Barrow County Septic Permits for Braselton, GA Properties

02Fees and forms: call before you count on a number

Unlike Jackson County, Barrow County does not currently have a posted fee schedule on the district's septic page. The district says Barrow fees and forms are being updated, and that in the meantime people should call the Barrow Environmental Health office at 770-307-3502 for forms and fee information. We have chosen not to reproduce an older Barrow fee sheet here, because the district has said its information is being revised.

For a rough sense of how health departments in the region price similar work, the facts strip above shows published fees from Jackson County (same district), Gwinnett and Hall. Those are not Barrow fees. Ask the Barrow office for the current amount before you budget, and ask which documents it needs, such as a soil report, a site plan or a pump-out receipt.

03Barrow County's minimum lot size ordinance

The district does post Barrow County's lot size ordinance. It amends the Barrow County Board of Health's earlier lot size rules, approved in 2004 and amended in 2018, under Georgia law that lets county boards of health set minimum lot sizes. For a typical three- or four-bedroom home, it sets a minimum lot of 25,500 square feet, all of it usable soil, where public water serves the lot, and 51,000 square feet containing 25,500 square feet of usable soil with non-public water such as a well.

Larger homes, pools, outbuildings or trees in the way can require larger lots. The ordinance caps daily sewage flow at 600 gallons per acre on non-public water and 1,200 gallons per acre on public water. If you are buying land on the Barrow side to build with septic, ask Environmental Health to review the lot before you close. The Jackson County ordinance is different; see the Jackson lot size guide.

04What the state rules require everywhere

Whatever the county fee, Georgia DPH Chapter 511-3-1 applies in Barrow as in the other three counties. Repairs, replacements and additions to existing systems must be permitted and inspected. A public sewer within 200 feet of the property line, or in the right-of-way next to it, must be connected to, and an existing system that fails must connect immediately if sewer is available. A tank taken out of service must be pumped by a certified pumper and filled, or removed.

If your Barrow County lot is inside Braselton town limits, the Town's own sewer rules may also apply; read the Town sewer guide.

05Before you call the office

Have the property address, the parcel number from your tax bill and the owner's name ready. If you have the permit drawing, a soil report, a recent pump-out receipt or photos of the problem, keep them in one place so you can email or bring them. Write down the name of the person you speak with, the date and what they told you, especially any fee amounts or documents they say you need. Fee schedules and forms change, and a short note of the call can save a second trip. If a contractor is handling the permit for you, ask for a copy of the application and the permit number once it is issued, and keep the inspection approval with your house records. Offices around Braselton keep limited hours and some close at midday, so call ahead rather than driving to Jefferson, Lawrenceville or Gainesville on the chance that someone is free. Ask, too, whether the office prefers email, in-person or mailed applications, because the counties handle this differently.

06A short checklist

Confirm the county on your tax bill. Find the Environmental Health office for that county in the table on this page. Ask what kind of permit or evaluation your job needs and what documents the office requires. Ask whether a soil report is required and whether one is already on file. Get written quotes for the private work, including pumping, soil reports and repair labor. Make sure the contractor you hire is certified by the Georgia Department of Public Health, using the state's certification lists. Keep the permit, the inspection result and every receipt together. If anything is unclear, ask the office to confirm in writing by email. When the work is finished, file the paperwork where the next owner of the house will find it, since a buyer's inspector or lender may ask for it years from now.

07Getting help

If you are dealing with a failing system on the Barrow side, read the failure guide and call the Barrow office to report it and ask about a repair permit. A certified septic contractor can usually handle the permit application for you. The Free Quote Request on this page sends your details to an independent provider who works around Braselton.