Septic rules and requirements in Bastrop County, Texas

Septic permits in Bastrop County are issued by the Bastrop County Development Services. A new system permit costs $600. USDA rates most of the soil in the county Very limited for septic absorption fields — 80.3% of the rated acres. Bastrop County Development Services — On-Site Sewage Facilities · checked 2026-10-05

Bastrop County Development Services

Issues the permit

checked 2026-10-05

$600

Septic system permit

checked 2026-10-05

Very limited

USDA rating, 80.3% of rated acres

checked 2026-10-06

Who issues septic permits in Bastrop County?

Bastrop County Development Services, at 211 Jackson Street, Bastrop, Texas 78602, (512) 581-7176. It is part of county government. The state writes the rules it applies.

Bastrop County Development Services — On-Site Sewage Facilities · checked 2026-10-05

What does a septic permit cost in Bastrop County?

$600 for a septic system permit, on the county's own schedule.

Applies to a standard home system.

The county's fee table for this permit
Standard Residential shown above	$600	a home with a standard system
Standard Commercial	$1,000	a business with a standard system
Non-Standard, designed by PE or Designer - Residential	$700	a home with a non-standard, designed by pe or designer system
Aerobic Residential	$700	a home with a aerobic system
Non-Standard, designed by PE or Designer - Commercial	$1,200	a business with a non-standard, designed by pe or designer system
Aerobic Commercial	$1,200	a business with a aerobic system
OSSF Design Resubmission	$250	a system, per resubmission
System modification - Residential	$300	a home with a modification system
System modification - Commercial	$500	a business with a modification system
Re-inspection	$200	a system, per inspection
Maintenance contract late fee	$100	a system the source lists as late maintenance contract
OSSF renewal fee Residential	$20	a home with a system
OSSF renewal fee Commercial	$20	a business with a system

A system with a special design or an aerobic tank costs more.

Bastrop County Development Services — OSSF Application and Application Fees (rev. 2024-06-20) · checked 2026-10-05

Is the soil in Bastrop County suitable for a septic system?

USDA rates most of the county Very limited for septic absorption fields — 80.3% of the rated acres. A rating describes the ground, not a parcel. The county's site evaluation decides each lot.

Very limited — 406,310 acres — 80.3% of 505,952 rated acres.
Somewhat limited — 99,642 acres — 19.7% of 505,952 rated acres.
Not rated — 68,122 acres, excluded from the denominator — mostly urban land and water.

USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO) · checked 2026-10-06

What Bastrop County sets itself

The state writes the code. Bastrop County adds the rules below. They are what makes this page differ from the Texas requirements.

A permit is required for every septic job, whatever the lot size.

Applies to every septic job in the county.

The state exempts some large lots. This county does not.

Bastrop County Development Services — On-Site Sewage Facilities · checked 2026-10-05
180 gallons

Applies to a structure of 1,500 square feet or less. The flow is per day.

This covers guest houses, workshops and garages too. RV parks are the exception.

Bastrop County Development Services — On-Site Sewage Facilities · checked 2026-10-05
An engineer or a registered sanitarian must design the system. A site evaluator may not.

Applies to a second home on a tract of less than 2 acres.

This rule holds for every system type.

Bastrop County On-Site Sewage Facility Rules (TCEQ-approved order), Section 10.5 · checked 2026-10-05
An installer must call for an inspection one day ahead.

Applies to a system built by a licensed installer.

A homeowner who builds the system may get an inspection on the same day.

Bastrop County On-Site Sewage Facility Rules (TCEQ-approved order), Section 10.6 · checked 2026-10-05

Sources

Each figure above has a government source and a checked-on date. USDA's Soil Data Access service supplies the soil records. A script writes them, and nobody types them.

Bastrop County Development Services — On-Site Sewage Facilities · checked 2026-10-05
Bastrop County On-Site Sewage Facility Rules (TCEQ-approved order), Section 10.5 · checked 2026-10-05
Bastrop County Development Services — OSSF Application and Application Fees (rev. 2024-06-20) · checked 2026-10-05
Texas Administrative Code, Title 30, Chapter 285, Section 285.30, Site Evaluation · checked 2026-09-23
Bastrop County — My Government Online Step by Step Guide · checked 2026-10-05
USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO) · checked 2026-10-06

Verify before you act. Septic rules are set locally and they change. Check anything here before you spend money on it. Call the Bastrop County Development Services, on (512) 581-7176.