Short answer: In Kent County, Michigan, a “perc test” is really a site evaluation done by the Kent County Health Department’s Environmental Health Division. You apply with a site plan, have utilities marked by MISS Dig, and provide an excavator for the soil pits. The county then tells you whether the lot can support a septic system and well, and what kind. Approval of the site is not a permit: you still apply for separate septic and well permits before construction starts.
I’m Daniel Dick. I own Highline Homes, a custom builder in Rockford, Michigan, and I’m also a licensed real estate agent. Most of the homes we build sit on the client’s own land outside the sewer lines, so the soil evaluation is usually the first real hurdle. Here’s how it works in Kent County, in plain English.
Who does perc tests in Kent County?
The Kent County Health Department, Environmental Health Division, 700 Fuller Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, phone (616) 632-6900. They handle site evaluations, septic permits and well permits for properties that won’t connect to municipal sewer or water. If your lot is in Ottawa County, the same work goes through the Ottawa County Department of Public Health instead.
Start with the county’s Permits & Evaluations page and the Residential Well and Septic Application (PDF).
How the Kent County site evaluation works, step by step
- Confirm sewer and water first. The application asks whether municipal sewer and water are available and whether you’ll use them. If sewer is at the road, you may not need a septic evaluation at all. Ask the township.
- Get the parcel facts together. You’ll need the property address (or the address the township assigns), the permanent parcel number, the township, and whether it’s metes and bounds or a lot in a subdivision.
- Prepare a site plan. The form asks for a sketch showing existing and planned structures, septic, wells, driveways and utilities. For new construction, the county requires a surveyed site plan and a house plan.
- Know the house basics. The application asks for the number of bedrooms (this drives septic sizing), foundation type (basement, crawl space or slab), footing drains, basement plumbing, sump or ejector pumps, water softener and irrigation. Decide these before you apply, because they change the system.
- Call MISS Dig. Every visit requires underground utilities to be marked first. Unmarked properties get delayed or postponed.
- Line up an excavator. For new construction, the soil evaluation needs a backhoe or excavator and an operator. The applicant is responsible for providing it. Your builder or excavating contractor usually coordinates this.
- The county evaluates the soil. The sanitarian looks at the soil in the test pits to judge whether the ground can treat wastewater and where a system can go.
- Get the result in writing, then apply for permits. A passing evaluation tells you the site is suitable. You still need a septic permit and a well permit issued before anyone digs a drain field or drills a well.
What does a Kent County perc test cost?
The county lists its fees on the application itself. As of October 2026, the residential form shows the site evaluation at $200, with separate fees for septic and well permits, and higher fees if a mound or advanced system turns out to be needed. Fees change, so check the current application before you budget. The bigger cost is usually the excavator time, and the bigger risk is what the result means for the system you’ll have to build.
What happens if the lot doesn’t pass?
A lot that doesn’t support a conventional system isn’t always dead. The county’s form notes that a mound or advanced system may be required after the site visit. Those systems can work, but they cost more and can limit where the house sits. That’s why the soil result belongs in your budget before you close on land, not after.
Other permits buyers miss
- Soil erosion permit. If the property is within 500 feet of a lake or stream, or the project disturbs more than one acre, you may need a soil erosion and sedimentation control permit under Michigan law.
- Land divisions. Splits that create parcels under one acre, plus subdivisions and site condos, get their own health department review under Michigan’s Land Division Act.
- Driveway and zoning. Road access and setbacks are separate from the health department. See our 12-point lot checklist.
When to do the evaluation
If you’re buying land, do it during your due diligence period, and make the offer contingent on it. If you already own the lot, do it before you pay for final house plans, because the septic location can change the footprint, the walkout and the driveway. We cover the budget side in buying a well-and-septic lot near Rockford or Sparta and building on your own lot in Grand Rapids.
Frequently asked questions
Is a perc test the same as a site evaluation in Kent County?
Yes, in everyday use. “Perc test” is the common name. Kent County calls it a site evaluation, which looks at the soil in excavated test pits to decide whether a septic system and well can be placed on the lot.
Does passing the site evaluation mean I can build?
No. Approval of the site does not constitute a permit. You still need septic and well permits from the health department, plus township zoning and building permits.
Do I need MISS Dig before a perc test?
Yes. Kent County requires underground utilities to be marked by MISS Dig before any site visit.
Who provides the excavator for the soil evaluation?
The applicant. For new construction, the county requires a backhoe or excavator with an operator on site for the evaluation.
Can Highline Homes look at my lot first?
Yes. Send us the parcel through our Free Lot Check and we’ll tell you what fits, what to check, and an early budget range for building on it.
About Highline Homes: Highline Homes LLC is a custom home builder founded in 2017 by Daniel Dick, based at 4457 Winding Trail NE, Rockford, Michigan (Michigan residential builder license 262200327, 616-297-0151). We build custom homes from about $400,000 to $3 million on clients’ own lots across greater Grand Rapids, including Rockford, Ada, Cascade, Sparta, Lowell and the surrounding Kent and Ottawa County townships. 4.8 stars on Google.
Sources: Kent County Health Department Residential Well and Septic Application and Permits & Evaluations page, checked October 3, 2026. This is general information, not legal or engineering advice; the county’s current rules govern.