Septic Installation · Snellville, GA
Septic installation in Snellville starts on paper: a scaled lot sketch, a Level 3 soil report and a GNR Gwinnett permit before any trench is opened.
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or call (678) 863-5620The short answer
How is a new septic system installed in Snellville, GA?
A Snellville septic installation is permitted by GNR Public Health's Gwinnett Environmental Health office. You need a Level 3 soil report, three copies of a scaled lot sketch and a floor plan before GNR issues the permit. We confirm county sewer isn't close enough to require a hookup, install to the permit, and have it inspected before backfill.↗↗↗
Reviewed by Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions · Last updated
The Snellville story
First question on a Snellville lot: tank, or tap?
Snellville is not a blank rural map. Gwinnett County owns and operates the sanitary sewer inside the city, so before anyone prices a tank we look at where the nearest main runs. Georgia's on-site rules send a building to public sewer when a line sits within 200 feet of the property or in the abutting right-of-way, and a replacement system is only an option when that test comes up empty.↗↗
The city itself acknowledges both paths. Its stormwater credit application carries a Sewer System Connection credit as well as a septic maintenance credit, which tells you plenty of Snellville parcels sit on one side of that line or the other. Installation work here is usually a full replacement behind a house from the late 1980s or 1990s, sometimes a new build on an infill lot where the main never reached.↗
One quirk helps the layout. Snellville's 2001 ordinance banned new wells and closed existing ones except for irrigation, so most applications check public water, and fewer drinking-water wells complicate the setback drawing.↗
Snellville is not a blank rural map.
Permits · GNR Public Health — Gwinnett Environmental Health, 455 Grayson Highway, Suite 600, Lawrenceville
What GNR wants on the desk before it permits a Snellville install
- 01
Three copies of a lot sketch drawn at 1 inch = 40 feet or larger, showing lot lines, the house footprint, driveway, patios, sheds, buried utilities, the plumbing stub-out, and any well, spring or water body within 100 feet.↗
- 02
An original stamped Level 3 soil report from a state-recognized classifier, unless an approved one is already on file for the parcel.↗
- 03
A floor plan for every story with each room labeled, so the bedroom count and tank size agree.↗
- 04
If the lot is difficult, an engineered site plan that draws both the original system and its repair area at 100 percent of length, with any reduction granted only at permit issuance.↗
- 05
GNR allows itself ten working days to review and visit; the resulting permit is good for twelve months, and the system is inspected before it is covered.↗
What it costs
What a Snellville septic installation tends to run
New or replacement system, Gwinnett County estimate
$2,000–$20,000
Typical market range — Gwinnett County DWR — Septic Tanks
Conventional gravity system, 3-bedroom, 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
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
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- 01Whether GNR asks for an engineered plan once it reviews the sketch.
- 02Removing or abandoning the old tank on a replacement job.
- 03Getting a machine past fences and mature landscaping in an established yard.
- 04Bedroom count, which fixes the minimum tank and field size.
More about Snellville
The no-shortcut rule, in dollars
Gwinnett's county water department pegs a new or replacement septic system anywhere from $2,000 to $20,000, and the spread mostly reflects soil and system type. What turns a fair price into a bad one is skipping paperwork: GNR's 2026 schedule charges double the permit fees when a system goes in without a permit, and an uninspected install becomes a problem the day the house is sold.↗↗
Warning signs
Signs a Snellville system is due for replacement, not another patch
Seeing two or more of these? Call before it gets worse.
- 1. The same field has been repaired before and is soggy again.
- 2. The tank is steel or cracked concrete and the pumper flags it as failing.
- 3. You're adding bedrooms and the old tank was sized for fewer.
- 4. Pumping more often no longer stops the slow drains.
- 5. A sale or refinance turned up a system with no permit on file.
More about Snellville
Houses and businesses along US-78
A Snellville house system is sized by bedrooms from the floor plan GNR requires. A shop or office on septic along US-78 or Scenic Highway goes through the $600 commercial permit line instead, and its design is driven by the use rather than bedrooms, so the review usually takes more back-and-forth.↗↗
On the state installer list
Atlanta Water & Sewage Solutions appears on Georgia DPH's list of certified septic tank installers dated 9/18/2026.
FAQ
Snellville septic installation questions
Straight answers, with the rule or record behind them. Still unsure? Call and ask the crew that digs.
(678) 863-5620Can I put in a new septic system if county sewer is nearby?
Usually not. Georgia requires connection when public sewer lies within 200 feet of the property line or in the adjoining right-of-way, and Gwinnett runs the sewer inside Snellville.
Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 (On-Site Sewage Management Systems)
What drawing scale does GNR accept for my lot sketch?
One inch to 40 feet or larger, such as 1 inch to 30 or 20 feet, submitted in three copies.
Source: GNR Residential Septic System New Construction Permit Application and Requirements (Rev. 2024-05-03)
Do I need a soil report for a brand-new system?
Yes. GNR requires a Level 3 soil report on every Gwinnett septic permit, and a Level 4 may be added for alternative systems.
How long is the installation permit valid?
Twelve months from the date GNR issues it.
Source: GNR Residential Septic System New Construction Permit Application and Requirements (Rev. 2024-05-03)
What does GNR charge to permit a house system?
$275 covers the residential site evaluation, permit and first inspection in 2026; a commercial system is $600.
Source: GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule — Gwinnett County (effective Jan 1, 2026)
Does a GNR permit guarantee the system will work?
No. The application states that permit approval is not a guarantee of performance, which is why the soil report and inspection matter.
Source: GNR Residential Septic System New Construction Permit Application and Requirements (Rev. 2024-05-03)
I have an old well in the yard. Does that matter?
It goes on the sketch. Snellville closed most wells in 2001 but allowed irrigation use, and any well within 100 feet must be shown.
Source: Wikipedia — Snellville, Georgia
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
- 1GNR Public Health — Septic Systems
- 2GNR Residential Septic System New Construction Permit Application and Requirements (Rev. 2024-05-03)
- 3Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1 (On-Site Sewage Management Systems)
- 4City of Snellville Stormwater Management Plan (Aug 2024)
- 5City of Snellville — Stormwater Utility Credit Manual and Application Form
- 6Wikipedia — Snellville, Georgia
- 7GNR Environmental Health Fee Schedule — Gwinnett County (effective Jan 1, 2026)
- 8Gwinnett County DWR — Septic Tanks
- 9Septic & Well Pro — Septic Installation Cost Georgia 2026 (updated June 9, 2026)
- 10Angi — Cost to Install a Septic System in Atlanta (2026 data)
- 11Georgia DPH Certified Septic Tank Installers list (dated 9/18/2026)
Ready when you are
Replacing a system in Snellville? We'll check the sewer map first.
Call for a free site visit: we look at sewer distance, soil and access, then map out the GNR paperwork with you.
(678) 863-5620- Georgia DPH-certified installer & pumper
- Residential & commercial
- Oxford, GA
Free estimate
or call (678) 863-5620