Perc Tests and Soil Evaluations in Georgia

Called here: Level III Soil Survey (Certified Soil Classifier) (this state no longer performs a literal perc test)

The permit chain: (1) you hire a Certified Soil Classifier directly, a private transaction; (2) the classifier does fieldwork and writes the Level III Soil Survey, documenting soil data by boring location and a suitability assessment; (3) you submit that report to your county environmental health office along with a site plat and other county-specific required documents; (4) the county board of health has up to 20 days to approve or disapprove a complete application, reviewing the report against state standards rather than repeating the classifier's fieldwork; (5) the county issues or denies the construction permit. Rule 511-3-1-.03(7) requires the submitted soil evaluation come from a certified individual with a current liability-insurance certificate attached.

The statewide review deadline is 20 days after receipt of a completed application (Rule 511-3-1-.03(2)); that clock does not start until the Level III Soil Survey is complete and submitted. Scheduling and report turnaround before that vary by firm -- one Georgia firm reported an average 2-3 week scheduling lead time but next-business-day report delivery for parcels of three acres or less. Budget multiple weeks total for the survey and county review together.

The Level III Soil Survey itself is private-market priced: two Georgia-specific secondary sources report roughly $400 to $600 for a standard residential survey (with one source's upper estimate at $800), plus a possible Level 4 follow-up study at an additional $200 to $400 reported by only one source and not independently corroborated. The county permit fee is separate and set locally; the one district verified directly, Cobb & Douglas Public Health District, charges $110 for site review plus $250 for inspection/permit, $360 combined. Combining the reported survey range with that district's fee produces roughly $760 to $1,160 before installation; your own county's fee and site's survey quote will move that number.

The Level III Soil Survey process evaluates indicators of seasonal high water as part of its standard scope at each boring, not as a live retest done only in wet months. No Georgia-specific source confirms a wet-season testing requirement or recommendation; if your site is unusually wet or borderline, ask your county environmental health office or classifier whether local conditions call for anything beyond the standard evaluation.

Georgia's on-site sewage rules (Chapter 511-3-1) still define 'Percolation Test' and 'Percolation Rate' as rule terms, but the standard documented submission for a septic permit is a Level III Soil Survey, a soil-morphology evaluation rather than a timed drainage test. The person who prepares it holds a DPH Certified Soil Classifier credential: a $100 application fee, a written exam, current liability insurance on file with the State Environmental Health Office, and renewal every two years with 30 hours of continuing education (standard renewal $400, late renewal $500). Confirm any classifier's current certification against DPH's certification page and roster before hiring -- do not take a company's word for its own credentials.

Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section (Soil Classifier Certification) · Verify a license