# Septic-to-Sewer Conversion Cost in Gwinnett County (2026) | Alcovy Septic > Gwinnett charges $4,172 to connect a home to sewer, plus a plumbing permit and the plumber's trench work. Full costs, permits and the 200-foot rule. URL: https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-to-sewer-conversion-cost-gwinnett/ 1. [Home](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/)/ 2. [Septic Tank Abandonment](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-abandonment/)/ 3. Septic-to-Sewer Conversion Cost in Gwinnett County (2026) Cost Guide Updated September 17, 2026 · 4 min read · By Alcovy Septic # What Does Septic-to-Sewer Conversion Cost in Gwinnett County? The county's fixed charges, the part your plumber bills, what happens to the old tank, and when Georgia makes connection mandatory. Quick answer Gwinnett County charges $4,172 for a residential septic-to-sewer permit on a 3/4-inch meter — a $4,147 system development charge plus a $25 permit fee. The plumbing permit adds 0.6% of the construction estimate with a $30 minimum, and the plumber's trench and connection work commonly runs $14,000 or more. [Alcovy Septic](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/) answers the septic to sewer conversion cost gwinnett question the way the county actually bills it: one fixed charge you pay at a counter, one small permit, and one large private construction cost that has nothing to do with the county at all. Most people quote only the first number and get a shock at the third. ## What the county charges Gwinnett’s [residential septic-to-sewer procedure](https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/static/departments/DWR/water_projects/pdf/SeptictoSewer_HS.pdf) sets a fixed price for a standard home on a 3/4-inch meter: Item Amount Paid to System development charge (3/4-in meter) $4,147 Gwinnett County DWR Septic-to-sewer permit fee $25 Gwinnett County DWR **County total** **$4,172** Plumbing-only permit 0.6% of the construction estimate, $30 minimum Gwinnett Building Permits Plumbing permit inside Snellville $60 flat City of Snellville You pay the county charge at the DWR Central Facility records counter, **684 Winder Highway, Lawrenceville, GA 30045**. The plumbing-only permit is issued separately by the Building Permits Division at 446 West Crogan Street, Suite 125, Lawrenceville. Inside the city limits of Snellville, the [city’s own procedure](https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/static/departments/DWR/water_projects/pdf/ResidentialSeptictoSewerProcedureCityofSnellville.pdf) applies: same county charge, but your plumber pulls a $60 city plumbing permit and the city issues a certificate of completion when the work passes. If you are in [Snellville](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/service-areas/snellville/), start there. ## The part that actually costs money The county charge is the small half. The private work — trenching from the house to the sewer main or cleanout, new lateral, connection, restoration of the yard and driveway — is bid by a licensed plumber and is where the real number lives. Where homeowners report it, that private connection work commonly runs **$14,000 or more**, and it swings hard with distance to the main, depth, rock, driveways and mature trees. Two costs sit alongside it: - **Pumping the old tank.** A licensed pumper must empty it first — about $280 to $520 for a typical 1,000-gallon tank, per the ranges in the [Lawrenceville pumping cost guide](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-tank-pumping-cost-lawrenceville-ga/). - **Crushing or filling.** The empty tank is crushed, or filled with concrete or gravel. That is the work on our [tank abandonment page](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-abandonment/). Realistic all-in for a typical Gwinnett house: **$18,000 to $25,000+**, of which only $4,172 goes to the county. ## Do you have to connect? Georgia’s on-site sewage rules ([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)) make connection mandatory when public sewer is **available within 200 feet of the property line**. A failing system with sewer available has to be connected rather than repaired — you do not get to rebuild a drain field instead. That rule is what turns this into an either/or decision. If your field has failed and sewer is 150 feet away, the [drain field replacement cost guide](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/drain-field-replacement-cost-georgia/) is academic: the county will point you at the sewer. If sewer is 400 feet away, a new field in Piedmont clay at $8,000 to $20,000+ may still be the cheaper path. With roughly 30 percent of Gwinnett on septic ([Gwinnett County](https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/government/departments/water/get-educated/septic-tanks)), plenty of houses are in both situations. ## The two inspections The procedure requires two separate inspections, and skipping either leaves the job unfinished on paper: 1. **The sewer connection** — inspected at the cleanout before the trench is backfilled. 