Type "licensed septic company Chattanooga" into a search box and every result claims the word. But licensed by whom, to do what? In Tennessee the answer has two layers: a state rule chapter written by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), and a county office that enforces it locally because Hamilton County is one of nine "contract counties." This guide explains which document a pumper, an installer and a homeowner each need, and where to check a company's name yourself.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules, fees and forms change. Check the current rule or statute, call the agency named, or ask a Tennessee attorney before you rely on anything here.
The state layer: TDEC and Rule 0400-48-01
Septic systems in Tennessee are regulated by the TDEC Division of Water Resources under Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-221-401 and following, and under Rule Chapter 0400-48-01, "Regulations to Govern Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems." The statute's definition of a "permit" (TCA 68-221-402(5)) is a written authorization licensing "the construction, alteration, extension or repair of a subsurface sewage disposal system, or the removal and disposal of accumulated wastes from subsurface sewage disposal systems, and including those engaged in such businesses." That one sentence sets up the three permits that matter to a homeowner.
1. The pumper's permit (Rule 0400-48-01-.20)
Anyone "engaged in the business of removing and disposing of domestic septage from septic tanks" must hold an annual Domestic Septage Removal Permit from TDEC. The rule requires a monthly log of every pumping and discharge, written permission from the plant or land-application site that takes the waste, an annual truck inspection by the local Environmental Field Office, and lettering on both sides of the vehicle with the firm's name, address and permit number "at least two (2) inches high." Permits expire December 31, cannot be transferred, and cost $200. The same permit covers grease traps that are part of a septic system.
2. The installer's permit (Rule 0400-48-01-.19)
"No person shall engage in the business of constructing, installing, altering or extending or repairing a subsurface sewage disposal system unless he has a valid annual permit issued by the Commissioner." TDEC's installer permit costs $200, requires a written exam (70 percent to pass) and carries $100 endorsements for alternative systems such as low-pressure pipe, mound and drip. Installers display a vehicle sticker and must notify the Division when a system is installed so it can be inspected. The rule exempts an owner doing their own work on their own residence, but the owner still needs the construction permit described next.
3. The homeowner's permit (Rule 0400-48-01-.06)
Neither a property owner nor an installer may "construct, alter, extend or repair" a septic system without a construction permit. "Repair permits are necessary when installing tanks (septic or dosing) and/or installing absorption field line in order to correct an existing failure," and TDEC says a repair permit is required "before any work on a failing septic system is performed." A modification permit covers added bedrooms or a pool, garage or shop built over part of the system. Rule .06(2) also says the Commissioner "shall refuse to grant a permit" for a new system "where there is an accessible public sewerage system"; see septic inside Chattanooga city limits.
Routine maintenance is on you. Rule .13 states, "It is the property owner's responsibility to maintain the system in a safe and sanitary manner." No Tennessee rule sets a pumping interval; EPA's guidance is "every three to five years."
The county layer: Hamilton County is a contract county
TDEC lists Blount, Davidson, Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, Madison, Sevier, Shelby and Williamson as contract counties that "have their own septic system assistance services." In Hamilton County that service is the Division of Groundwater Protection, under county Development Services (not the Health Department) at 1250 Market Street, Suite 3046, Chattanooga 37402; (423) 209-7876; [email protected]. The office "complies with all TDEC standards" and "issues permits for new systems or changes to existing systems." Since March 11, 2024, applications go through the county's online portal.
The county adds its own credential. Its page states: "Installers are required to have a County Septic Installer License. If installers have a State Installer Permit, installers are required to fill out an application and pay the fee but are not required to take the test." The county license is good for one year and costs $200 for the first category plus $100 for each additional category; the county's 2026 roster covers both installers and pumpers.
County fees, per Resolution 423-28 and the current schedule: new septic permit $440, repair permit $40, Inspection Letter $105, Recertification Letter $180, existing-system review $205. For work started before a permit is obtained, "the fees herein specified shall be doubled."
