Who permits a septic installation around Roanoke
A construction permit has to be issued before a tank or drain field goes in, and the county will not release a building permit until it is. In the Roanoke area the issuing office depends on which side of a county line the lot is on. Dunn Rite does the digging and setting once the permit and design exist.
Roanoke County, Salem and the City of Roanoke
Well and septic applications for Roanoke County are received by the Roanoke City Health Department on Williamson Road. The Alleghany and Roanoke City districts share one environmental health division there.
Botetourt and Craig counties
Both counties have their own health department offices, listed in the facts above, and each office can tell you how it handles onsite applications. Craig County residents are eligible for health department evaluation and design services.
Franklin County
Franklin County is in the West Piedmont Health District, not the Roanoke districts, and the district keeps a list of local authorized soil evaluators on its website.
How an installation works at this distance
The sequence is the same everywhere, and doing it in order keeps a long drive from being wasted.
- Hire a DPOR-licensed onsite soil evaluator or engineer to test the lot and draw the layout.
- The evaluator submits the application to the health department for your county.
- Once the construction permit is issued, call us with the permit and drawings and we schedule the install.
- After the work, the health department inspects before it issues the operation permit.
What is different about the ground here
Western Virginia’s Valley and Ridge province holds most of the state’s karst, where water moves through limestone and dolomite with little filtration. Sinkholes and springs are the signs. A soil evaluator and the health department decide whether a lot is affected, and that finding can change where the drain field is allowed.
Which repairs need a permit and which do not
In the Alleghany and Roanoke City districts, replacing a pump, filter, or the distribution box on a conventional system does not need a repair permit. Replacing a tank or drain field piping does.
That matters when you are choosing between a new distribution box and a full tank replacement. Call the health department before you assume either way.
Help for households that cannot afford a repair
The state’s Septic and Well Assistance Program can cover repairs at no cost when household income is at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Applications go to your local health department, before work starts.
Smith Mountain Lake shore in Franklin County
Franklin County has required a pump-out or inspection every five years for systems within 500 feet of the shoreline, with registration through the county. The Bedford County side has its own ordinance, covered on our Smith Mountain Lake page.
Pascat photo requestPhoto needed hereOpen excavation for a concrete septic tank on a sloping rural lot, shot from the high side in flat morning light, with the orange flagging from the soil evaluator’s stakes still visible.
Common questions
Which office do I call for a septic permit in Roanoke County?
Roanoke County well and septic applications are received by the Roanoke City Health Department, 1502 Williamson Road NE, 2nd Floor, Roanoke. VDH lists (540) 204-9780 and (540) 204-9764 for questions. Call before you hire anyone, because the office can say whether your project needs a licensed consultant’s paperwork.
Can the health department design my system instead of a private evaluator?
Sometimes. A household at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty guidelines can petition for VDH services, and Craig and Alleghany County residents are eligible for health department evaluation and design services, though an application fee applies unless income guidelines are met. Most other owners hire a licensed consultant, so ask the office which route fits your case.
Do I need a permit to replace a distribution box in Roanoke County?
Not on a conventional system, according to the Alleghany and Roanoke City health districts. Replacing a pump, filter or non-drainfield sewer line is also exempt from a repair permit. Replacing a tank, drain field piping or a subsurface drain field does need one first, so confirm with the health department before ordering parts.
What is karst, and does it affect my septic system?
Karst is landscape formed on limestone or dolomite, with sinkholes, springs and fast underground drainage. Surface water that reaches it gets little filtering or dilution. Whether your lot sits on karst is for the soil evaluator and health department to judge, and the finding can limit where a drain field may go.
Do the Smith Mountain Lake pump-out rules apply to a new system?
Yes, in Franklin County. Any system within 500 feet of the shoreline must be pumped or inspected every five years, and owners register it through the county’s online portal with a system diagram and the latest service record. The county program line is (540) 352-5155. Bringing the lids up to grade with a riser makes each of those service visits simpler.
Does Dunn Rite design the system or test the soil?
No. Soil testing and the system layout come from a DPOR-licensed evaluator or engineer, and Dunn Rite builds what the permit describes. Once you have the permit and drawings in hand, call us with them and we set a date for the excavation. If you have not found an evaluator yet, the health district lists local ones.