New Septic Installation in Austin County, Texas
Licensed, bonded septic system installation for Austin County — Bellville, Sealy, Wallis, Cat Spring, New Ulm, Industry and the surrounding rural communities.
Licensed & Bonded
Texas OSF installer
Permitted & Inspected
County health-dept approved
New Installs Only
Built right the first time
Free Estimates
No-obligation, on-site
Updated October 2, 2026
Your Austin County septic installer
Across Austin County's rural land, most homes run on their own on-site septic system instead of city sewer. We design, permit, and install new septic systems for new construction, manufactured, and mobile homes throughout the county — including Bellville, Sealy, Wallis, Cat Spring, New Ulm, Industry — handling the soil and percolation testing and the county OSSF permitting from start to finish.
We install new septic systems across Austin County, from Bellville and Industry out to Cat Spring, New Ulm, Nelsonville, and Kenney, and down through Sealy, San Felipe, and Wallis along the I-10 corridor. This is acreage country on Houston's far west edge — old German and Czech farm communities, new ranchettes, and manufactured homes on family land, much of it beyond any sewer line. We size the system, pull the county permits in the right order, and install it to pass inspection.
What we install in Austin County
Site Evaluation & Perc Testing
We evaluate your soil and run the percolation test that determines how well your ground absorbs water — the foundation of a system that works.
System Design & Sizing
We size the tank and drainfield to your home's bedroom count and your soil's absorption rate, then engineer a layout that fits your lot.
Permitting & County Approval
We prepare and submit your on-site sewage facility (OSF) permit application and coordinate approvals with your county health department.
Excavation & Site Prep
We prepare the site and excavate for the tank and drainfield with the right grade and setbacks — protecting your wells, structures, and property lines.
Tank Installation
We set the septic tank, connect the inlet and outlet plumbing at the correct grade, and install the effluent filter and risers for easy future access.
Drainfield Installation
We install the drainfield (leach field) that disperses treated effluent safely into the soil, sized to your percolation results and available area.
See how a full septic installation works
Comparing installers? See the best septic installers in Austin County
We handle Austin County permitting
On-site sewage facilities (OSSF) are permitted at the county level. We prepare the application, submit the soil and design documentation, and see it through approval and final inspection — so your Austin County system is fully permitted and passes the county inspection.
In Austin County — that's Bellville and Sealy country, not the city of Austin — septic permits in the unincorporated county and the Town of Industry run through the Austin County Planning & Development Department at One East Main in Bellville. The county's program doesn't cover incorporated cities such as Bellville, Sealy and Wallis, and the Town of San Felipe and the City of South Frydek permit septic systems inside their own limits. The county has one quirk worth knowing up front: a county Development Permit or Exemption Certificate is required before the OSSF permit, and the property needs a posted 911 address for permits and the final inspection. The OSSF application itself attaches the site evaluation and system design and lists the TCEQ license numbers of the site evaluator, designer, and installer. The program runs under TCEQ 30 TAC Chapter 285, permits are valid for one year, and we sequence the development permit, the evaluation, and the septic submittal so the approvals land in the right order.
Local OSSF permitting authority: Austin County Planning & Development Department
Typical county permit fee: About $275–$375 (county fees change — we confirm the current amount during permitting)
New to septic? Our guides cover the basics: How Much Does It Cost to Install a Septic System in Texas? (2026) · What Size Septic Tank Do I Need? · What Is a Perc Test (and Why Does It Matter)?
Soil & site conditions in Austin County
Austin County's rolling post-oak uplands in the north mix sandy surface soils with blackland-type clays and claypan subsoils, while the southern prairie toward Sealy and Wallis is loamy on top over slowly permeable clay subsoil. Slow percolation is the common thread: water stalls on the clay, which fails the TCEQ criteria for a conventional gravity drainfield on many sites. That's why aerobic systems with spray or drip dispersal are the frequent answer here, and why the county's own fee schedule prices aerobic permits as their own category. The on-site soil evaluation makes the call for your land.
What a new septic system costs in Austin County
Our installed prices are flat by system type and cover the system and its installation. The soil evaluation (perc test), the engineered design, and the county permit are not included — we can handle them for you and quote them separately. The soil evaluation also decides which of the three systems your lot needs.
| System type | Installed price |
|---|---|
| Conventional gravity | $8,000 |
| Aerobic (ATU) + spray | $11,950 |
| Aerobic (ATU) + drip | $13,950 |
Austin County's published single-family OSSF permit fee is $275–$375, and it isn't included in the prices above. County fees change, so the current amount is confirmed when the permit is filed.
