If you are pulling a building permit on a property that is serviced by a septic system, you will need to complete the Tenant Improvement application and submit it to the Southern Nevada Health District for review. Further information regarding the process can be found below.

All plan submittals must be in electronic format or appointments can be made for plan drop off / submittal. You can email your submittal request and appropriate plans to septics@snhd.org for review or call (702) 759-0660 to schedule a time to drop off plans. Please allow one working day for staff to process and respond to requests. Plans are reviewed on a first come, first serve basis. You can find a copy of our most current permit fees at www.snhd.info/ehfees

A Tenant Improvement Application is required for the construction of a new structure with or without plumbing or the remodel of an existing structure, prior to the issuance of a building permit or certificate of occupancy from the Building Department of the local jurisdiction. The septic remodel review consists of three parts:

• Evaluation of the location of the proposed structure in relation to the existing septic system (i.e., are the required setbacks met?)
• Evaluation of septic system capacity to service the proposed plumbing changes (if applicable). If the property is served by a community well, an inquiry to the Nevada Division of Water Resources will be made for requests for improvements that require additional water demand. You can verify if your permit is overdrawn by contacting the Nevada Division of Water Resources at 702-486-2770 or by visiting their website water.nv.gov.
• Evaluation of the existing septic system permit to determine whether the septic system in good standing and meeting the applicable regulations regarding proper maintenance and operation (see list of common permit violations below).

Submittal Requirements:

All applicants will need to submit a completed Tenant Improvement application in addition to the requirements listed below.

An UPDATED site plan showing the existing septic system(s) and the proposed structures will need to be submitted – see below for full requirements. Submitting a copy of the Health District’s existing plans does not satisfy the updated site plan requirement but can provide a good starting point.  You can find a copy of the most recent plot plan and inspection report here:

The plot plan is the bare minimum information required for submittal. Changes in plumbing (additions or deletions) will require a floor plan or plumbing plan depicting the drainage fixture units that are being serviced by the septic system. The submittal requirements may vary for each lot as no two septic systems are installed the same. The Health District may require additional information for the plan reviewer to approve the remodel request.

Site / Plot Plan Requirements:
The plan must show the entire lot as well as the following information:

• North directional arrow
• Drawn in a standard Engineer or Architectural SCALE
  • (Engineering Scale Examples: 1”=10’ or 1”=20’ or 1”=40’)
  • (Architectural Scale Examples: 1/16”=1’ or 1/8”=1’ or 3/32”=1’)
• All existing and proposed structures and their uses (house, garage, storage shed, temporary trailer, pool, retaining wall, etc.)
• Location of all proposed driveways
• Location of well and/or neighboring wells (if applicable)
• Proposed location of water meter, water service lines, and fire hydrants
• Watercourses (wash, flood control channel, irrigation ditch, etc.)
• Street name(s) / Right of Ways and width of dedication to centerline
• All Easements of Record
• Distance from septic system to house, well, property line, water line, proposed swimming pool, etc.
• Location of all existing and /or proposed septic system designs on the property.

Common Permit Violations:

Per SNHD Regulations Governing Individual Sewage Disposal Systems and Liquid Waste Management Section 3.7*, a Tenant Improvement approval request shall be denied if the existing septic system is in violation of any of these Regulations. Below is a list of the most common permit violations (please note this list is not exhaustive):

• Presence of trees within 10’ of the septic tank and/or leach field
• Traffic over the septic system
• Heavy flatwork over the septic system
• Pool or water line within 10’ of the septic tank or within 25’ of the leach field
• Existing community well is being overdrawn (contact Nevada Division of Water Resources at 702-486-2770 or visit their website (water.nv.gov) to determine if the well is good standing)

*The complete list of violations can be found in the regulations at: https://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/download/eh/isds/sewage-regs.pdf

Persons submitting plans to the Health District must be knowledgeable about the location of all major components of the septic system (i.e., septic tank and leach field) and must be empowered to make decisions regarding the septic system and property, including any corrective actions that may be required, or any other conditions of approval.

Building Department Clearance Requests for Final Inspections:

Email septics@snhd.org with the jurisdictional building permit number (Example: BD20-5555) and the SNHD permit number (Example: ON0012345 or SR0012345). Our staff will respond within one business day to requests for building clearance.