic?
Possibly — Wilson County's Water and Wastewater Authority (615-449-2951) is the authoritative source for sewer availability in Lebanon, Mt. Juliet, and other Wilson County communities. Given the county's rapid growth, sewer has expanded significantly in recent years.
Does Wilson County have its own septic regulations beyond TDEC's?
No. Wilson County follows the statewide framework in Rule 0400-48-01 without a county-specific regulatory overlay, and permits through TDEC. That is the normal arrangement in Tennessee: only nine counties run their own septic programs under contract with TDEC, and Wilson is not one of them. The nine are Blount, Davidson, Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, Madison, Sevier, Shelby and Williamson. Neighboring Williamson County is one of them and maintains its own department and its own code across 40 sections and 19 appendices, against the state rule s 24 sections, so requirements can differ noticeably a short distance across the county line.