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Clark Fork Septic & PlumbingMissoula, Montana
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County permits

Getting a septic permit, step by step

A new, replacement or enlarged septic system needs a county permit before anyone digs. It is paperwork first and a dig second.

Rules, fees and timelines differ by county and change. In Missoula County the permit goes through the city-county health department's environmental health office. Call to confirm the current steps before you plan, and we will walk the rest with you.

Who does what

  • The county issues and inspects

  • A designer sizes the system

  • We install and call the inspection

  • You sign and keep the record

Ask us about your lot
A yellow excavator digging a trench behind orange barricades on a residential street

The path

From the first call to the final sign-off

  1. 01
    County

    Step 1: Call the county first

    Ask what your lot already has on file and what a new or replacement system needs.

  2. 02
    County and designer

    Step 2: Site and soil evaluation

    The soil, the slope and the distance to wells, streams and property lines decide what can go where.

  3. 03
    Designer

    Step 3: Design

    The system's type and size are drawn for your bedrooms and your lot.

  4. 04
    You and us

    Step 4: Application and fee

    The paperwork goes in with the design and the fee. Holly files our side.

  5. 05
    Us and the county

    Step 5: Install, with inspection

    The inspector comes while the trench is open. Nothing is covered until it has passed.

  6. 06
    County

    Step 6: Final approval and your record

    You get the as-built drawing and the permit record. Keep them with the house papers.

When you need one

Jobs that need a permit, and jobs that don't

Ask before you plan. The county decides, and some repairs fall on either side.

  • New home on a new lot

    A new system is permitted before the house is built or occupied.

  • Replacing a failed system

    A replacement is permitted like a new one.

  • Adding bedrooms or a shop bathroom

    More use can mean a bigger system. The county sets the size.

  • Moving a tank or a field

    A move changes the layout the permit approved.

  • Pump-out and inspection

    Maintenance. No permit.

  • Repairs

    Some do and some don't. Ask us and the county.

Buying a home

Buying a house on septic and a well

Three things to ask before closing.

  • Ask for the permit record

    It shows the tank size and the field's layout. A house with no record may need more checking.

  • Have the tank inspected

    We open the lids and write up what we find, in plain words.

  • Test the well

    A lab test tells you more than the taste. We can take the sample.

Permit questions

How long does a permit take?

It varies by county and season. Ask the county for current timelines when you call, and plan the install around it.

Who pays the fees?

You do. County fees are separate from our price, and we tell you what the county lists before you apply.

Does the permit stay with the house?

The record does. Keep your copy and give it to the next owner.

Do you design the system?

A designer or engineer does that for the county. We install to their design.

Can I install my own system?

The county decides what an owner may do. Call and ask before you buy anything.

Planning a new system?

Send the address or the legal description and your bedroom count. We tell you what the county will ask for.

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