# Septic Repair Permit in Gwinnett County | Alcovy Septic > Gwinnett requires a permit for septic repairs and additions, plus a Level 3 soil report for all septic permits since Feb 2022. What needs one, what doesn't. URL: https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-permit-repair-gwinnett/ 1. [Home](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/)/ 2. [Septic Tank Repair](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-repair/)/ 3. Septic Repair Permit in Gwinnett County Learn Updated September 17, 2026 · 4 min read · By Alcovy Septic # Do You Need a Permit to Repair a Septic System in Gwinnett County? Which septic work needs a county permit, which doesn't, and the soil report that now sits in front of all of it. Quick answer Yes — Gwinnett requires a permit for septic repairs and additions as well as new systems, and since February 7, 2022 GNR Public Health has required a Level 3 soil report for all septic permits before permitting. Routine pumping and effluent filter cleaning do not need a permit. [Alcovy Septic](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/) gets the septic repair permit gwinnett county question most often right after a bad inspection, and the answer surprises people: repairs are permitted work here, not just new systems, and since 2022 there is a soil report standing in front of every permit. Knowing that before you accept a bid changes both the timeline and the price. ## The rule [GNR Public Health](https://www.gnrhealth.com/septic-systems/), which covers Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale counties, requires permit applications for **residential and commercial septic systems covering new construction, repairs, and additions**. And as of **February 7, 2022**, GNR requires “a Level 3 soil report for all septic permits (new, repairs, and additions requiring modification to the existing septic system) prior to permitting.” That second sentence is the one that catches people. Before 2022 a repair could move quickly on the strength of the original plat. Now a certified soil classifier has to evaluate the ground first, and that evaluation can change what the health department will approve — sometimes turning a conventional trench repair into an engineered design. ## What needs a permit, and what doesn’t Work Permit in Gwinnett? New septic system Yes — with Level 3 soil report Drain field repair or replacement Yes — with Level 3 soil report Addition that modifies the existing system (bedroom, expansion) Yes — with Level 3 soil report Tank replacement Yes Routine pumping No Effluent filter cleaning No Riser installation **We could not verify this one — see below** **On risers, we are not going to guess.** GNR’s published material does not spell out whether adding an access riser to an existing tank counts as a permitted modification, and it is the kind of detail that varies by what the riser is attached to. Call GNR Environmental Health at **770-963-5132** and ask about your specific tank before you schedule. Everything else on our [locating and riser page](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-locating-and-risers/) and the [riser cost guide](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-riser-cost/) still applies; the permit question is a two-minute phone call and worth making. Pumping is unambiguous. It needs no permit from you — the requirement falls on the company, which must employ a certified pumper and hold a County Septage Removal Permit ([Georgia DPH](https://dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health/onsite-sewage/how-become-certified-installerpumper)). The [who can pump guide](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/who-can-pump-septic-tanks-georgia/) explains how to verify that. ## Fees and where to go GNR publishes separate fee schedules per county, and the **Gwinnett schedule was updated effective January 1, 2026** (Newton the same date; Rockdale effective July 1, 2026). Pull the current Gwinnett schedule from GNR’s septic page before budgeting, because permit and evaluation fees are exactly the sort of line item that moves year to year. The older [2020 Gwinnett schedule](https://www.gnrhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2020-Fee-Schedule.pdf) is still useful for context — it lists items like a $100 pumper truck inspection — but do not quote it as current. The office is **GNR Gwinnett Environmental Health, 455 Grayson Highway, Suite 600, Lawrenceville, GA 30046**, phone **770-963-5132**. Rockdale’s environmental health office is at 1329 Portman Drive in Conyers, 770-278-7340, which is the one that matters if you are in [Conyers](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/service-areas/conyers/) or [Covington](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/service-areas/covington/). ## How the sequence runs There is no single published turnaround, so ask the office for current timing rather than trusting anyone’s blog. The order, though, is fixed: 1. **Diagnosis.** An [inspection](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-inspection/), ideally with camera work on the lines, so you are permitting the right repair. The [inspection cost guide](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-inspection-cost-georgia/) has the tiers. 2. **Records.** Pull the existing plat — free, and it shows tank location, size and trench layout. The [Gwinnett septic records guide](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/gwinnett-county-septic-records/) walks the lookup. 3. **Level 3 soil report.** Scheduled with a certified soil classifier. This is usually the long pole, and it is a separate invoice. 4. **Permit application** through GNR, filed with the soil report and the design. 5. **Construction** by a certified installer. 