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How to Get a Septic (OSSF) Permit in Comal County
In Texas a septic system is officially an On-Site Sewage Facility, or OSSF. Comal County holds TCEQ Authorized Agent status, which means the county — not the state — runs your permit. Here is the whole process, in the county's own order.
195 David Jonas Drive, New Braunfels, TX 78132
Phone: 830-608-2090 · Hours: 8:00am – 4:30pm
Environmental Health department page
The nine steps
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Evaluate the site and soil
A qualified site evaluator performs a soil analysis and site survey, prepares a report, and locates the separation distances your lot has to respect. Nothing else can be decided until this is done — the soil dictates which systems are even legal on your property.
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Choose a treatment system
Based on the evaluation. Comal County recognises septic tanks with absorptive drainfields, aerobic treatment units, sand filters, trickling filters and constructed wetlands. On most local lots the soil narrows this to an aerobic unit.
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Develop a system plan
Standard systems may be planned by the installer. Complex, non-standard or proprietary systems require a registered professional engineer (PE) or registered sanitarian (RS). If your property is on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, a PE or professional sanitarian must file the planning materials regardless.
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Submit the application and planning materials
File the OSSF permit application with the site and soil evaluation, the scaled design and full system specifications, and the permit fee. Comal County accepts paper applications or submissions through its online Permit Portal.
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County review
The Engineer's Office verifies that the application, evaluation, system type and sizing all comply. A representative may visit the site to confirm the application is accurate and complete.
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Authorization to Construct
This must be granted before any construction begins. It can be withheld for missing information or non-compliance — which is where most avoidable delay happens.
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Construct the system
A licensed installer builds it to the approved plans. Class I (OSI) installers may build standard systems; Class II (OSII) installers may build all types.
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Three inspections during installation
The county inspects three times as the system goes in. You must notify the office at least 24 hours in advance of each one. A system that fails an inspection draws a $150 reinspection fee.
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Notice of Approval / License to Operate
Issued once all inspections pass. Until you have it, the system may not legally be put into use.
Step 6 is a hard gate, not a formality. Work started without it can have to be dug up and redone, and the county can withhold the License to Operate on a system it never authorised.
Who is allowed to do what
Texas splits the work across licensed roles, and knowing which is which protects you from hiring the wrong person for a step:
| Role | What they may do |
|---|---|
| Site evaluator | Performs the site and soil evaluation that determines which systems your lot can take. |
| Professional engineer (PE) or registered sanitarian (RS) | Designs standard, non-standard and proprietary systems from the evaluation. Required to file planning materials for complex systems, and for anything on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. |
| Class I installer (OSI) | Standard systems only: septic tanks, absorptive drainfields, unlined ET drainfields, leaching chambers, graveless pipe, pumped effluent drainfields. |
| Class II installer (OSII) | All system types, including aerobic treatment units. |
| Licensed maintenance provider | Services aerobic systems under the maintenance contract Texas law requires, and files inspection reports with the county. |
The county publishes lists of site evaluators and installers as a courtesy. It does not endorse or recommend anyone on them — and neither does a list, by itself, tell you who is any good.
A licensed site evaluator has to answer that with a soil test — nobody can tell from a map. Send us your address and we will have local licensed pros quote the evaluation and the install. Request free quotes →
What you will need to submit
- A completed application for authorization to construct an OSSF and license to operate
- A site and soil evaluation completed by a certified site evaluator or a professional engineer
- Planning materials meeting TCEQ's OSSF rules in 30 TAC Chapter 285 — a scaled design plus all system specifications
- The required permit fee, per the county's current fee schedule
We deliberately do not publish a permit fee figure. Comal County maintains a fee schedule that changes, and a wrong number here would cost you real money. Call the Engineer's Office at 830-608-2090 for the current amount. The only fee we can state with confidence is the $150 reinspection fee.
How long it takes
The county does not publish a guaranteed turnaround, and the honest answer is that the process, not the county, sets the clock. Sequencing the soil evaluation, the design, the review, and three inspections that each need 24 hours' notice takes weeks. If your septic permit sits on the critical path of a build or a closing, start it earlier than feels necessary.
Where the process is different on the Recharge Zone
If your property sits on the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, the same nine steps apply with additional requirements layered on top under 30 TAC 285.40 and the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program in 30 TAC Chapter 213 — a one-acre minimum per single-family dwelling, specific setbacks from recharge features, and planning materials that only a professional engineer or professional sanitarian may submit. Read the Recharge Zone rules →
Official sources
- Comal County — Steps to Obtain an OSSF Permit
- Comal County Environmental Health
- TCEQ — On-Site Sewage Facilities program
- TCEQ RG-472 — OSSF Rules Compilation (PDF)
Request free septic quotes
Licensed Comal County OSSF professionals will contact you directly. There is no charge and no obligation.