2. **The old tank** — inspected after it has been pumped and crushed or filled. Schedule them in that order, and keep the pumper’s dated receipt with gallons removed. It is the document that proves the tank was emptied by a licensed hauler, and it is the same receipt that qualifies for the county’s [stormwater fee credit](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/gwinnett-stormwater-credit-septic-pumping/) if you are still on septic when you apply. ## Before you decide Pull your septic record first. Gwinnett’s Environmental Health office maintains records back to 1959 and the plats are free online — the [septic records guide](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/gwinnett-county-septic-records/) shows the lookup, and the plat tells you where the tank and field are before anyone trenches through them. If the system is simply overdue rather than failing, a [pump-out](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-services/) and an [inspection](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-inspection/) may buy you years; use the [system assessment](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/tools/septic-system-assessment/) to sort symptoms from age. If you are repairing rather than converting, the [Gwinnett repair permit guide](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-permit-repair-gwinnett/) covers the Level 3 soil report you will need. Questions about county fees go to the DWR permits desk at 678-376-6887; septic questions go to Environmental Health at 770-963-5132. ## Bottom line Gwinnett’s own charge for a residential septic-to-sewer conversion is $4,172 on a 3/4-inch meter, plus a plumbing permit of 0.6% of the estimate ($30 minimum), or $60 flat inside Snellville. The plumber’s trench and connection work commonly runs $14,000 or more, and the old tank must be pumped and then crushed or filled with two inspections. Plan on $18,000 to $25,000 all in, and check the 200-foot rule before you spend anything on a new drain field. To get the tank pumped and abandoned properly, reach us through the [contact page](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/contact/). Want a price range for your tank today? [Call (470) 299-0510](tel:+14702990510) Sources 1. [Gwinnett County DWR — Residential septic to sewer procedure (unincorporated)](https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/static/departments/DWR/water_projects/pdf/SeptictoSewer_HS.pdf) 2. [Gwinnett County DWR — Residential septic to sewer procedure, City of Snellville](https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/static/departments/DWR/water_projects/pdf/ResidentialSeptictoSewerProcedureCityofSnellville.pdf) 3. [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) 4. [Septic & Well — Drain field repair cost Georgia (2026)](https://septicandwell.com/articles/georgia-drain-field-repair-cost) 5. [Gwinnett County — Septic tanks and system records](https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/government/departments/water/get-educated/septic-tanks) Related service [Septic Tank Abandonment](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/septic-tank-abandonment/) Switching to Gwinnett sewer? The old tank is pumped, crushed or filled to county requirements. [(470) 299-0510](tel:+14702990510) More septic guides - [Drain Field Replacement Cost in Georgia (2026)](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/drain-field-replacement-cost-georgia/) - [Septic Repair Permit in Gwinnett County](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-permit-repair-gwinnett/) - [How to Get Gwinnett County Septic Tank Records](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/gwinnett-county-septic-records/) - [Gwinnett Stormwater Credit for Septic Pumping](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/gwinnett-stormwater-credit-septic-pumping/) - [Septic Tank Pumping Cost in Lawrenceville, GA (2026)](https://septictankpumpinglawrenceville.com/guide/septic-tank-pumping-cost-lawrenceville-ga/) FAQ ## Common _questions_ ### Do I have to connect to sewer if it runs past my house in Georgia? + If a public sewer is available within 200 feet of your property line, Georgia's on-site sewage rules require connection. A failing system with sewer available must be connected immediately rather than repaired. Where sewer is farther than 200 feet, a properly functioning septic system may generally stay in service. ### What happens to the old septic tank? + It must be emptied by a licensed pumper and then crushed, or filled with concrete or gravel. Gwinnett requires an inspection after that work, separate from the inspection of the new sewer connection. An abandoned tank left intact and full is both a code problem and a collapse hazard in the yard. ### Is the county charge different inside a city? + The county system development charge and permit are the same, but the plumbing permit is issued by the city. In Snellville, the plumbing permit is a flat $60 from the city rather than the county's percentage-of-estimate fee, and the city issues a certificate of completion at the end. 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.