Septic service for Ocala and Marion County, Florida

How it works

1. Call or send a request

   Tell us where the property is and what the system is doing.

2. We connect you

   We connect you with an independent septic company that serves that part of Marion County.

3. They call you back

   The company schedules the visit and prices the work with you directly.

Who is this for?

Homeowners, buyers, landlords and farm owners in Ocala, Silver Springs Shores, Belleview, Summerfield, Dunnellon and the rural land in between. Marion County had 375,908 residents at the 2020 census, and the county says almost 90,000 homes here use septic systems. Many neighborhoods inside Ocala are on city sewer, but large parts of the county, from horse farms to older subdivisions, are not. If your utility bill has no sewer charge, you are almost certainly on septic.

How often should a septic tank be pumped?

UF/IFAS Extension advises Florida homeowners to have the tank pumped every three to five years, depending on how many people live in the house and how much water they use, and to have the system inspected at least every three years. A septic company can measure the sludge and scum in your tank and tell you where you fall in that range. Keep the invoice from every visit, because buyers and inspectors will ask for it.

Why is septic a bigger deal in Marion County?

Two of Florida's Outstanding Florida Springs, Silver Springs and Rainbow Springs, are in Marion County, and both are fed by groundwater moving through the aquifer under your yard. The state's restoration plans for these springs name septic systems as one of the main sources of nitrogen, alongside farm and lawn fertilizer. That has real consequences for homeowners:

• Stricter rules for new systems. In springs restoration areas, a new septic system on a lot of one acre or less, where sewer isn't available, must be a nitrogen-reducing system instead of a conventional tank and drainfield.
• Upgrades at repair time in priority areas. In the springs' Priority Focus Areas, a repair or modification permit can trigger a requirement to connect to sewer or upgrade the system.
• Septic-to-sewer projects. The county has a septic-to-sewer program for designated parts of unincorporated Marion County, starting with Silver Springs Shores.
• A new permitting office. Since July 2025, septic permits in Marion County come from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, not the county health department.

What are the warning signs of a septic problem?

• Slow drains or gurgling toilets throughout the house
• Sewage backing up into a tub, shower or the lowest drain in the house
• Soggy ground, standing water or a strip of extra-green grass over the drainfield
• Sewage odors near the tank lids or out in the yard
• An alarm sounding on an aerobic or nitrogen-reducing unit
• Backups that come back soon after the tank was pumped

What should I do after a tropical storm or heavy rain?

Give the system time to recover. UF/IFAS says not to have the tank pumped until floodwaters recede, because a tank emptied while the drainfield is still flooded can float out of the ground. Cut back on water use, spread out laundry, and have the system checked if drains stay slow or the ground over the drainfield stays wet. Units with pumps, blowers or control panels should be checked before power is restored to them if they were under water.

Farms, acreage and mobile homes

Ocala calls itself the Horse Capital of the World, and much of the county is farms, ranchettes and manufactured homes on large rural lots. Barns with bathrooms, guest cottages and second homes on the same property may each have their own tank, and older systems are often undocumented. If you've just bought acreage and don't know how many tanks there are or when they were last pumped, start with a pumping and a careful look at each tank's baffles and lids.

Buying a home on septic?

Order a septic inspection during your inspection period, separate from the general home inspection. Ask the seller for pumping records, and look up the property's permit so you know what was approved and how many bedrooms the system was sized for. If the house is in a springs Priority Focus Area, ask what a future repair could require. More on septic inspections.

Are you a septic company?

No. Ocala Septic Pros is a referral service. We pass your call to an independent septic company that works at your address, and that company quotes the job, does the work and stands behind it. Before you hire anyone, read our tips for choosing a septic company and the Marion County septic guide.

Areas we cover

• Ocala
• Silver Springs Shores
• Belleview and Summerfield
• Dunnellon and Rainbow Springs

Planning ahead? Read our Marion County septic guide.