At a glance
| Who regulates | Your county or city board of health, under OAC Chapter 3701-29 |
|---|---|
| Inspection when a home is sold | No statewide requirement found. We found no statewide rule requiring an inspection at sale. County O&M records can show a system's history, so ask the health department for them when buying. |
Septic tank size in Ohio
Tank size is set by the system design under Chapter 3701-29 and approved by the board of health with the installation permit.
Compare with other states on our tank size calculator.
Permits
- Systems must be operated, maintained and monitored as required by the operation permit issued by the board of health.
- Ohio updated its rules in 2015; Darke County notes the previous rules dated from 1977.
Operation and maintenance (O&M) programs
- Many Ohio counties run O&M programs that keep records from service providers, installers and pumpers.
- Homeowners can often hire a registered service provider for the inspection instead of the health department.
- The board of health may inspect any system at a reasonable time (OAC 3701-29-23(A), as quoted by Darke County).
- Pump the tank every 3 to 5 years (Darke County Health Department).
Costs
We don't yet have checked Ohio-specific prices. National figures: pumping averages about $420–$430 (pumping cost), inspections about $550 on average (inspection cost), and a conventional system $3,000–$8,500 installed (installation cost).
Rules change, and counties and towns can be stricter than the state. Confirm with the agency above before you buy, sell or build.