SepticRoster
Find by ZIPGuidesCostsToolsGet quotes
States
FloridaTexasNorth CarolinaGeorgiaTennessee
Cost guide · 2026

Septic tank pumping cost

A routine septic pump-out typically runs $195–$650. The exact price depends on your tank size, how long it's been, access, and where you live. Estimate your interval, then check local ranges by county.

What drives the price

  • Tank size — 750–2,000+ gallons; bigger tanks hold more and cost more to empty.
  • Time since last pump — heavier sludge takes longer and may need extra water.
  • Access — buried or hard-to-locate lids add labor; risers save money long-term.
  • Add-ons — inspection, filter cleaning, or baffle repair raise the total.
  • Urgency — emergency and after-hours calls carry a premium.
Pump-frequency estimator
Estimated pumping interval
every 3.7 years
A 1,000-gallon septic tank serving 3 people needs pumping about every 3.7 years.
See the full table for every tank and household size →

A planning estimate based on tank size and household load. Garbage disposals, water softeners, and heavy use shorten the interval. Most counties recommend an inspection at least every 3 years.

Typical pump-out cost by tank size
National ballpark for a routine residential pump-out. Access, sludge level, and add-ons move the price.
750 gal
$250–$400
1,000 gal
$300–$500
1,250 gal
$350–$575
1,500 gal
$400–$650
2,000 gal
$500–$800
$0$900

Local pumping cost by county

How to read these numbers

The table lists 155 counties across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Of those, 8 carry a county-specific range researched individually — each one's sourcing note appears on that county's own page. The remaining 147 carry a range derived from their region archetype (soil, terrain, rural drive distance, system mix), not from a separate price study. Region-derived ranges are modelled, and we label them that way rather than dressing them up as local quotes.

Every range describes routine, scheduled pumping of a conventional residential tank. It excludes inspection, filter cleaning, baffle or drainfield repair, aerobic/ATU maintenance contracts, and emergency or after-hours premiums — all of which are billed on top, and several of which cost more per year than the pump-out itself.

These are estimates, not quotes, and septic pumping is not a regulated rate anywhere we cover. Treat the range as the bracket a fair quote should land in, then confirm with a licensed local provider.

