Septic systems outside city limits need a permit

Texas calls a home septic system an OSSF, short for On-Site Sewage Facility. In rural Hunt County, that paperwork starts with the Hunt County Health Department's Environmental Services office. The county's Septic Systems page gives the current office, phone number, and email.

TCEQ says an OSSF permit and approved plan are needed to build, change, repair, extend, or operate a system. It also tells owners to work through the local permitting authority, because local programs can be stricter than the state minimum.

For a land buyer, the plain question is simple: does the existing septic system have county paperwork, or will a new one be needed? Ask before closing. Septic fixes get more expensive after the keys are in your hand.