Bradley, Marion, Sequatchie and Rhea are not contract counties, so permits there run through TDEC's Chattanooga Environmental Field Office, 1301 Riverfront Parkway, Suite 206, (423) 634-5745. A homeowner in Cleveland deals with TDEC directly; one in Ooltewah deals with the county.
What "licensed" actually means here
Put the two layers together and "licensed" can mean four different things, depending on who is saying it:
- For pumping: a TDEC Septic Tank Pumping Contractor permit (Rule .20) plus a Hamilton County pumper license.
- For repair, alteration or installation: a TDEC installer permit (Rule .19) plus a Hamilton County installer license, with the homeowner's own $40 repair permit pulled from Groundwater Protection before work begins.
- For inspection: nothing. Tennessee has no septic-inspector license and no point-of-sale inspection law; the rule chapter regulates installers, pumpers, soil consultants, disposal-site operators and aerobic-unit maintenance providers only. A "septic inspection" is usually done by a pumper or installer, and TCA 62-6-302(4)(F) requires your home inspection report to state that it does not address sewage disposal.
- For big jobs: a Tennessee contractor license when the total cost is $25,000 or more (TCA 62-6-102), and a Home Improvement license for residential work from $3,000 to under $25,000 in Hamilton County. We found no septic-specific exemption from either threshold, and nothing confirming they are applied to septic work; ask the company.
Whether swapping a lid, riser, baffle or filter counts as a "repair" under Rule .19 is not spelled out. The safe approach is a permitted installer for anything beyond pumping, who can say which permit, if any, the county wants.
The two public lists you can check
You do not have to take a truck's lettering on faith. TDEC publishes an "Installers & Pumpers DataViewer" of active permits statewide, and Hamilton County posts a PDF titled "List of Septic Installers and Pumpers 2026" on its Building Inspection septic page. When we fetched the county list it ran to roughly 170 rows, including 11 distinct county-licensed pumping businesses, with licenses expiring December 31, 2026. Check that the legal name matches the invoice, that the category (pumper, installer, or both) matches the work, and that the expiry date has not passed. A TDEC permit stops at the state line; Georgia requires its own credentials.
One more check: ask where your septage goes. Rule .22 requires a treatment facility when permission is obtainable, and Chattanooga's hauled-waste program charges haulers $100 per vehicle per year to discharge at Moccasin Bend. Ask, too, for the finding in writing and for whoever pulls the $40 repair permit to be named before digging starts.
How this site fits in
Septic Pumping Chattanooga connects Chattanooga-area homeowners with independent local septic pumping, inspection and repair companies for free, no-obligation quotes. We do not pump, inspect or repair anything and we do not certify anyone, so use the checks above with every company, including the ones we introduce. See our septic tank pumping, septic inspection and septic repair pages, or request free quotes now; we usually reply the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Who regulates septic tanks in Hamilton County, Tennessee?
The TDEC Division of Water Resources writes the rules (Chapter 0400-48-01) under TCA 68-221-401 and following. Because Hamilton County is a contract county, the county's Division of Groundwater Protection, under Development Services at 1250 Market Street, issues local permits, letters and installer licenses and enforces the state standards. Bradley and other non-contract counties go through TDEC's Chattanooga field office. This is general information, not legal advice.
Does a septic pumper need a license in Tennessee?
Yes. Rule 0400-48-01-.20 requires anyone in the business of removing domestic septage to hold an annual TDEC Septic Tank Pumping Contractor permit ($200), with a truck inspection, a monthly disposal log and the permit number lettered on the vehicle. In Hamilton County the pumper also needs a county pumper license. Both TDEC's DataViewer and the county's 2026 list are public, so check the name before you hire.
Is there a septic inspector license in Tennessee?
No. The state licenses installers and pumpers, not inspectors, and there is no point-of-sale septic inspection law. Septic inspections are usually done by permitted pumpers or installers, and Hamilton County sells its own Inspection Letter ($105) and Recertification Letter ($180). Your home inspection report must say it does not address sewage disposal (TCA 62-6-302), so a septic inspection is a separate step.