GroundRosterNorth Carolina septic and well contractor license lookup
North Carolina certifies septic and well contractors through two separate bodies. The North Carolina On-Site Wastewater Contractors and Inspectors Certification Board certifies septic contractors, inspectors and evaluators. The Well Contractors Certification Commission, run through the Department of Health and Human Services, certifies well contractors.
Searches our copy of the North Carolina rosters. The state's own lookups, below, are the final word.
Who licenses what
NC On-Site Wastewater Contractors and Inspectors Certification Board
| Licenses | Septic contractors (Grade II and Grade IV), inspectors and Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluators |
| Law | G.S. 90A, Article 5 |
| Renewal | Certifications expire on December 31 every year. Source |
NC Well Contractors Certification Commission (NCDHHS, Division of Public Health)
| Licenses | Well contractors, Levels A through D |
| Law | G.S. 87, Article 7A |
| Renewal | A well contractor certificate is valid for one year and is renewed every year. Source |
Permits
The permits for a specific septic system, the improvement permit and the construction authorization, come from the local health department.
Source: G.S. 130A-336.
What the license classes mean
Septic contractor, Grade II
Installs and repairs systems of up to 1,500 gallons a day: septic tanks (one or several), conventional gravity systems, grease traps, systems with a single pump or siphon, fill systems, sand-lined trenches, and other approved gravity or single-pump systems.
Issued by NC On-Site Wastewater Contractors and Inspectors Certification Board. Source: 21 NCAC 39 .0102.
Septic contractor, Grade IV
Everything a Grade II covers, plus the complex systems: dual pumps or siphons, low-pressure and drip dispersal, flow equalization, ground-water lowering, any pretreatment component, flows over 1,500 gallons a day, and industrial process wastewater. There is no Grade I or Grade III.
Issued by NC On-Site Wastewater Contractors and Inspectors Certification Board. Source: 21 NCAC 39 .0102.
Septic inspector
Inspects an existing septic system as part of a real estate sale, certified for Grade II and Grade IV system types. It is a separate certification from the contractor grades.
Issued by NC On-Site Wastewater Contractors and Inspectors Certification Board. Source: 21 NCAC 39 .0101 and .0102.
Authorized On-Site Wastewater Evaluator
A North Carolina licensed soil scientist with added certification from the Board. At the owner's direction, can prepare signed and sealed soil and site evaluations, specifications, plans and reports for a septic system. The owner still files a notice of intent with the local health department, and a certified contractor must do the work.
Issued by NC On-Site Wastewater Contractors and Inspectors Certification Board. Source: G.S. 130A-336.2.
Well contractor, Level A
All well contractor work, including air and mud rotary drilling, rock coring, sonic drilling and geothermal loops, plus everything in Levels B, C and D.
Issued by NC Well Contractors Certification Commission (NCDHHS, Division of Public Health). Source: NCDHHS: certification levels.
Well contractor, Level B
Cable tool, hollow stem auger, direct push, hydrofracturing and jetting-in, plus everything in Levels C and D.
Issued by NC Well Contractors Certification Commission (NCDHHS, Division of Public Health). Source: NCDHHS: certification levels.
Well contractor, Level C
Grouting, well abandonment, rehabilitation for biofouling, well development, packers and liners, casing extension and breaking the well seal, plus everything in Level D.
Issued by NC Well Contractors Certification Commission (NCDHHS, Division of Public Health). Source: NCDHHS: certification levels.
Well contractor, Level D
Pump and equipment installation and repair, including breaking the seal for pump repair, chlorination, disinfection and down-hole camera work.
Issued by NC Well Contractors Certification Commission (NCDHHS, Division of Public Health). Source: NCDHHS: certification levels.
Check a license with the state
- Board certification lists: PDF lists by certification type. There is no search box; use your browser's find.
- Find a certified well contractor: A table you can sort and filter by county.
Good to know
- Each level includes every level below it, so a well listing shows only the highest level held. The words in parentheses after the level on our listings are our shorthand; the levels above are the state's full scope.
- North Carolina's rosters give no expiry date, so our listings show none. Both bodies renew every year.
Not being in our copy is not evidence that someone is unlicensed. Our copy can lag the state, and a license may be listed under another name, such as the owner's or the company's.