Septic Installation · Covington, GA
New septic system installation around Covington, Georgia, on the lots the city sewer does not reach.
- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Local shop in Oxford, GA
Get a free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
Can I install a new septic system in Covington, GA?
Inside Covington city limits, only where public sewer is unavailable and the lot is at least 20,000 square feet. Outside the city, Newton County zoning and GNR Public Health govern: a Level 3 soil report, a $275 residential permit and an inspection before backfill. Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions designs, permits and installs the system.↗↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
At a glance
The Covington story
A city that bans tanks by default
Covington's sewer chapter starts from a blunt position: building a septic tank, cesspool or privy is unlawful unless the code's own exceptions apply. The exception is a property where a public sewer is not available. Only then may a building drain to a private system, and that system has to follow every state recommendation on type, capacity and layout.↗
Lot size is the second filter. The city will not permit a soil-absorption system on a lot under 20,000 square feet, and its own zoning table sets the smallest single-family lot at 12,000 square feet in NR-1. In other words, a typical in-town lot was drawn for the sewer, not for a drain field. New tanks inside the limits mostly land on older, larger parcels at the edge of the system.↗↗
On the record
- Covington Code 13.16.130 makes it unlawful to build or keep a privy, septic tank or cesspool except as the chapter allows.↗
- Covington Code 13.16.160: no permit for a subsurface-absorption system on a lot smaller than 20,000 square feet.↗
- Covington zoning minimum lot areas: 12,000 sq ft (NR-1), 5,000 sq ft (NR-2), 1,800 sq ft (NR-3).↗
Local facts
County lot minimums for a new septic home near Covington
Each row links to the agency, code or publisher it comes from. Tap a source to check it yourself.
| Topic | What it says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| AR district, well and septic | 60,000 square feet | Newton County Zoning Ordinance (UDO Chapter 1), working copy with amendments through 07-19-2022 |
| AR district, public water and septic | 43,560 square feet (one acre) | Newton County Zoning Ordinance (UDO Chapter 1), working copy with amendments through 07-19-2022 |
| Alcovy River/Little River watershed district | Two-acre minimum lot outside designated development nodes | Newton County Zoning Ordinance (UDO Chapter 1), working copy with amendments through 07-19-2022 |
| Dominant soils | Cecil (about 26% of the county) and Pacolet (about 22%), both red clay subsoils | USDA NRCS Soil Data Access — Newton and Rockdale Counties survey (GA649), Newton overlap |
Permits · GNR Public Health — Newton Environmental Health, 1113 Usher Street, Covington
From bare lot to approved system
- 01
A state-recognized soil classifier digs and writes the Level 3 soil report; GNR has required one on every new permit since February 7, 2022.↗
- 02
The application goes in with three copies of a lot sketch at 1 inch = 40 feet or larger, showing wells or water within 100 feet, the driveway, utilities and the plumbing stub-out.↗
- 03
A floor plan with every room labeled rides along; the bedroom count on it has to match the application, because the tank is sized from it.↗
- 04
GNR asks for 10 working days to review and visit the lot. A difficult site can trigger an engineered plan at 1 inch = 20 feet with 2-foot topography.↗
- 05
The permit runs up to 12 months. We install to it, and Environmental Health inspects the open system before any trench is covered.↗
What it costs
What a new system costs to put in
Conventional gravity system, 3 bedrooms (Georgia)
$6,397–$7,600
Typical market range — Septic & Well Pro — Septic Installation Cost Georgia 2026 (updated June 9, 2026), 2026
Chamber system (Georgia)
$7,000–$12,000
Typical market range — Septic & Well Pro — Septic Installation Cost Georgia 2026 (updated June 9, 2026), 2026
Mound or aerobic treatment unit (Georgia)
$10,000–$20,000
Typical market range — Septic & Well Pro — Septic Installation Cost Georgia 2026 (updated June 9, 2026), 2026
Drain field installation (Atlanta)
$5,000–$12,000
Typical market range — Angi — Cost to Install a Septic System in Atlanta (2026 data), 2026
Level III soil classification (Georgia)
$500–$1,500
Typical market range — Septic & Well Pro — Septic Installation Cost Georgia 2026 (updated June 9, 2026), 2026
GNR Newton residential permit and first inspection
$275
Typical market range — GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule — Newton County, 2026
What moves the price
These are third-party typical market ranges, not our prices. Every job is quoted after we see it — estimates are free.
Free estimate: (678) 863-5620- 01Bedroom count on the floor plan, which fixes the tank size
- 02How slowly the clay under the field takes water
- 03Slope: Pacolet ground often means stepped trenches or a pump
- 04Slab houses with deep stub-outs that need a pump tank
Warning signs
Lot red flags before you buy land near Covington
Seeing two or more of these? Call before it gets worse.
