How Do I Get a Septic Permit for a New Septic System in Marietta, GA?

The city of Marietta does not issue septic permits. A septic permit Marietta GA property owners need comes from Cobb & Douglas Public Health instead, out of an office on County Services Parkway, and mixing up the two costs homeowners weeks. We have pulled permits for new septic systems and replacements across Cobb County for 13 years. This guide covers the real fee schedule, the soil test that comes before it, and how our septic installation in Atlanta GA team handles the file so you do not have to.

What Are the Steps to Get a Septic Permit in Cobb County?

Six things happen before you get a septic permit Marietta GA approved. Here is the order Cobb & Douglas Public Health expects.

1. Confirm your address falls under Cobb & Douglas Public Health, whether you are inside Marietta city limits or unincorporated Cobb County.
2. Schedule a Level 3 soil evaluation with a DPH-certified soil classifier. This runs $400 to $800, paid to the classifier, not to us.
3. Get a system design and site plan from a licensed installer based on the soil results.
4. Submit the complete application and pay the county fee: $360 for a new septic system, $170 for a repair.
5. Wait for county review. Georgia DPH allows up to 30 business days, though Cobb usually clears a clean file in 2 to 4 weeks.
6. Install the system and pass final inspection before anything gets backfilled.

We coordinate every soil testing and septic permit step for homeowners across Marietta, Smyrna, and Kennesaw so nothing sits waiting on a missing form. Last month we filed a permit for a couple on the west side of Marietta near Sandtown Road, where the old 1,000-gallon tank was original to a 1979 house. The whole file, soil test through approval, took five weeks.

Cobb County has a large stock of homes built in the 1970s and 1980s, and many of those original systems are still in the ground. Red clay soil across Marietta drains slower than sandy soil, so the design step often gets a second look before the county signs off. That is one more reason to start your septic permit Marietta GA file early.

Which Company Can Help Me Get a Septic Permit in Marietta, GA?

We do. Septic Tank Guru coordinates the entire septic permit Marietta GA file for homeowners, start to finish.

That means we schedule the soil classifier, prepare the site plan with a licensed installer, fill out the Cobb & Douglas Public Health application, and submit it as your authorized agent. You sign as the owner. We handle the paperwork and the follow-up calls to the county.

We have handled septic installation in Atlanta GA for 13 years, and a permit is part of nearly every new septic system we quote. For the wider picture across all nine counties, see our guide to septic system permits across metro Atlanta.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Septic Permit in Marietta, GA?

Plan on 3 to 6 weeks from your first call to a septic permit Marietta GA in hand. Most of that time is the soil evaluation and the county review.

Soil evaluation takes 1 to 2 weeks to schedule. System design takes 3 to 5 days once results are back. County review can run up to 30 business days under Georgia DPH on-site sewage rules, though Cobb & Douglas Public Health usually clears a complete file in 2 to 4 weeks.

That review window can stretch past two months if the application is missing a page. Fulton County works the same way, and we cover that in our septic permit guide for Fulton County. A clean package the first time is the single biggest thing that keeps your septic permit Marietta GA timeline short.

How Much Does a Septic Permit Cost in Marietta, GA?

A new septic permit Marietta GA runs $360 in county fees: $110 for the site review plus $250 for the permit itself. A repair or modification permit runs $170.

Those numbers come straight from the Cobb & Douglas Public Health fee schedule, the same office that issues permits for every Marietta address, city or unincorporated. You pay that fee to the county, not to us.

On top of the permit, you need a Level 3 soil survey from a DPH-certified soil classifier. That runs $400 to $800 as a third-party fee paid directly to the classifier, not to Septic Tank Guru. Between the county fee and the soil test, budget $760 to $1,160 before installation starts.

The cost of a new septic system installation across metro Atlanta runs $8,000 to $20,000, a separate number from the permit and soil test. A homeowner near Kennesaw called us last spring assuming her $8,000 quote already covered the permit. It did not, since a septic permit Marietta GA is priced separately from installation.

Do I Need a Different Permit to Repair a Drainfield Versus Install a Brand New Septic System in Marietta?

Yes. Repairs use the $170 repair and modification permit. A brand new septic system or full replacement uses the $360 new-system permit. Either way, that is the septic permit Marietta GA fee schedule Cobb & Douglas Public Health follows.

Cobb & Douglas Public Health treats a drainfield replacement the same as a new septic system, because it changes how wastewater leaves your property. Swapping a baffle or a pump usually needs no permit at all. Anything touching the tank or the field does.

If your drainfield has failed, our drainfield repair in Atlanta GA team walks the property before we file anything. Our drainfield repair cost guide for metro Atlanta breaks down when a $1,500 partial fix is enough versus a $6,000 to $15,000 full replacement. Tank-only repairs cost less and are covered in our septic tank repair cost guide for metro Atlanta, and our septic tank repair in Atlanta GA crews handle most of those without a new permit.

A few weeks back we pulled a repair permit for a drainfield line in east Marietta that had been saturated for about a month. Because only one line needed replacing, it stayed under the $170 fee instead of the full $360 filing.

