Where the permit comes from
One health district covers the whole area, and its Onsite Sewage and Water Program assesses installation drawings and issues construction permits for Charlottesville, Albemarle, Louisa, Greene, Nelson and Fluvanna. Each county keeps its own office, so call the one nearest your lot. Our permits and health department guide explains the paperwork in order.
Dunn Rite starts after the permit exists. We do not assess drawings or issue anything; we excavate and set the system the permit describes.
How a job from Lynchburg is planned
The first step is a visit from a DPOR-licensed soil evaluator or engineer, not from us. Their drawings go to the health office, and the construction permit comes back.
With permit in hand, call us and we set the date for the tank and field work. A new home also waits on this paper, since the building permit follows the septic permit.
Sizing follows the bedroom count
VDH sizes a residential system at a peak flow of 150 gallons per day for each bedroom. An addition that adds a bedroom can mean a larger tank or drain field than the house has now.
Tell the evaluator about planned additions before the drawings are done.
Lots that fail a conventional design
Some rural lots in the area are developed only because alternative onsite systems can be permitted where soil or space is limited. Those systems need a licensed operator to visit at least once a year, and a notice is recorded on the deed.
Ask the evaluator early whether your design is conventional. Dunn Rite works from the drawings it is handed, so tell us before booking if the design includes treatment units.
Help for low-income homeowners
For Nelson County and its neighbors, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission runs a Septic Assistance Program for low-income households in the rural parts of the district. It can cover repair, replacement and sewer connection. You must apply to the local partner organization before any work is done.
Public sewer boundaries in Albemarle
The Albemarle County Service Authority can provide public water and sewer only inside its jurisdictional area, set by the Board of Supervisors. If your address is outside it, you are on a septic system and may need risers or a replacement sooner than you expect. Check the county’s map first.
Pascat photo requestPhoto needed hereA freshly set concrete septic tank in an open excavation, riser collar visible, shot from the edge of the hole at standing height in overcast light, with red Piedmont clay in the spoil pile.
Common questions
Who do I call for a septic permit in Albemarle County?
Call the Blue Ridge Health District’s environmental health line, (434) 972-6219, at 1138 Rose Hill Drive in Charlottesville. The district’s Onsite Sewage and Water Program assesses installation drawings and issues construction permits for Albemarle, Charlottesville and four neighboring counties, so one set of procedures covers all of them.
Does adding a bedroom change my septic requirements?
It can. VDH designs residential systems for 150 gallons per day per bedroom, so an extra bedroom raises the required capacity. Talk to the health department before you apply for a building permit, because the addition may call for a bigger tank or field.
Which Louisa County and Fluvanna County offices handle septic?
Louisa’s environmental health line is (540) 967-3707, at 101 Woolfolk Avenue in Louisa. Fluvanna’s office is at 132 Main Street (Route 15) in Palmyra, (434) 591-1965. Both belong to the same district as Charlottesville, so permits follow one set of procedures. Call the office nearest the lot, since each county keeps its own staff.
Can the septic assistance program pay for a replacement tank?
The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission program lists maintenance, inspection, repair, replacement and sewer connection as eligible work for low-income rural homeowners. You apply through the partner group in your county before work begins, not after. TJPDC’s number is (434) 979-7310; ask there which county partner handles your address.
What happens to a property with an alternative septic system when it is sold?
The owner records a notice on the deed before VDH issues the operation permit, so the next buyer is told the property has an alternative system. A licensed operator must visit at least once a year, and the buyer inherits that obligation.
How do I know if I can connect to Albemarle County public sewer?
Only land inside the Albemarle County Service Authority’s jurisdictional area can be served, and changing the boundary takes an application and Board of Supervisors approval. Ask the Authority or the county whether your parcel is inside before planning a septic system.