Septic Inspection · Snellville, GA
Septic inspection in Snellville, starting with Gwinnett's digitized system records and finishing with the tank opened and checked against them.
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or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
What does a septic inspection in Snellville, GA include?
A Snellville septic inspection starts with the county's digitized record for the parcel, which can show where the tank and drain field were drawn. We then locate and open the tank, measure sludge and scum, check the baffles and outlet, walk the field, and give you a written report you can hand to a buyer, lender or GNR.↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
The Snellville story
The house is from 1991. Is there even a tank?
That is the first thing many Snellville buyers need answered. Gwinnett runs sewer through much of the city, but the city still publishes a septic guide for owners because not every older house was connected. The median Snellville home was built in 1991, so a typical system under a house on the market today has thirty-plus years behind it, and the listing sheet rarely says which kind of house you're buying.↗↗↗
Gwinnett gives buyers a head start on the paper trail. In 2011 the county finished scanning hundreds of thousands of paper septic records and made them free to view through its GIS, a project done with the East Metro Health District, the public health agency then serving Gwinnett, Rockdale and Newton. For many parcels that means a drawing of the tank and field before anyone picks up a probe.↗
More about Snellville
County letter or contractor report: which one you need
GNR's Gwinnett office sells a visual existing-system evaluation, a review of records and site conditions, which lenders and permit desks sometimes ask for. A contractor inspection is different: the tank is uncovered and pumped so the walls, baffles and outlet can actually be seen. Buyers usually want the second; a permit for a bedroom addition or a pool may call for the first.↗↗
Planning an addition in Snellville changes the stakes. GNR prices a site evaluation for an addition that needs no septic change at $150, but if the added rooms mean modifying the system, the permit application requires a Level 3 soil report first. An inspection before you draw plans tells you which of those two paths you're on.↗↗
GNR's Gwinnett office sells a visual existing-system evaluation, a review of records and site conditions, which lenders and permit desks sometimes ask for.
Permits · Records: GNR Public Health — Gwinnett Environmental Health, 770.963.5132
How we run a Snellville inspection, start to finish
- 01
Pull the parcel's septic sketch from the county GIS and ask GNR for the permit file if the drawing is missing.↗
- 02
Confirm the house is not already billed for sewer; a $0.00 sewer charge on the Gwinnett water bill points to septic.↗
- 03
Locate, uncover and pump the tank so each compartment, baffle and the outlet can be seen.↗
- 04
Walk the drain field for wet spots, odor and settling, and compare the layout with the county drawing.↗
- 05
Deliver a dated written report; if repairs are needed, GNR requires a Level 3 soil report before permitting them.↗
What it costs
Typical inspection prices a Snellville buyer will see
Visual septic inspection, Atlanta
$100–$200
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Septic Inspection Cost (Dec 7, 2023), 2023
Full inspection for a real estate sale, Atlanta
$300–$600+
Typical market range — HomeGuide — Septic Inspection Cost (Dec 7, 2023), 2023
Private DPH-certified inspection, Georgia
$300–$500
Typical market range — Septic & Well Pro — Septic Inspection Georgia: Home Sale Guide (updated April 10, 2026), 2026
Camera inspection of pipes, Georgia
$200–$400
Typical market range — Septic & Well Pro — Septic Inspection Georgia: Home Sale Guide (updated April 10, 2026), 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- 01Buried lids with no risers on an older tank.
- 02Pumping needed to see the tank walls and baffles.
- 03A camera run if the line to the tank is suspect.
Warning signs
Red flags that should trigger an inspection before closing
Seeing two or more of these? Call before it gets worse.
- 1. The seller has no pump-out receipts at all.
- 2. A patch of greener grass or fresh sod over part of the backyard.
- 3. Floor drains or a basement toilet below the tank outlet.
- 4. An addition or finished basement with no septic permit to match.
- 5. The GIS sketch shows the field under what is now a patio or shed.
More about Snellville
Homes versus small commercial buildings
Most Snellville inspections are tied to a house sale or an addition. Commercial parcels along US-78 and Scenic Highway sometimes turn out to be on septic too, and a change of use such as an office becoming a restaurant needs the system checked against the new flow before GNR signs off.↗
FAQ
Snellville septic inspection questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620How do I find my Snellville septic system on a map?
Gwinnett's GIS shows digitized septic records for many parcels, free, since the county's 2011 scanning project.
Source: Gwinnett County — Septic Tank Records Now Available Online (news release, June 14, 2011)
How far back do Gwinnett septic records go?
Environmental Health keeps records of systems installed since 1959.
What does the county charge to evaluate an existing system?
GNR's 2026 fee for a visual existing-system evaluation in Gwinnett is $145.
Source: GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule — Gwinnett County (effective Jan 1, 2026)
I'm adding a bedroom. Do I need a soil report?
Only if the septic system must be modified. Otherwise GNR's addition evaluation is $150.
Source: GNR Residential Septic System Permit Application (Rev. 2024-05-03)
Is a septic inspection required to sell a house in Snellville?
Not by state rule; Georgia's Chapter 511-3-1 sets no point-of-sale requirement, though lenders and buyers often ask for one.
Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 (On-Site Sewage Management Systems)
Should the tank be pumped during the inspection?
Yes, for a real look. You can't judge baffles or cracks through a full tank.
Source: Georgia DPH Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (2026)
Who issues repair permits if the inspection fails?
GNR's Gwinnett Environmental Health office, after a Level 3 soil report.
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
- 1Gwinnett County — Septic Tank Records Now Available Online (news release, June 14, 2011)
- 2Georgia DPH Manual for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (2026)
- 3City of Snellville Stormwater Management Plan (Aug 2024)
- 4City of Snellville — Stormwater and Drainage
- 5Census Reporter: Snellville, GA (ACS 2024 5-year)
- 6GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule — Gwinnett County (effective Jan 1, 2026)
- 7GNR Residential Septic System Permit Application (Rev. 2024-05-03)
- 8Gwinnett County DWR — Septic Tanks
- 9GNR Public Health — Septic Systems
- 10HomeGuide — Septic Inspection Cost (Dec 7, 2023)
- 11Septic & Well Pro — Septic Inspection Georgia: Home Sale Guide (updated April 10, 2026)
- 12Wikipedia — Snellville, Georgia
- 13Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 (On-Site Sewage Management Systems)
Ready when you are
Under contract in Snellville? Know the tank before you close.
We'll pull the county sketch, open the tank and give you a plain written report in time for your due-diligence deadline.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Oxford, GA
Free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620