Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County's (DOH-Charlotte) Environmental Public Health asks homeowners and contractors to follow these instructions to install a new Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS), or septic system, in Charlotte County, Florida.

• Application for Construction Permit: Complete the Application for Construction Permit of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and submit it to DOH-Charlotte's Environmental Public Health. The instruction sheet accompanying this application explains what information is required for each page. If the property owner is using someone other than himself/herself to apply for the permit, a letter of authorization assigning authority for that person to act on the owner’s behalf is necessary. Be sure all submitted forms have been signed and dated. The residential application fee is $535. If it is determined by DOH-Charlotte that a site evaluation is needed, the applicant will be billed an additional $140 fee.  If this happens, DOH-Charlotte will notify the applicant.
• Site Plan: The site plan must includeall pertinent features within 75 feet of the applicant lot. Applicants must note the absence of the required features on all adjoining lots if that is the case. DOH-charlotte can't assume that the features are not there, and this will delay the permit's approval.
• Floor Plan: For single-family homes and duplexes, a floor plan must be submitted drawn to scale or showing all dimensions, showing the number of bedrooms, all other rooms labeled, and the square footage of the living area. If the residence has multiple units, then the number of units and total square footage of living area must be shown. For non-residential establishments, a floor plan must be submitted showing the total square footage, a plumbing isometric, and any other information that DOH-Charlotte will need to determine composition and quantity of wastewater.
• Engineer Designed: Charlotte County's Code of Ordinances requires all new construction permits be designed by an engineer. A Florida registered engineer must sign, seal, and submit detailed system construction plans for the septic system. Upon request, DOH-Charlotte can provide the applicant a list of Florida registered engineers who have experience providing this service in Charlotte County.
• Survey: To confirm property dimensions, a copy of the survey or the full legal description must be included in the application package.
  

Once a complete application package and all applicable fees are received by DOH-Charlotte, the department will process the application and issue the permit.DOH-Charlotte will not review the application until the fee is paid. Applicants will be notified via email when the permit has been issued. If there is additional information required before a permit can be issued, applicants will receive an email detailing what that information is.

Note: Charlotte County will not accept documents larger than 11'' x 17''.