Sewer Line Installation & Replacement · Redan, GA
Redan sewer line installation for new connections and septic-to-sewer conversions in unincorporated DeKalb.
- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Local shop in Oxford, GA
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or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
How does sewer line installation work in Redan, GA?
Redan is unincorporated, so DeKalb County Watershed Management controls every new sewer connection. The owner pays for and installs the building sewer on private land, secures a county tap or confirms an existing stub, and passes inspection. Homes leaving septic also have to empty and abandon the old tank correctly.↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
The Redan story
Why Redan still has houses waiting to connect
Redan grew fast in the 1980s; the median home here dates to 1986. The census-designated place counts roughly 12,000 housing units on under ten square miles. Any house from that era still draining to its original tank is now about four decades in, which is late in the working life of most septic systems.↗↗
DeKalb's own code admits the problem in plain terms: certain areas of the county are served by septic tanks, many of them old and at risk of failure. That is the reason the county created septic-to-sewer conversion districts, and the reason a new lateral is often a better long-term spend than a new drain field.↗
Money is the other nudge. The county bills sewer charges only to customers who are connected; households on septic pay nothing for sewer today. Once you connect, a sewer line appears on the water bill, so we walk through that monthly change along with the up-front cost before any digging starts.↗
Sewer or septic?
When Redan owners have to connect, and when they may choose
Two sets of rules overlap here. The state rule looks at distance from the property line; DeKalb's code adds a notice-and-deadline process for lots on a street that already has a public sewer. In a county conversion district, connecting is encouraged rather than forced unless health, water quality or a nuisance makes it urgent.↗↗
How to tell which one you have
- Look for a sewer line item on your DeKalb water bill; none usually means septic
- Find a cleanout near the street versus a tank lid in the back yard
- Ask DeKalb's Document Control office for sewer stub and lateral location records
Permits · DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management
The DeKalb paperwork behind a Redan sewer hookup
- 01
For a new single-family house planned on sewer instead of septic, Watershed must complete a Sewer Capacity Evaluation before the building permit is released.↗
- 02
Lots with no existing tap file a Sewer Tap Application; the permit grants only the right to connect at the owner's expense.↗
- 03
Stub, tap, lateral and water-main location records, plus sewer capacity forms, run through Watershed's Document Control group at 770-414-6188.↗
- 04
In a conversion district, the owner's plumber lays pipe from the building drain to the county stub-out, and the plumbing and tap fees are paid before inspection and connection.↗
Georgia rule DeKalb Code Sec. 25-185
“Certain areas within the county are served by septic tanks, many of which are old and may potentially fail.”
More about Redan
Building the line and retiring the tank
Fee figures above come from DeKalb's 2022 rate sheet, the most recent tap schedule we could find; confirm the current amount with the county before you budget. Everything on your side of the property line, from the house drain to the stub, is yours to build and maintain.↗↗
On a Redan conversion we start by locating the county stub and checking its depth, because a 1980s house plumbed toward a back-yard tank may leave the foundation on the wrong side. Then we set grade, trench, bed the pipe, add cleanouts, and hold the trench open for the county inspection.
The septic tank is pumped by a certified hauler, then crushed or filled with gravel or other inert material so it cannot collapse under a mower later. Commercial sites follow the same order with larger pipe, flow-based fees and, for kitchens, a grease interceptor.
Fee figures above come from DeKalb's 2022 rate sheet, the most recent tap schedule we could find; confirm the current amount with the county before you budget.
What it costs
Budgeting a Redan sewer installation
New sewer line installed
$40–$180 per linear foot
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Installation Cost (2025), 2025
New line up to 40 feet, total
$1,600–$7,200
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Installation Cost (2025), 2025
Converting a septic tank to sewer
$3,000–$15,000
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Sewer Line Installation Cost (2025), 2025
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- 01Distance and fall from the house drain to the county stub
- 02Whether the plumbing exits toward the tank or toward the street
- 03Driveways, retaining walls or trees along the route
- 04Tank abandonment and any line extension share
Warning signs
Signs a Redan septic lot is ready for sewer
Seeing two or more of these? Call before it gets worse.
- 1. The drain field stays soggy days after rain
- 2. Pump-outs are coming closer together
- 3. A county sewer main has been extended down your street
- 4. A health department repair estimate rivals the cost of connecting
- 5. You are planning an addition that the existing system cannot handle
More about Redan
Homes, duplexes and storefronts
Most Redan jobs are single-family laterals, four-inch pipe on a straight run to the street. Storefronts, churches and small offices along Covington Highway may need a larger service, and DeKalb figures their access fee from population equivalents rather than a flat residential charge.↗
Wastewater from this part of the county ends up at one of DeKalb's two sewage plants, and the department runs 67 lift stations to move flow over the hills. A clean, tight new lateral keeps rain out of that system. The inspection checks for that.↗
- DeKalb reports operating 67 lift stations and three major treatment facilities: one for drinking water and two for wastewater.↗
Most Redan jobs are single-family laterals, four-inch pipe on a straight run to the street.
FAQ
Redan sewer installation questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Does Redan have its own sewer utility?
No. Redan is a census-designated place, not a city, so DeKalb County Watershed Management owns the mains and approves every tap.
Source: Wikipedia: Redan, Georgia
Am I required to leave septic if sewer runs past my house?
If the sewer is within 200 feet of your property line, or your septic system fails, state rules require connection. DeKalb can also issue a formal notice that starts a deadline.
Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems
What does DeKalb charge to connect a house?
The 2022 rate sheet lists a $1,811.93 residential sewer access fee. Plumbing permit and tap charges are added, so check current figures with the county.
Source: DeKalb County 2022 Current Rates — Water and Sewer Rates and Service Charges (via Wayback)
Will there be a stub waiting at my lot line?
Not always. The county packet says plainly that there is no guarantee of a stub, which is why we request the location records first.
Source: DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability — Watershed Packet (revised 5/6/25)
Who pays for the pipe across my yard?
You do. DeKalb's code puts the building sewer's installation and connection costs on the owner.
Source: DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 3 — Building Sewers and Connections (Municode, Supp. 72)
Will my bill go up after I connect?
Yes. Septic customers pay no sewer charges, so a sewer charge is added once you are on the system.
Source: Services and Billing | DeKalb County Watershed Management
What happens to my old septic tank?
It is pumped and then crushed or filled so it cannot cave in. We handle that as part of the conversion.
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
- 1DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 3 — Building Sewers and Connections (Municode, Supp. 72)
- 2DeKalb County Planning & Sustainability — Watershed Packet (revised 5/6/25)
- 3Wikipedia: Redan, Georgia
- 4Census Reporter: Redan CDP, GA (ACS 2024 5-year)
- 5DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 2.5 — Septic-to-sewer conversion special tax districts (Municode, Supp. 72)
- 6Services and Billing | DeKalb County Watershed Management
- 7DeKalb County Code Ch. 25, Art. IV, Div. 1 — Sewers and Sewage Disposal, Generally (Municode, Supp. 72)
- 8Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 On-Site Sewage Management Systems
- 9DeKalb Watershed Management Service Call List (revised July 11, 2025)
- 10DeKalb County 2022 Current Rates — Water and Sewer Rates and Service Charges (via Wayback)
- 11HomeGuide — Sewer Line Installation Cost (2025)
- 12Watershed Management | DeKalb County, GA
Ready when you are
Done paying for pump-outs in Redan? Let's map your route to the county sewer.
We check the stub records, the grade and the fees, then give you one number for the whole hookup.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Oxford, GA
Free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620