Clermont building permits start with septic
Clermont is a small incorporated town in north Hall County, north of Gainesville. The town issues its own building permits, and its published building permit procedures tie them directly to septic. Before the town issues a permit, it asks for a copy of the septic tank permit issued by Hall County Environmental Health. If a septic system is already on the property, it asks for an approval letter from Environmental Health instead, and that letter must not be more than one year old.
The town's rules go further: no permit is issued for a building without access to public water and sewer unless plans for a well or septic tank have been approved by the county health department. The town also asks for proof of water, which can be a paid water meter, a well permit from Environmental Health, or approval to connect to a private community water system.
What that means for additions and remodels
The town's fee table lists an addition or remodel of a residential building at $200, plus $75 if it includes plumbing or wiring, a storage building at $100, and a swimming pool at $250. Each of those permits can trigger the septic paperwork. If you are adding a bedroom, a bathroom or a pool on a lot with septic, ask Hall County Environmental Health for an existing system evaluation early, because the town will want the approval letter and the county may need to confirm the system can handle the change. Georgia sizes tanks by bedroom count.
Hall County's fee schedule effective January 1, 2024 lists an existing system evaluation at $150, a repair permit at $150, and a new residential septic permit at $350 for up to five bedrooms or $450 for six or more. Our fee calculator estimates the county fee and minimum tank size, and the Hall County permit guide explains the application.
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Free Quote RequestSewer or septic in Clermont
Georgia's Service Delivery Strategy for Hall County lists Clermont as a sewer provider for its city limits and some unincorporated areas, and the City of Gainesville as Clermont's water provider. Because the town still expects septic approvals for homes without public sewer, check your bill: if you pay no sewer charge, you are probably on septic. Georgia's rules say a failing system must connect to a public or community sewer if one is available, and for new systems available means sewer within two hundred feet of the property line or in an abutting right-of-way. If you are unsure, ask your water provider before approving a large repair.
Wells, setbacks and rural lots
The town's proof-of-water rule recognizes that some Clermont homes use private wells. Georgia requires at least fifty feet between a well and a septic tank and one hundred feet between a well and an absorption field, and drain fields must be at least five feet from property lines, drives and buildings without basements, and ten feet from buildings with basements and water lines. Those distances shape where a replacement field can go, so share your well location with any provider. See Georgia septic setbacks.
For a home sale, the buyer's lender or the town's permit process may need a current Environmental Health letter. Our guide to septic records and home sales explains how to request the county record, which Hall County says can take up to three business days.
Routine care that applies everywhere in Georgia
The EPA recommends an inspection at least every three years and says household tanks are typically pumped every three to five years; systems with pumps or float switches generally need an inspection once a year. Georgia's septage standards require a certified pumper to remove the complete contents of the tank, check the inlet and outlet tees, replace any soil they dig, and give you a written report on the tank's condition, with a copy to the county.
Georgia's public health department advises against septic additives, which it says are not beneficial and can harm the system. Spend the money on pumping instead. Our pumping guide explains what to expect on the day.
Before you call a provider
Have your address, bedroom count, water source and any town permit you are applying for ready. If you need an Environmental Health letter for a town permit, say so in your Free Quote Request, since a pump-out and inspection report can help the county evaluate the system. Ask the provider whether they hold the state certification for the work and whether they will send the report to Hall County.