Sourced from published county fee schedules (Multnomah via the City of Portland, effective July 10, 2026; Marion, effective July 1, 2026; North Central Public Health FY2026–27; Deschutes FY2026; Washington County, November 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026; Clackamas County, undated), Oregon DEQ’s onsite program fee notice and fee table, and OAR 340-071-0140 — last checked August 2026.
Why the same system costs different amounts in different counties
Oregon does not let counties write their own septic rules — the technical standards in OAR chapter 340, divisions 071 and 073, are identical everywhere. But OAR 340-071-0140(9)(a) lets each contract county set its own fee schedule, and they have.
There is one constraint, and it is worth knowing about. OAR 340-071-0140(9)(c) says fees “may not exceed actual costs for efficiently conducted services.” The word efficiently is unusual drafting and it is doing real work: a county cannot simply pass on whatever its process happens to cost.
Published fee schedules, by county
These are every schedule we could retrieve and date. Where a county is missing, it is because we could not get the document — those are named further down rather than left out silently.
| Office | Effective | Site evaluation | Standard system | Sand filter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Central Public Health Sherman, Wasco |
FY2026–27 | $913 | $1,084 | $1,856 |
| Marion County | July 1, 2026 | $1,098 | $1,298 | $2,058 |
| Washington County | November 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026 now expired |
$1,184 | $1,474 | $2,499 |
| Deschutes County | FY2026 excludes surcharge |
$1,264 | $1,794 | $2,886 |
| Clackamas County | undated “2025” | $1,696 | $1,825 | $2,425 |
| Multnomah County via Portland Permitting & Development |
July 10, 2026 | $2,198 | $3,126 | see note |
| Oregon DEQ Curry, Jackson, Josephine |
July 1, 2021 superseded |
$700 | $1,038 | $1,566 |
Marion and North Central include the statewide DEQ surcharge in the figures above. Deschutes does not. Always check whether a schedule quotes fees inclusive or exclusive of the surcharge before comparing two counties.
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The statewide surcharge
Under OAR 340-071-0140(10)(a), DEQ and every contract county must levy a surcharge on each site evaluation, report, permit and other activity requiring an application. It is the same in all 36 counties.
| Amount | In effect from |
|---|---|
| $100 | July 1, 2021 |
| $117 | August 1, 2024 |
| $159 | on or after July 1, 2026 |
It does not apply to pumper truck inspections, annual report evaluation fees, or the certification of installers and maintenance providers.
A figure we are not publishing: one undated county schedule shows the surcharge as $120. That conflicts with $117 from two dated sources. One of them is stale and we cannot tell which, so we will not present $120 as a statewide amount.
DEQ raised its fees 33 percent and has not posted the new table
DEQ’s onsite program page states: “DEQ Onsite Program fees increase 33%, effective July 1, 2026, as authorized by the Oregon State Legislature and approved by the Environmental Quality Commission.” The change is a 3 percent annual adjustment plus a 30 percent recalibration, adopted under authority the Environmental Quality Commission delegated to the DEQ Director on January 15, 2026.
Counties we could not get a schedule for
We would rather name these than quietly leave them off a table and let you assume we checked.
| County | What happened |
|---|---|
| Douglas | Publishes no fee amounts at all. Call 541-440-6183 |
| Tillamook | Publishes no fee amounts at all |
| Baker | Could not be retrieved — site certificate error. Baker permits through Harney County Planning in Burns, 541-573-2761 |
| Klamath, Clatsop, Josephine | Sites block automated retrieval |
| Linn | Server refused the request |
| Lane | Posts new fee schedules on September 1, 2026. Worth waiting rather than budgeting off an old one |
Two things worth knowing before you pay
Your site evaluation fee buys more than one visit. Under ORS 454.755(2), it entitles you to “as many site inspections as is necessary within 90 days” from the first. A failed evaluation does not automatically mean paying the fee again — ask, inside the window.
Never carry a fee figure from one county to its neighbor. Sherman and Wasco share an office and a schedule. The six counties administered from Burns do not automatically share one — each sets its own under the same rule. A shared counter is not a shared price list.
Find your county’s office
Fees follow the office, so the first question is which office issues your permit. In fourteen counties it is a shared office covering several counties, and in six of those it is a single planning counter in Burns.
See who issues your permit, county by county · What the system itself costs to install
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a septic permit in Oregon?
It depends entirely on your county. For the same standard system the permit runs from about $1,084 at North Central Public Health to $3,126 in Multnomah County — roughly 2.9 times. A statewide DEQ surcharge of $159 applies on top for applications on or after July 1, 2026.
Why do Oregon septic fees vary so much between counties?
OAR 340-071-0140(9)(a) lets each contract county set its own schedule. The rules themselves are statewide, so the variation is purely in price. One constraint applies: OAR 340-071-0140(9)(c) says fees may not exceed actual costs for efficiently conducted services.
Are DEQ’s published septic fees current?
No. DEQ states that its onsite program fees rose 33 percent effective July 1, 2026, but the fee table still published at its own address covers August 2020 through June 2021. If you are in Curry, Jackson or Josephine County, call DEQ Medford on 541-776-6010 rather than relying on the posted table.
What is the DEQ septic surcharge?
A statewide charge levied on each site evaluation, report and permit under OAR 340-071-0140(10)(a). It was $100 from July 1, 2021, $117 from August 1, 2024, and $159 for applications on or after July 1, 2026. It does not apply to pumper truck inspections, annual report evaluation fees, or installer certification.