Drain Field Replacement in Lake County, FL

Lake County's septic permits are issued by the Florida Department of Health in Lake County. Fees there are modest: the county's adopted FY2026 schedule lists $75 for a new system and $50 for a repair. The cost driver is the setting. Open water covers about 95,300 acres in the soil survey, and Candler, Myakka and Tavares sands either drain too fast or sit on a shallow water table. Parts of the county also fall inside springs protection plans for the Wekiva system.

Permits

Florida Department of Health in Lake County, Environmental Public Health. FY2026 county schedule (Department of Health section): OSTDS new system $75; modification $70; repair $50; abandonment $50; variance $75; reinspection $25.

Local conditions

Seepage (sands too permeable to filter) is a limitation on 391,283 acres; shallow saturation on 336,003; ponding on 159,180. Water table within 30 cm on 262,493 acres.

What drives local prices

Fill/mound to gain water-table separation
Enhanced nitrogen treatment inside BMAP boundaries
Green Swamp maintenance requirements

Common jobs

Drain field replacement on sandy, wet soils
Enhanced nitrogen-reducing system in BMAP areas
Mound system installation for water-table separation
Repair permits ($50 fee)

Service area

Florida Department of Health in Lake County issues all septic permits.

Parts of the county fall inside Wekiva springs protection plans.

Communities: Clermont, Leesburg, Eustis, Tavares, Mount Dora, Groveland, Minneola, Lady Lake, Umatilla, Fruitland Park, Howey-in-the-Hills, Mascotte, Montverde, Astatula

If it is an emergency

If sewage is backing up or surfacing, contact DOH-Lake Environmental Public Health before any repair. A repair permit ($50) is required.

Questions about Lake County

What does a septic repair permit cost in Lake County?

The FY2026 county fee schedule lists $50 for an OSTDS repair, $70 for a modification and $75 for a new system.

Is my property in a springs protection area?

Parts of Lake County lie in the Wekiwa Spring and Rock Springs BMAP and in the Wekiva River basin plan. Inside those boundaries, nitrogen-reducing systems can be required. Check DEP's BMAP maps.

Sources

Fees and rules change; confirm with the permitting office. Run the estimator for a cost range.