Georgia septic rules
Georgia septic tank size & cost
Georgia is the state where the famous '+50% disposal rule' is actually true. A typical new 3-bedroom system in Georgia runs about $6,900–$11,100 installed by our line-by-line estimate. Below: the state's actual size rule, the full table, and where every number comes from.
Rule: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 511-3-1-.05(3)–(4) · Administered by Georgia Department of Public Health · Read the official text · Checked 2026-11-08
Georgia's rule, in plain words
Georgia's base table is a plateau: 1,000 gallons flat for one through four bedrooms, then +250 per bedroom (Rule 511-3-1-.05(3)). Its disposal rule is the famous one — capacity × 1.5 with a garbage disposal — and in Georgia it is genuinely written into the rule, which is more than can be said for most states where that column gets copied.
Georgia also mandates construction details other states leave open: two compartments with the first holding at least two-thirds of the liquid capacity, and an approved effluent filter on the outlet.
The Georgia size table
| Bedrooms | Minimum tank (gal) | With garbage disposal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| 2 | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| 3 | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| 4 | 1,000 | 1,500 |
| 5 | 1,250 | 1,875 |
| 6 | 1,500 | 2,250 |
Garbage disposal: Georgia is one of the few states where the '+50% with a garbage disposal' rule is real — it is written into .05(3).
Permits come from your county health department.
Check your Georgia home
State minimum — your county can require more. Estimate this system's cost →
What a Georgia system costs
Our estimator prices a conventional 3-bedroom system in Georgia (lower-cost area, 1,000-gal tank) at $6,900–$11,100 installed, assembled from a soil test, the permit, the tank at published prices, drainfield material, fittings and labor. Build your own estimate →
How Georgia compares (3-bedroom minimum)
Full ten-state chart: septic tank size chart.
Other states we've checked
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