Arizona Reference
Maricopa County Septic Rules
Arizona's septic rules are set by the state, but Maricopa County administers them — and adds requirements of its own. Here's what applies here.
Last verified: July 2026
← Arizona septic rules when you buy or sell a home
Who administers it
Maricopa County Environmental Services Department (MCESD)
- Phone
- 602-506-3011
- Septic line
- 602-506-6616
- Address
- 301 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix, AZ 85003
Where you file the transfer
Locally, with the county. Maricopa runs transfers through its own Permit Center — not ADEQ's portal. The buyer files online within 15 days of the sale.
Fee: $50 per parcel, paid to Maricopa County. ADEQ's $70 fee does not apply here.
Permit fees
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Septic — conventional (under 3,000 gpd) | $550 |
| Septic — alternative | $1,050 |
| System site inspection | $325 |
| Alteration permit (includes 2 inspections) | $400 |
| Abandonment / closure | $175 |
A Board of Supervisors hearing on proposed increases was scheduled for July 2026 — confirm current amounts.
What's different here
Maricopa is one of the few counties with a fully codified local environmental health code, and it goes beyond the state minimum in several ways:
- Cesspools are prohibited
- No onsite system where a municipal sewer connection is reasonably and practicably feasible
- Annual maintenance records required for aerobic, SBR, and disinfection systems
- Phase I Site & Soils Evaluation required before installing
- Its own setback chart (revised 11/18/2025): 100 ft to wells, streams, and lakes; 200 ft to a drinking-water surface intake; 50 ft to an unserved adjacent lot line — reducible to 5 ft only with a recorded neighbor agreement
Other Arizona counties
This is informational guidance, not legal advice. County fee schedules change — confirm current requirements at 602-506-3011.