Houston exurbs + DFW fringe

Aerobic septic maintenance contracts in Texas

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Focus: aerobic maintenance contracts — requirements, visit scope, cost
Geo: Texas, with Houston exurbs + DFW fringe callouts
Last updated: 2026-10-05

What Texas requires (state minimum)

• First two years: every new aerobic system starts with an initial two-year service policy. For a new home it starts on the builder’s date of sale. If the house sells during those two years, the policy carries to the new owner.
• After two years: the owner of a single-family home must either sign a new contract with a licensed Maintenance Provider or maintain the system personally where local rules allow. Self-maintenance isn’t allowed for commercial, speculative residential, or multifamily property.
• Filing: a signed contract must reach the permitting authority at least 30 days before the current one expires.
• Who does the work: a TCEQ-licensed Maintenance Provider, or a registered Maintenance Technician working under one. TCEQ licenses individuals and no longer registers maintenance companies, so the contract should name the responsible person.
• Testing and reporting: at least every 4 months (three times a year), with the report sent to you and the permitting authority within 14 days of the test. Systems with approved electronic monitoring and automatic notification can drop to twice a year.
• Visit tag: the provider installs a weather-resistant tag on the motor cover, control panel, or breaker box and punches or marks it at every visit, including complaint calls.
• Cancellations: if either side ends the contract, the provider must give the permitting authority (and manufacturer) 30 days’ written notice; the owner must file a new signed contract within 30 days of termination unless self-maintaining.

Local rules can be stricter. TCEQ notes some authorities require homeowner training or prohibit self-maintenance. Fort Bend County prohibits it unless the owner is a certified maintenance provider for that unit with the required state licenses. Some counties accept Texas A&M AgriLife’s online homeowner ATU maintenance course — ask your county whether it qualifies.

What the contract must say (30 TAC 285.7)

1. Items covered by the contract
2. How fast the provider will respond to your complaint
3. The name of the Maintenance Provider responsible
4. How often routine maintenance, testing, and reporting happen
5. Who maintains the disinfection unit (chlorinator)
6. The provider’s physical business address and phone number

What a routine visit covers

• Inspect each component and record whether it works (air pump/aerator, pumps, floats, alarm, control panel, disinfection, spray heads or drip).
• Test as required — chlorine residual where disinfection is required; county programs may also call for BOD/TSS testing (Fort Bend lists chlorine residual, BOD, and TSS).
• Mark the tag; file the report with you and the county within 14 days.
• Note repairs needed. If a component isn’t working, the owner must have it repaired — often at extra cost if not covered.

Often not included unless written in (Fort Bend’s list): pumping or cleaning tanks; maintaining the disinfection unit; replacing broken spray heads; damage from power failures; homeowner misuse. AgriLife notes a “basic monitoring” contract meets the state minimum but leaves more work to you; fuller contracts cost more.

Cost bands (estimates from secondary research)

Printable contract comparison

Switching providers or buying a home

• Line the new contract up to start when the old one ends and make sure it’s filed with the county — a gap is a compliance problem.
• Buying: ask for the current contract, the last few reports, and the tag history. Collin County, for example, requires a change-of-ownership form, an aerobic homeowner information sheet, and a contract in the new owner’s name. TCEQ advises new owners to notify the permitting authority. See buying a home with septic.
• Verify any provider in TCEQ’s license and registration search.

Related guides

• Aerobic vs conventional septic in Texas
• Houston-area county permit notes (Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery)
• DFW-fringe county permit notes (Collin, Denton, Rockwall, Tarrant, Dallas)
• Buying a home with septic in Texas
• Septic failure warning signs (and heavy rain)

Sources

• Initial two-year policy, transfer on sale, contract contents, 30-day filing, provider/technician roles, tag, 14-day reports, electronic monitoring, cancellation notices, self-maintenance limits — 30 TAC §285.7 (Cornell LII)
• Individuals licensed (no company registration), 4-month reports, stricter local rules, chlorine type — TCEQ: Maintenance of OSSFs
• Fort Bend: contract for all secondary treatment, self-maintenance prohibition, tests (chlorine, BOD, TSS), not-covered list — Fort Bend County: Aerobic Maintenance Information; renewal fee — Fort Bend renewal fee page
• Collin change-of-ownership requirements — Collin County OSSF page
• Basic monitoring vs fuller contracts; what a contract should list — AgriLife B-6171: Homeowner’s Guide to Evaluating Service Contracts; homeowner course for approving counties — AgriLife: Homeowner Maintenance of ATUs
• $200–$600/yr span and “no statewide survey” caveat — Nearby Septic: aerobic maintenance contracts in Texas (2026)
• $300–$500/yr typical and tier bands — Texas Septic Guide: septic maintenance contracts in Texas (2026); aerator and pump repair bands — Texas Septic Guide: maintenance cost (2026)
• New owner should notify permitting authority — TCEQ: Advice for an Owner of an OSSF