Septic tank pumping cost by county, 2026. Typical low, high and midpoint price in US dollars for a routine residential pump-out in 155 counties across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, compiled by SepticRoster. Sorted cheapest midpoint first.
CountyStateTypical rangeMidpointvs. 5-state median
Bibb CountyGeorgia$225–$400$313−24% · lowest
Chatham CountyGeorgia$225–$400$313−24% · lowest
Columbia CountyGeorgia$225–$400$313−24% · lowest
Dougherty CountyGeorgia$225–$400$313−24% · lowest
Glynn CountyGeorgia$225–$400$313−24% · lowest
Houston CountyGeorgia$225–$400$313−24% · lowest
Lowndes CountyGeorgia$225–$400$313−24% · lowest
Muscogee CountyGeorgia$225–$400$313−24% · lowest
Richmond CountyGeorgia$225–$400$313−24% · lowest
Bexar CountyTexas$250–$400$325−21%
Cameron CountyTexas$250–$400$325−21%
Hidalgo CountyTexas$250–$400$325−21%
Nueces CountyTexas$250–$400$325−21%
Webb CountyTexas$250–$400$325−21%
Brazoria CountyTexas$255–$400$328−21%
Fort Bend CountyTexas$255–$400$328−21%
Galveston CountyTexas$255–$400$328−21%
Harris CountyTexas$255–$400$328−21%
Jefferson CountyTexas$255–$400$328−21%
Marion CountyFlorida$195–$500$348−16%
Smith CountyTexas$275–$425$350−15%
Barrow CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Carroll CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Cherokee CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Clarke CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Clayton CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Cobb CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Coweta CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
DeKalb CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Douglas CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Fayette CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Forsyth CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Fulton CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Gwinnett CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Hall CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Henry CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Newton CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Paulding CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Rockdale CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Walton CountyGeorgia$275–$450$363−12%
Ector CountyTexas$275–$450$363−12%
El Paso CountyTexas$275–$450$363−12%
Lubbock CountyTexas$275–$450$363−12%
Midland CountyTexas$275–$450$363−12%
Bartow CountyGeorgia$275–$475$375−9%
Floyd CountyGeorgia$275–$475$375−9%
Whitfield CountyGeorgia$275–$475$375−9%
Madison CountyTennessee$250–$500$375−9%
Shelby CountyTennessee$250–$500$375−9%
Tipton CountyTennessee$250–$500$375−9%
Hays CountyTexas$328–$430$379−8%
Volusia CountyFlorida$300–$500$400−3%
Brunswick CountyNorth Carolina$275–$525$400−3%
Craven CountyNorth Carolina$275–$525$400−3%
Cumberland CountyNorth Carolina$275–$525$400−3%
Harnett CountyNorth Carolina$275–$525$400−3%
Johnston CountyNorth Carolina$275–$525$400−3%
Nash CountyNorth Carolina$275–$525$400−3%
New Hanover CountyNorth Carolina$275–$525$400−3%
Onslow CountyNorth Carolina$275–$525$400−3%
Pitt CountyNorth Carolina$275–$525$400−3%
Robeson CountyNorth Carolina$275–$525$400−3%
Wayne CountyNorth Carolina$275–$525$400−3%
Bell CountyTexas$300–$500$400−3%
Brazos CountyTexas$300–$500$400−3%
Collin CountyTexas$300–$500$400−3%
Dallas CountyTexas$300–$500$400−3%
Denton CountyTexas$300–$500$400−3%
Ellis CountyTexas$300–$500$400−3%
Guadalupe CountyTexas$300–$500$400−3%
Johnson CountyTexas$300–$500$400−3%
McLennan CountyTexas$300–$500$400−3%
Tarrant CountyTexas$300–$500$400−3%
Williamson CountyTexas$300–$500$400−3%
Leon CountyFlorida$290–$525$408−1%
Alachua CountyFlorida$295–$525$410−1%
Coffee CountyTennessee$275–$550$413at median
Cumberland CountyTennessee$275–$550$413at median
Davidson CountyTennessee$275–$550$413at median
Dickson CountyTennessee$275–$550$413at median
Maury CountyTennessee$275–$550$413at median
Montgomery CountyTennessee$275–$550$413at median
Putnam CountyTennessee$275–$550$413at median
Robertson CountyTennessee$275–$550$413at median
Rutherford CountyTennessee$275–$550$413at median
Sevier CountyTennessee$275–$550$413at median
Sumner CountyTennessee$275–$550$413at median
Williamson CountyTennessee$275–$550$413at median
Wilson CountyTennessee$275–$550$413at median
Montgomery CountyTexas$300–$525$413at median
Pasco CountyFlorida$250–$600$425+3%
Anderson CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Blount CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Bradley CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Carter CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Greene CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Hamblen CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Hamilton CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Hawkins CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Jefferson CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Knox CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Loudon CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
McMinn CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Roane CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Sullivan CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Washington CountyTennessee$275–$575$425+3%
Parker CountyTexas$300–$550$425+3%
Travis CountyTexas$300–$550$425+3%
Clay CountyFlorida$300–$560$430+4%
Duval CountyFlorida$300–$560$430+4%
St. Johns CountyFlorida$300–$560$430+4%
Bay CountyFlorida$300–$575$438+6%
Escambia CountyFlorida$300–$575$438+6%
Okaloosa CountyFlorida$300–$575$438+6%
Orange CountyFlorida$300–$575$438+6%
Osceola CountyFlorida$300–$575$438+6%
Polk CountyFlorida$300–$575$438+6%
Santa Rosa CountyFlorida$300–$575$438+6%
Seminole CountyFlorida$300–$575$438+6%
Brevard CountyFlorida$305–$590$448+8%
Indian River CountyFlorida$305–$590$448+8%
St. Lucie CountyFlorida$305–$590$448+8%
Lake CountyFlorida$300–$600$450+9%
Alamance CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Cabarrus CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Catawba CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Davidson CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Durham CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Forsyth CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Gaston CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Guilford CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Iredell CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Lincoln CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Mecklenburg CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Moore CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Orange CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Randolph CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Rowan CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Union CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Wake CountyNorth Carolina$300–$600$450+9%
Comal CountyTexas$300–$600$450+9%
Charlotte CountyFlorida$310–$600$455+10%
Collier CountyFlorida$310–$600$455+10%
Hernando CountyFlorida$310–$600$455+10%
Hillsborough CountyFlorida$310–$600$455+10%
Lee CountyFlorida$310–$600$455+10%
Manatee CountyFlorida$310–$600$455+10%
Pinellas CountyFlorida$310–$600$455+10%
Sarasota CountyFlorida$310–$600$455+10%
Broward CountyFlorida$325–$625$475+15%
Miami-Dade CountyFlorida$325–$625$475+15%
Palm Beach CountyFlorida$325–$625$475+15%
Buncombe CountyNorth Carolina$325–$650$488+18% · highest
Cleveland CountyNorth Carolina$325–$650$488+18% · highest
Henderson CountyNorth Carolina$325–$650$488+18% · highest
Midpoint = (low + high) ÷ 2, rounded. The last column compares each county's midpoint to the median midpoint of the 155 counties in this table ($413) — a SepticRoster figure covering 5 states. It is not a national average, and no national figure is implied. Ranges are estimates for routine service; confirm with a licensed local provider.

FAQ

How much does it cost to pump a septic tank?

Most homeowners pay $195–$650 to pump a residential septic tank, depending on tank size, how full it is, and local rates. Larger 1,500–2,000 gallon tanks and difficult access cost more.

How often should a septic tank be pumped?

Every 3–5 years for a typical household, more often for larger families or smaller tanks. Use the estimator above for your situation.

What makes septic pumping more expensive?

Tank size, time since last service, heavy solids, hard-to-reach lids, and emergency/after-hours calls. Repairs and drainfield work cost substantially more than routine pumping.