Why the contract isn't optional
If your home has an aerobic treatment unit (ATU) — the spray-field style septic system common in newer subdivisions around Lake Conroe, the FM 1488 corridor, Willis, Montgomery, Magnolia and Pinehurst — Texas Health & Safety Code §366.0515 and 30 TAC §285.7 require you to keep it under a maintenance contract with a TCEQ-licensed maintenance provider for the entire life of the system. This isn't a one-time requirement tied to installation. It's an ongoing obligation that outlives the builder's initial contract, the previous owner, and any assumption that "someone else is handling it."
What a maintenance visit actually covers
Under a properly run contract, each of the three yearly visits includes a full functional check of the parts that keep your system compliant and working:
- Aerator — confirmed running and pumping air correctly into the treatment tank
- Effluent pump — tested to make sure treated water is actually being pushed out to the spray field
- Sprinkler heads — checked for clogging, misalignment, or heads spraying onto a driveway, sidewalk or neighbor's yard
- Chlorinator — chlorine level checked and tablets topped off so effluent is properly disinfected before it's sprayed
- Floats and control panel — tested for correct water levels and to catch a failing panel before it causes an overflow
- Audible/visual alarm — verified it will actually alert you if something fails between visits
- The county report — filed with Montgomery County Environmental Health documenting the visit, exactly as the law requires
What happens if you let it lapse
A lot of Montgomery County homeowners find out their contract expired the same way: a violation letter shows up from the county. Builders typically bundle a two-year maintenance contract with new construction, and it's easy to lose track of the renewal date once that initial term runs out — especially if you bought the home secondhand and the contract never got transferred to your name. Once a system goes unreported, Montgomery County Environmental Health can and does send notices, and an unresolved violation can complicate a future home sale or refinance. If that's already happened to you, see our page on handling a septic violation notice — we can usually get a new contract in place and the county notified within days.
What a fair contract costs — and what shouldn't be extra
A legitimate aerobic maintenance contract in Montgomery County typically runs $200–$500 per year, covering the three required inspections and the county reporting. Where providers differ is what's actually included versus what gets billed as an "upsell" after the technician is already at your house. When you're comparing quotes, ask specifically what's bundled:
- Chlorine tablets — routine chlorinator refills should be part of the base contract, not a line-item add-on at every visit
- Minor adjustments — resetting a float, clearing a clogged sprinkler head, or adjusting a control panel setting should be covered as part of a normal inspection
- Parts and labor for failures — a burned-out aerator motor, a failed effluent pump, or a cracked control panel are repairs, not maintenance, and are billed separately from the annual contract. That's normal — just make sure the quote is clear about which side of that line each item falls on.
See our full pricing page for typical repair costs, including full aerobic system replacement, which generally runs $12,000–$20,000 when a tank or system truly needs to be replaced rather than repaired.
Switching providers is easier than most homeowners expect
If your current provider has been missing visits, showing up late, or padding invoices with add-ons that should have been included, you don't have to wait out a bad contract. Most Montgomery County maintenance contracts carry a 30-day cancellation — you send written notice, the old contract terminates, and we start your new contract and inspection schedule without a compliance gap. We handle notifying Montgomery County Environmental Health of the change so your reporting history stays continuous. One call is usually all it takes.
Renewal timing — don't wait for the notice
Builder-installed initial contracts commonly run two years from the home's completion date; after that, renewal is entirely on the homeowner. We recommend calling 30–60 days before your current contract's expiration so there's no lapse between providers and no gap in your inspection reports. If you're not sure when your contract expires — or you're a new homeowner who inherited a system with no paperwork — call us and we'll check the county's records and get you current.
What you get with our maintenance contract
- TCEQ-licensed maintenance providers — the license Texas law requires to hold your contract and file your reports
- All three required visits a year — aerator, pump, sprinklers, chlorinator, floats and alarm checked at every visit
- Reports filed with Montgomery County Environmental Health — on the required schedule, no follow-up needed from you
- Chlorine tablets included — no per-visit upsell for routine chlorinator refills
- Straight talk on repairs — parts and labor quoted clearly before any work beyond the routine inspection
- Easy 30-day switch — moving your contract from another provider takes one phone call
Serving all of Montgomery County
We write and service aerobic septic maintenance contracts throughout Montgomery County, including Conroe, Willis, Magnolia, Lake Conroe, Montgomery, Pinehurst, Dobbin and the FM 1488 corridor. Not sure if we cover your address? Give us a call and we'll let you know.