Cities & towns we serve in Austin County
More Austin County communities we install in
We checked each community the same way as our town pages: spots within 3 miles of the town center, run through the USDA soil survey and FEMA's flood maps. A map sample isn't your lot; the soil borings on your property decide the system.
| Community | Most common soils | Rated "very limited" for a drainfield | In a FEMA high-risk flood zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wallis | Lake Charles, Brazoria | 22 of 22 spots | 9 of 22 spots |
| Industry | Brenham, Carbengle | 19 of 22 spots | 3 of 22 spots |
| San Felipe | Brazoria, Frydek | 17 of 21 spots | 9 of 21 spots on land |
| Cat Spring | Tremona, Hockley | 22 of 22 spots | 1 of 22 spots |
| Bleiblerville | Frelsburg, Latium | 21 of 22 spots | 1 of 22 spots |
| Kenney | Frelsburg, Klump | 21 of 22 spots | 0 of 22 spots |
| Nelsonville | Frelsburg, Trinity | 20 of 22 spots | 5 of 22 spots |
| Shelby | Frelsburg, Latium | 22 of 22 spots | 2 of 22 spots |
| Millheim | Trinity, Bosque | 21 of 22 spots | 7 of 22 spots |
| Brazos Country | Lake Charles, Brazoria | 20 of 22 spots | 13 of 22 spots |
Sources: USDA NRCS Soil Survey (SSURGO) and FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer, checked October 2, 2026. Spots on open water (lakes, rivers, bays) are left out of the flood column, which covers land only. Check your own lot with the free land check.
We also install new septic systems across the rest of our service area: Harris County · Montgomery County · Fort Bend County · Waller County · Liberty County · Washington County · Grimes County · San Jacinto County · Walker County · Colorado County · Wharton County · Brazoria County · Chambers County · Polk County.
Austin County septic questions
Do I need a permit for a septic system in Austin County?
Yes. A new on-site sewage facility (OSSF) requires a county permit plus a soil/site evaluation before installation. We handle the full permitting process for you, start to finish.
How much does a septic system cost in Austin County?
It depends on your soil type, system type, and drainfield size. Use our instant estimator for a ballpark, then we confirm the exact price after a free on-site evaluation.
Do you install septic systems for manufactured and mobile homes?
Yes — manufactured and mobile homes on rural Austin County land are what we install most. We size and permit the right system for your home and lot.
Who issues septic permits in Austin County, and what does the permit cost?
The Austin County Planning & Development Department at One East Main in Bellville, (979) 865-5911, administers OSSF permitting in the unincorporated county and the Town of Industry. On the county's current fee schedule, a single-family residential permit runs $275 for a conventional system and $375 for an aerobic system (any type). Fees change, so we confirm the current amount when we file.
What are the steps to get a septic system permitted in Austin County?
First, the county requires a Development Permit or Exemption Certificate before it will issue the OSSF permit, and the property needs a posted 911 address. Then the OSSF application goes in with the site evaluation and the system design, listing the TCEQ license numbers of the evaluator, designer, and installer. Once approved, the permit is valid for one year. We sequence all of it so nothing is filed out of order.
Why does the county charge more for an aerobic permit, and will I need one?
Aerobic permits run $375 versus $275 conventional because they involve more review — and yes, many Austin County lots end up aerobic. The claypan uplands in the north and the loam-over-clay prairie toward Sealy both percolate slowly, which often fails the criteria for a conventional gravity field. Your on-site soil evaluation decides it.
Can you install a septic system for a manufactured or mobile home in Austin County?
Yes. Manufactured homes on acreage around Bellville, Sealy, Cat Spring, and New Ulm need their own permitted on-site system, and the process is the same as a site-built house — development permit first, then the site evaluation, design, OSSF permit, licensed installation, and final inspection. We handle the full sequence.
Is this the same as septic permitting in the city of Austin?
No — different place entirely. Austin County is the rural county between Houston and Columbus, with Bellville as the county seat; the city of Austin sits 100 miles west in Travis County. Septic permits here are issued by Austin County Planning & Development in Bellville, under the county's own OSSF program and fee schedule.
Do I really need the development permit before the septic permit?
Yes. Austin County requires a Development Permit or Exemption Certificate before the OSSF permit — filing them out of order is the most common self-inflicted delay here. The county also wants the 911 address posted before permits and final inspection. We check both boxes at the start of your project so the septic application sails through.
Is there a minimum lot size for a septic system in Austin County?
Yes, and it's stricter than the state's. The county's septic order requires every residential lot to be at least one acre, whether it's on a private well or public water, and a permit for every system regardless of tract size. Its 2025 subdivision rules also call for at least 150 feet of paved public street frontage on a new lot with a septic system, and the county allows one residential structure per one-acre tract.
Get your free Austin County estimate
Tell us about your property and we'll size your system and schedule a free, no-obligation on-site evaluation.
Buying land in Austin County? Check the soil before you close
Enter any address and get the USDA soil rating, FEMA flood zone, mapped wetlands, and the septic system type you're likely looking at — free, in about ten seconds.
Serving property owners across the region
Counties We Serve
- Harris County
- Montgomery County
- Fort Bend County
- Waller County
- Liberty County
- Washington County
- Grimes County
- San Jacinto County
- Walker County
- Colorado County
- Austin County
- Wharton County
- Brazoria County
- Chambers County
- Polk County
Don't see your county?
We're often able to serve nearby areas too. Reach out with your property's location and we'll let you know if we can help.
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