- 1. A creek, pond or spring within 100 feet of the property line
- 2. Frequently flooded bottomland soils mapped on part of the tract
- 3. Steep side slopes where most of the flat ground is taken by the house pad
- 4. A well planned on a lot barely over the county minimum
- 5. Parcel lines inside the city limits but more than 200 feet from any sewer
More about Covington
New houses, churches and shops
A house is sized by bedrooms: Georgia sets 1,000 gallons as the tank minimum through four bedrooms, adding capacity for more rooms or a garbage grinder. We lay out the field to the soil report and the setbacks, then set the tank, distribution box and lines ourselves.↗
Commercial work around Covington runs on a separate GNR application. It lists building types like churches, stores and personal care homes, and asks for square footage, room uses and employee counts instead of bedrooms. A three-copy site plan with 2-foot topography is standard, not optional.↗
- Commercial wastewater with BOD5 or TSS above 200 mg/l needs pretreatment calculations on the GNR site plan to bring it to 200 mg/l or below.↗
A house is sized by bedrooms: Georgia sets 1,000 gallons as the tank minimum through four bedrooms, adding capacity for more rooms or a garbage grinder.
FAQ
New septic questions from Covington buyers and builders
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620My lot is inside Covington. Can I put in a septic tank?
Only if city sewer is not available to it and the lot is at least 20,000 square feet. The city code otherwise prohibits new septic tanks, and a later sewer extension would require connecting and filling the old tank.
Source: Covington, GA Code of Ordinances, Chapter 13.16 Sewer Systems (Municode)
How big does a county lot need to be?
In the AR district, one acre with public water and septic, or 60,000 square feet if you also need a well. Inside the Alcovy River/Little River watershed district the floor rises to two acres outside development nodes.
Source: Newton County Zoning Ordinance (UDO Chapter 1), working copy with amendments through 07-19-2022
What does the Newton County permit cost for a new house?
The 2026 GNR Newton schedule lists $275 for the residential site evaluation, permit and first inspection. A commercial system is $600, and resubmitting revised plans is $125.
Source: GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule — Newton County
Can I change my floor plan after the septic permit is issued?
Tell Environmental Health first. GNR voids the permit if bedrooms are added, a different plan is built or the house moves without review, and a fresh application and fee follow.
Source: GNR Residential Septic System New Construction Permit Application & Requirements (Rev. 2024-05-03)
Why do builders talk about the soil report before anything else?
Because GNR will not review a new permit without a Level 3 soil report, and that report decides where the field can go and how long it must be. Classifiers are private; the report is paid separately.
Source: GNR Health — Septic Systems
What happens if a system goes in without a permit?
Newton's fee schedule charges twice the normal permit fees, and the work still has to be exposed and inspected. It is cheaper to permit first.
Source: GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule — Newton County
Nearby areas
New septic systems near Covington
- Oxford septic & sewerOur home base, just north across I-20
- Porterdale septic & sewerRiver-town lots south along the Yellow River
- Almon septic & sewerOverlay-district acreage to the west
- Conyers septic & sewerRockdale builds under the same GNR district
- Jersey septic & sewerWalton County farm tracts to the north
- Social Circle septic & sewerRural lots east along the county line
Certified to install in Georgia
Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions appears on Georgia DPH's Certified Septic Tank Installer list dated September 18, 2026, and on the state's Approved Septic Tank Pumper list from the same date. Both public lists can be checked before you hire anyone for a new system.
Sources
Where these facts come from
Rules, costs and local facts on this page link to the agency, code or publisher that states them. Cost figures are third-party market ranges, not our prices — estimates are free.
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
- 1Covington, GA Code of Ordinances, Chapter 13.16 Sewer Systems (Municode)
- 2GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule — Newton County
- 3GNR Health — Septic Systems
- 4Covington, GA Code of Ordinances, Sec. 16.16.030 Space Dimensions (Municode)
- 5Newton County Zoning Ordinance (UDO Chapter 1), working copy with amendments through 07-19-2022
- 6USDA NRCS Soil Data Access — Newton and Rockdale Counties survey (GA649), Newton overlap
- 7GNR Residential Septic System New Construction Permit Application & Requirements (Rev. 2024-05-03)
- 8Georgia DPH Rules Chapter 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems (Jan 2016)
- 9Septic & Well Pro — Septic Installation Cost Georgia 2026 (updated June 9, 2026)
- 10Angi — Cost to Install a Septic System in Atlanta (2026 data)
- 11GNR Commercial Septic System New Construction Permit Application & Requirements (Rev. 2024-05-03)
- 12Georgia DPH Certified Septic Tank Installer Companies list (9/18/2026)
- 13Georgia DPH Approved Septic Tank Pumper Companies list (9/18/2026)
Ready when you are
Building past the city sewer? START WITH THE SOIL.
Send us the parcel and the floor plan. We will tell you what the zoning and the Level 3 report are likely to allow, then price the tank and field with a free estimate.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Oxford, GA
Free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620