Is a City of Marietta Building Permit the Same Thing as a Cobb County Septic Permit?

Two separate offices handle these, not one. A septic permit Marietta GA and a building permit are different documents entirely.

Some homeowners search for a soil test tied to a city building permit, and that search leads nowhere, because the city of Marietta does not handle septic. Your septic permit comes from Cobb & Douglas Public Health at 1738 County Services Parkway. Your building permit comes from the city or county building department depending on your address.

We see this mix-up most with new construction, where a homeowner assumes one office covers both. Septic approval has to happen before the building department signs off on final construction. Our metro-wide guide to septic system permits across metro Atlanta covers this same mix-up in other counties.

If your lot needs an engineered system because of marginal soil, our septic system engineering in Atlanta GA team works directly with Cobb & Douglas Public Health on the design before it reaches the building department.

Do I Need a Soil Test Before Applying for a Septic Permit in Marietta?

Cobb & Douglas Public Health will not review a septic permit Marietta GA application without a completed Level 3 soil survey first.

A DPH-certified soil classifier digs test pits on your property and rates how well the soil absorbs water. That report drives the system design. It costs $400 to $800, paid to the classifier directly, a cost that sits outside anything Septic Tank Guru charges for coordinating your file.

We break down what that testing costs county by county in our perc test cost guide for metro Atlanta. If the soil comes back marginal, which happens often in Marietta’s red clay, you still have options. Our guide to what to do when soil fails the perc test in metro Atlanta covers engineered alternatives that still pass county review.

We schedule the classifier and walk the property with them before test pits go in. A test pit placed in the wrong spot can fail a lot that would otherwise pass, and we have caught that mistake more than once on Cobb County properties.

Can Septic Tank Guru Pull the Permit for Me, or Do I Have to Do It Myself?

Georgia law lets a licensed contractor act as your authorized agent on a septic permit Marietta GA application, and we can pull it for you.

When you hire us for septic installation in Atlanta GA, we schedule the soil classifier, prepare the site plan, complete the Cobb & Douglas Public Health application, and submit the fee. You still sign as the property owner. We handle the calls and resubmissions if the county has questions.

To be clear about the money: the $360 or $170 county fee goes to Cobb & Douglas Public Health. The $400 to $800 soil survey goes to the certified classifier. What you pay Septic Tank Guru covers coordination, paperwork, and the installation or repair work itself, not the government fees.

If you are buying a property in Marietta that still needs a permit before closing, our septic inspection in Atlanta GA team can confirm what condition an existing system is in first. Our septic inspection cost guide for metro Atlanta shows what that visit runs.

When Should I Call About a Septic Permit in Marietta Right Away?

Call today if:

• You are building new construction in Marietta or unincorporated Cobb County without public sewer access
• Your existing system has failed and needs a full replacement, not just a repair
• You have a closing date and the septic permit is not filed yet
• A Cobb & Douglas Public Health order says your system has to be replaced

These can wait a week or two.

• You want the soil test scheduled before you commit to a full design
• You are planning an addition that might require a permit down the line

A 30-business-day septic permit Marietta GA review window can stretch to three months if the file bounces back over a missing setback measurement. We have filed septic permit Marietta GA applications for 13 years and know what the county wants the first time. Call 404-694-3060. If your system already shows signs a drainfield is failing across metro Atlanta, do not wait on the permit conversation. If you are mid-sale and the septic already failed inspection, see what happens when a septic system fails inspection during a home sale in metro Atlanta, since the permit timeline becomes part of closing.

Frequently asked questions about septic permit Marietta GA

What happens if I install a septic system in Marietta without a permit?

Installing without a septic permit Marietta GA is a code violation Cobb & Douglas Public Health can act on. The county can order you to stop using the system or dig it up and start over. We have seen the redo cost far more than a permitted septic installation in Atlanta GA would have run.

How long is a septic permit Marietta GA valid before it expires?

A septic permit Marietta GA is valid for 12 months from issue. If construction has not started by then, you reapply and pay the fee again. We time the soil test and design so the permit does not expire before installation begins.

Can I get a septic permit and a building permit in Marietta at the same time?

Yes, but from two different offices. The septic permit Marietta GA comes from Cobb & Douglas Public Health, and the building permit comes from the city or county building department. This same split applies in Fulton County’s septic permit process too.

Does Cobb County require a permit to replace a failed drainfield?

Yes. Cobb & Douglas Public Health treats a full drainfield replacement like a new septic system, so the $360 fee applies, not the $170 repair fee. A partial line repair usually falls under the repair permit instead. Our drainfield repair cost guide for metro Atlanta covers both.

Is the soil test fee included in the county septic permit fee?

No. The soil test is a separate $400 to $800 third-party fee, detailed in our perc test cost guide for metro Atlanta, paid to a DPH-certified classifier. The county fee of $360 or $170 goes to Cobb & Douglas Public Health, not the classifier or us.

What is the phone number for Cobb County septic permits?

Cobb & Douglas Public Health handles septic permits for Marietta and all of Cobb County at 770-435-7815. Or call us at 404-694-3060. We handle septic services across Cobb County and can confirm what your property needs first.