Septic FAQ for Travis County Homeowners

For a conventional system, where the tank feeds a drainfield, plan on pumping every three to five years. West of I-35, most homes run aerobic units instead, and Texas law has those inspected three times a year. With an Advantage Plan, each of those visits checks the sludge level, so you'll know when it's time to pump. We pump both kinds, and our page on septic tank pumping in Travis County walks through the visit.

We pump the tank, but we never pump it dry, because the bacteria left behind are what treat your water. On the aerobic units common west of I-35, every pump-out also includes a check of the aerator, spray heads and control panel. If a part is wearing out, we catch it while we're already there. We visually inspect the tank as well, and you get a receipt of the pump-out for your files.

Yes, and you don't need to know where it is. We find the tank and dig to the lids, and we warn you before any deep digging so you know what to expect in your yard. On the hillside lots around Lake Travis and Lake Austin, we can extend our hoses to reach the tank. If the drive is steep or narrow or the lids sit deep, mention it when you call so we come prepared.

No. We can pump while you're at work or away, as long as we know what to expect at the property. Tell us about dogs or other animals, your gate code and any special instructions for the crew. On a gated acreage lot, the code is what gets the truck to your tank, so it's the one detail we can't do without.

Stop running water first: no laundry, dishwasher or showers. If the alarm is sounding, mute it at the control panel. Look for a tripped breaker for the septic system and reset it once; if it trips again, leave it off. Keep kids and pets away from any wet or overflowing spot, then call us. We take emergency calls on weekends, holidays and after hours and get someone out as soon as we can, whether that's emergency septic pumping in Austin or out in the county.

Usually not on its own. An alarm by itself can wait for business hours: mute it at the control panel and call us in the morning. It becomes an after-hours call when the alarm comes with sewage backing up into tubs, toilets or floor drains, or with sewage surfacing or a tank overflowing in the yard. For anything that can wait, call us, and we can usually get out the same day or the next.

Yes. A west-side aerobic system has a lot of moving parts: the aerator, the pump, the spray heads and the control panel, and any of them can stop the sprinklers. Call us and describe what's going on, and we'll tell you over the phone what you most likely need. Nothing gets fixed or replaced until you say go, and if you want to know what a repair visit looks like, it's laid out on our septic repair in Travis County page.

Your address decides it. Travis County permits the unincorporated areas, Austin Water covers addresses inside Austin and every Lake Austin frontage lot, and LCRA permits the land around Lake Travis, out to about 2,000 feet from the water. Bee Cave, West Lake Hills, Dripping Springs and Mustang Ridge each run their own septic programs, and Hays County permits the unincorporated land around Buda and Kyle. When your project needs a permit, we figure out which office is yours so you don't have to.

Usually not. Permitted repair work is uncommon, so most fixes go ahead without one. If yours does need a permit, we help you through the process with whichever office covers your address, whether that's Travis County, LCRA near the lake, Hays County or a city with its own program. You won't have to work out which forms go where on your own.

Not entirely, because Texas requires a maintenance contract on every aerobic system. In Hays County, once the initial two-year contract ends, the work has to be done by a licensed maintenance provider unless you've completed the county-required course. That covers homes around Buda, Kyle, Mountain City and Dripping Springs. Elsewhere, call us and we'll check what applies at your address. If you'd rather skip the course and the paperwork, an Advantage Plan takes the upkeep off your hands.

Yes, anywhere in Texas, with inspections about every four months. If you're near Lake Travis or in Hays County, your first contract has to run two years, and Hays County requires maintenance on every aerobic system after that. Our Advantage Plan meets county and TCEQ requirements and submits the compliance paperwork for you. Plans start at $39 a month. We'll help you choose a tier when you call, or read up first on the plans page.

Yes. Once your contract moves to us, our first visit is an initial inspection, and we file that with the county. Every visit after it gets filed too, which keeps your requirement covered. Inside LCRA's area around Lake Travis, those inspections are filed with LCRA instead. Each visit checks the whole system, so you hear about a worn part early. Call us, and we'll get the switch started.

We bring in a licensed designer for septic design in Travis County, and we handle the permit. West of I-35, bedrock often sits within inches of the surface, and Texas rules want two feet of suitable soil under a trench, so many lots need an aerobic design. East of I-35, the clay barely drains, so a standard drainfield usually won't work and the design plans around it. The design comes back quickly. The permit can take months, not weeks, depending on where you are and which office you're under.

Yes. We work with restaurants, event venues, RV parks, offices and other commercial buildings, and we can book commercial septic pumping in Travis County once you've locked up for the night, or on a day you aren't open for business. For repairs, call and describe what's going on. Inside Austin, commercial aerobic systems need a maintenance contract for as long as they run, and our commercial plans cover it. Call us for a free quote.

Yes. We start with a site visit to see what your system is and what the business asks of it. For a new or replacement system, we bring in a licensed designer and carry the permit, which is the slow part of the job. For a system you already run, we inspect it and say plainly what's wearing out and what can wait. Whichever you need, the quote is free.

Yes. A home on septic needs an inspection before it sells to meet the requirements, and our real estate septic inspection in Travis County fulfills them for $400 per system. We run a full test and inspect the parts, then write up detailed findings for all parties; whoever pays receives the write-up. Near Lake Travis, LCRA also requires its own inspection, covered in the next answer. Give us a call with your closing date and we'll get it on the calendar.

LCRA permits septic in a band roughly 2,000 feet deep around Lake Travis, and every change of ownership needs an LCRA septic inspection and an approval for continued use. An LCRA inspector does it, the approval is good for six months, and it's best done before closing. LCRA's map shows whether your address falls in its area. Our inspection gives the buyer or seller their own look at the system alongside it, so call us and we'll set it up ahead of closing.

A routine plan inspection looks at the whole system: the aerator, irrigation pump, spray heads, control panel, chlorine supply, spray field and sludge levels where visible. We handle all of your legally required inspections with an Advantage Plan, on any of its three tiers. Plans start at $39 a month. For any other septic inspection in Travis County, call us for inspection fees.

Every pump-out is $695 for a tank up to 1,200 gallons, aerobic or conventional, so there's one figure to know. Tanks over 1,200 gallons are quoted by phone. Lids under rock or a tank down a long, narrow drive can add work, so tell us when you call and the crew arrives ready. We quote before we pump, and the quote is the price; if something on site changes the job, we tell you before any work begins.

We come out and give you a free estimate, because the lot sets the number. Rock west of I-35 and clay east of it each shape what your lot can take, so where you sit relative to the highway matters. We'll walk you through what your lot needs and handle the permit. Call us about septic tank installation in Travis County and we'll set up the visit.