Septic rules and requirements in Denton County, Texas

Who issues septic permits in Denton County?

Denton County Public Health, Environmental Health Division, at 3900 Morse Street, Denton, Texas 76208, 940-349-2920. It is part of county government. The state writes the rules it applies.

The division issues septic permits for the county. It reviews plans and runs the final check.

This is the office's main line. It also answers on a metro exchange, and its fax line is separate.

Denton County, Texas — Environmental Health Division · checked 2026-09-23

What does a septic permit cost in Denton County?

$310 for a septic system permit, on the county's own schedule.

Applies to a permit to construct a new on-site sewage facility.

This is the fee for a new system. A repair or another change to an existing system costs less. The fee is non-refundable and is due when the owner applies.

Denton County Public Health — What You Must Know: On-Site Sewage Facilities (OSSF) · checked 2026-09-23

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

USDA rates most of the county Very limited for septic absorption fields — 90.2% of the rated acres. A rating describes the ground, not a parcel. The county's site evaluation decides each lot.

• Very limited — 470,682 acres — 90.2% of 522,011 rated acres.
• Somewhat limited — 51,329 acres — 9.8% of 522,011 rated acres.
• Not rated — 91,148 acres, excluded from the denominator — mostly urban land and water.

USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO) · checked 2026-09-22

What Denton County sets itself

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

• $310

  Applies to a permit to construct a new on-site sewage facility.

  This is the fee for a new system. A repair or another change to an existing system costs less. The fee is non-refundable and is due when the owner applies.

  Denton County Public Health — What You Must Know: On-Site Sewage Facilities (OSSF) · checked 2026-09-23

• One acre, net of any drainage or floodplain easement, for a lot with an on-site sewage facility.

  Applies to a lot in a Denton County subdivision with a septic system.

  State rules set a smaller lot where public water reaches the property. They ask for a full acre only where it does not. Denton County asks for a full acre either way. It also drops easement acreage from the count.

  Denton County Subdivision Rules and Regulations (July 2009), Section IV(C) · checked 2026-09-23

• Denton County withholds the septic permit until the culvert passes its own final check. A culvert permit must also be issued first.

  Applies to a new drive on a county road, or a site that already has one.

  State septic rules set no culvert or driveway rule.

  Denton County Subdivision Rules and Regulations (July 2009), Section 7.3(E) and 7.5(A) · checked 2026-09-23

• Denton County may require a floodplain permit first. This comes before the septic permit.

  Applies to a tract inside the county's mapped floodplain.

  State septic rules set no floodplain permit. Denton County Planning issues one first, when the site needs it.

  Denton County Public Health — What You Must Know: On-Site Sewage Facilities (OSSF) · checked 2026-09-23

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.

1. Denton County, Texas — Environmental Health Division · checked 2026-09-23
2. Denton County Subdivision Rules and Regulations (July 2009), Section IV(C) · checked 2026-09-23
3. Denton County Public Health — What You Must Know: On-Site Sewage Facilities (OSSF) · checked 2026-09-23
4. Texas Administrative Code, Title 30, Chapter 285, Section 285.30, Site Evaluation · checked 2026-09-23
5. USDA NRCS Soil Data Access (SSURGO) · checked 2026-09-22

Related pages

• Septic rules in Denton County
• Septic permits and fees in Denton County, Texas
• Soil and perc tests in Denton County, Texas
• Septic rules and requirements in Texas