Guide
The septic permit process in Citrus and Hernando counties, step by step
Verified against primary sources as of 2026-07-18.
The short version: in both Citrus and Hernando counties, septic permits run through the county health department: application first, then the county's site and soil evaluation, then permit issuance, then construction, then final inspection. Nothing is built before the permit issues. Hernando publishes verified fees ($350.00 construction permit, $100.00 application and plan review); Citrus fees should be confirmed with the office at (352) 513-6100.
Why the county health department, after 2021
Florida moved its Onsite Sewage Program from the Department of Health to the Department of Environmental Protection on July 1, 2021 under the Clean Waterways Act (SB 712, Ch. 2020-150; Florida DEP program page). Some counties moved to DEP-direct permitting; Citrus and Hernando did not. Here the county health department remains the local permitting authority, running applications, evaluations, permits, and inspections, while DEP administers the statewide program and the contractor registration. Practical consequence: your permit questions get answered by a local office you can call, and the person quoting your project should know that office's habits.
The five steps, in order
- Application. The contractor (or an owner-builder) files with the county office: parcel details, site plan, and the proposed work, whether a new installation, a drainfield replacement, or a permitted repair.
- Site and soil evaluation. A county evaluator reads the parcel: soil profile by horizon, estimated seasonal high water table, setbacks, and usable drainfield area. On the Springs Coast this step carries the design: coastal lowland parcels around Crystal River, Homosassa, and western Spring Hill often evaluate wet and push toward mounded or engineered fields, while ridge and eastern parcels evaluate deeper and drier.
- Permit issuance, with the PFA question answered. For parcels inside a spring Priority Focus Area, a repair or modification application filed on or after 2025-12-15 must include an enhanced nitrogen-reducing design, per the DOH-Citrus (2025-10-09) and DOH-Hernando (2025-10-10) notices; the mandate guide carries that framework and the ENR page the technology options.
- Construction. Performed by a state-registered septic tank contractor (Chapter 489, Part III, Florida Statutes), to the permitted design.
- Final inspection. The county verifies the installed system matches the permit before it goes into service. Advanced systems pick up their DEP operating permit and maintenance-contract obligations here; see owning an ENR system.
The two offices, side by side
| Citrus County | Hernando County | |
|---|---|---|
| Office | DOH-Citrus, Environmental Public Health (onsite sewage page) | DOH-Hernando, Environmental Health, Brooksville office |
| Phone | (352) 513-6100 | (352) 540-6800 |
| Construction permit fee | Unverified; confirm with the office | $350.00 (form DH 4015, verified) |
| Application / plan review | Unverified; confirm with the office | $100.00 (form DH 4015, verified) |
| Other verified items | $10 unmarked-lot fee | |
| PFA zones in county | Kings Bay; Homosassa / Chassahowitzka | Weeki Wachee (reaching Spring Hill) |
Fee basis: DOH-Hernando permit-instruction form DH 4015. We do not print figures we could not verify, which is why the Citrus cells say so instead of guessing.
Realistic timelines
Plan in weeks. Evaluation scheduling, permit review, and construction each take their share, and county workload moves seasonally. Two things reliably compress the calendar: a complete application the first time (parcel number, accurate site plan, clear scope) and a contractor who works with the office weekly. Two things reliably stretch it: wet-season evaluations on low parcels, and redesigns after an application assumed the wrong system type for a PFA parcel, which is why the parcel check belongs before the application, not after.
Owner-builder or contractor-led?
Florida permits owner-builders in limited circumstances, but on the Springs Coast the practical answer is contractor-led: the registered contractor prepares the application, meets the evaluator, builds to the permitted design, and stands behind the final inspection. The permitting and soil evaluation service page covers what that looks like as part of a project, and the county pages carry the local specifics: Citrus and Hernando.