6. **Inspection** by the health department before backfill. Two things to plan around. The soil report can change the design after you have accepted a bid, so ask whether your quote is contingent on its findings — the cost ladder in the [drain field replacement guide](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/drain-field-replacement-cost-georgia/) shows how far that can move, from a $500 distribution box to a $20,000 clay-lot rebuild. And if public sewer is available within 200 feet of your property line, [Georgia Rule 511-3-1-.03](https://regulations.justia.com/states/georgia/department-511/chapter-511-3/subject-511-3-1/rule-511-3-1-03) requires connection instead of repair — the [septic-to-sewer conversion guide](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-to-sewer-conversion-cost-gwinnett/) has those numbers. ## While you wait A permit does not stop you from managing the system. Reducing flow, keeping water off the field, pumping the tank to buy capacity and [cleaning the effluent filter](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/effluent-filter-cleaning/) are all unpermitted maintenance. If the system is backing up in the meantime, the [backup guide](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-backup-what-to-do/) and [emergency pumping](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/emergency-septic-pumping/) cover the stopgap, and the [system assessment](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/tools/septic-system-assessment/) helps you describe the symptoms accurately when you call. ## Bottom line Yes, Gwinnett requires a permit to repair a septic system — repairs and additions sit alongside new systems in GNR’s permitting, and since February 7, 2022 all of them need a Level 3 soil report first. Routine pumping and filter cleaning do not. Riser installation we could not verify either way, so call GNR at 770-963-5132 before scheduling one. Use the current Gwinnett fee schedule effective January 1, 2026, and get a proper diagnosis before permitting anything — book that through the [contact page](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/contact/) or our [septic tank repair](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-repair/) page. Want a price range for your tank today? [Call (470) 299-0510](tel:+14702990510) Sources 1. [GNR Public Health — Septic systems, permits and Level 3 soil report requirement](https://www.gnrhealth.com/septic-systems/) 2. [GNR Public Health — Gwinnett County environmental health fee schedule (2020)](https://www.gnrhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2020-Fee-Schedule.pdf) 3. [Georgia DPH Rule 511-3-1-.05 (tank capacity, compartments, access)](https://regulations.justia.com/states/georgia/department-511/chapter-511-3/subject-511-3-1/rule-511-3-1-05) 4. [Georgia DPH Rule 511-3-1-.03 (sewer availability, 200 feet)](https://regulations.justia.com/states/georgia/department-511/chapter-511-3/subject-511-3-1/rule-511-3-1-03) 5. [Georgia DPH — How to become a certified installer/pumper](https://dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health/onsite-sewage/how-become-certified-installerpumper) 6. [Septic & Well — Drain field repair cost Georgia (2026)](https://septicandwell.com/articles/georgia-drain-field-repair-cost) Related service [Septic Tank Repair](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-repair/) Broken baffles, cracked lids, clogged outlet filters and failed inlet pipes repaired and documented. [(470) 299-0510](tel:+14702990510) More septic guides - [Drain Field Replacement Cost in Georgia (2026)](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/drain-field-replacement-cost-georgia/) - [How to Get Gwinnett County Septic Tank Records](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/gwinnett-county-septic-records/) - [Septic-to-Sewer Conversion Cost in Gwinnett County (2026)](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-to-sewer-conversion-cost-gwinnett/) - [Who Can Pump a Septic Tank in Georgia? Certified Pumper Rules](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/who-can-pump-septic-tanks-georgia/) - [Septic Inspection Cost in Georgia (2026)](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-inspection-cost-georgia/) FAQ ## Common _questions_ ### What is a Level 3 soil report and who writes it? + It is a detailed soil evaluation produced by a certified soil classifier, describing horizons, texture, structure and depth to restrictive layers so the health department can judge what the ground will accept. GNR has required one for all septic permits — new systems, repairs and additions requiring modification — since February 7, 2022. It is billed separately from the contractor's work. ### Does replacing a septic tank lid or baffle need a permit? + Repairs to a septic system are permitted work in Gwinnett, and GNR's septic permit applications cover repairs and additions alongside new construction. Because the line between routine maintenance and a permitted repair depends on what is being modified, call GNR Environmental Health at 770-963-5132 with the specific component before scheduling the work. ### Who pulls the permit, me or the contractor? + Usually the certified installer doing the work, since they have to be certified by the state and are the party the health department inspects. Confirm in writing which party is applying, and never accept a five-figure drain field bid from a contractor who tells you no permit is required. Get a real number Skip the guesswork. Get your tank's price. Send your ZIP and what's going on. A dispatcher will call back within 15 minutes with a price range for your tank. Get a free septic pumping quote Two quick steps. A local dispatcher will call back within 15 minutes. Faster: call [(470) 299-0510](tel:+14702990510). We never share your details.