Septic Installation in Bexar County, TX

Which Parts of Bexar County Use Septic

Central San Antonio and most of the older suburbs are served by a municipal sewer system. The further you move from the urban core, the more common on-site systems become. Unincorporated land, acreage tracts, older rural subdivisions and many properties beyond Loop 1604 rely on septic, particularly in the northern part of the county where development meets the Hill Country.

Whether a particular property can connect to sewer depends on its location and the utility that serves the area. If you are buying land or planning a new building, confirm sewer availability with the local utility before assuming you will need a septic system, or that you will not.

Two Kinds of Ground

Bexar County is not uniform. The northern and northwestern areas share the terrain of neighboring Comal and Kendall counties: rising ground, shallow soil and limestone close to the surface. Those sites usually call for an aerobic system with spray or drip distribution, and installation often means breaking rock. Further south and east, the land flattens and deeper soils are more common, which can make a conventional system possible. The site evaluation is what decides it.

Who Permits Septic Systems in Bexar County

Bexar County requires every on-site sewage facility in the county to be permitted, and the program is administered by the county’s Environmental Services office, part of the Public Works Department. A permit is needed for a new system, for repairs or changes to an existing system, and for an existing system found operating without one. Aerobic systems carry ongoing maintenance reporting requirements after installation. Parts of northern Bexar County also lie over the Edwards Aquifer, and projects there may face additional review.

The site evaluation must be performed by a licensed site evaluator, and the design submitted for the permit must be prepared by a registered sanitarian or professional engineer. We work closely with an engineer we have a great relationship with and will put you in contact with them through our septic design and engineer referral service. The engineer handles the evaluation and design and guides you through the process. If you already have a design, we can price and install from it. We then install the system under our TCEQ OSSF installer license OS0031132, coordinate the county inspections and finish the site.

Residential and Commercial Projects

• New construction for custom homes and builders on acreage
• Replacement of failing systems on older properties
• Commercial systems for businesses, churches and other sites outside sewer service, including multi-tank aerobic systems and large drip fields
• Excavation and site work such as clearing, pads and driveways

About Our Company

Peter Varhol Construction has installed septic systems since 1995. The company is family owned, licensed and insured, and run by Dennis and Mike Varhol, who have spent their lives in the Hill Country. We work from our yard in Comal County, a short drive from northern Bexar County. For an idea of pricing, see our septic cost guide. For a firm number, we visit the property and provide a written quote.