Application - Septic Abandonment is the form the City of Cape Coral lists among its Common Forms for people who need to abandon a septic system. It is the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Form DEP 4015, Application for Construction Permit for an Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS). If you are looking for a Cape Coral permit form for a septic abandonment, this is the application. On FillingPDF you can fill out the form online and download or print the completed PDF; the original is published by the City of Cape Coral at the official link on this page.
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What is DEP 4015?
Application - Septic Abandonment is the City of Cape Coral's posted copy of Form DEP 4015, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Application for Construction Permit for an Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS), which includes an Abandonment option.
The printed form is a State of Florida document incorporated in 62-6.004, FAC. It carries a permit number, date paid, fee paid and receipt number block at the top, and it is built around one list of application types: New System, Existing System, Holding Tank, Innovative, Repair, Abandonment and Temporary. For a septic abandonment you use the Abandonment option.
The form has four printed pages. Page 1 holds the applicant and agent details, property information, building information and the signature. Page 2 is Part II - Siteplan, with a grid where each block represents 10 feet and 1 inch = 40 feet, plus a space where the County Health Department marks the plan Approved or Not Approved. Pages 3 and 4 contain the printed instructions for the lines and the site plan. The form states that all changes must be approved by the County Health Department.
The edition printed on the form is DEP 4015, 06-21-2022, and it states that it obsoletes previous editions, which may not be used. The City of Cape Coral lists it as "Application - Septic Abandonment" in its Common Forms document center.
Who needs to file DEP 4015?
The property owner, named as APPLICANT, completes the application. The form defines the AGENT as the property owner's legally authorized representative, and states that it is to be completed by the applicant or the applicant's authorized agent. The signature line is for the applicant or the agent.
Use it when you are applying to abandon a septic system and the form's Abandonment option matches your request. If your request is for a new system, an existing system, a holding tank, an innovative system, a repair or a temporary system, those are separate options on the same form.
Two conditions are printed on the form itself:
- Systems must be constructed by a person licensed under 489.105(3)(m) or 489.552, Florida Statutes.
- If you ask for consideration of statutory grandfather provisions, it is your responsibility to provide documentation of the date the lot was created or platted (MM/DD/YY).
Plans and forms submitted by a licensed engineer must be dated, signed and sealed.
When to file DEP 4015
You complete this application when you are ready to request a permit for the septic abandonment; the form prints no deadline or filing window of its own. The date written next to the signature is the date the application is submitted to the County Health Department, together with the appropriate fees and attachments, so fill it in at the time you submit.
Have the property details at hand before you begin: the lot, block and subdivision, the property ID number, the zoning, the property size in acres, and the date the lot was platted. Gather the site plan and floor plan, which the form lists as attachments, at the same time.
Documents you need
- A site plan drawn to scale, showing boundaries with dimensions, buildings, swimming pools, recorded easements, onsite sewage disposal system components and location, slope, wells, drainage features, filled areas, obstructed areas and surface water.
- Location of wells, onsite sewage disposal systems, surface waters and other pertinent features on adjacent property, if they are within 75 feet of the applicant lot, and of any public well within 200 feet of the lot.
- For residences, a floor plan showing the number of bedrooms and the building area of each unit.
- For nonresidential establishments, a floor plan showing the square footage, all plumbing drains and fixture types, and other features needed to determine the composition and quantity of wastewater.
- A copy of the lot legal description or deed, only if the lot is not in a recorded subdivision.
- Directions to the lot, or an area map showing the lot location, if the directions line is not detailed enough.
- Documentation of the date the lot was created or platted, only if you request consideration of statutory grandfather provisions.
- A copy of the legal description or survey, to confirm property dimensions only.
- A Coastal Construction Control Line Permit or exemption notice from DEP, only if any part of the system or its mound will be seaward of the control line; a survey by a certified professional surveyor and mapper when the location cannot be determined from the site plan.
How to fill out DEP 4015
Select the application type
At the top of page 1, mark the Abandonment box under APPLICATION FOR. Leave the permit number, date paid, fee paid and receipt number blocks for the receiving office.
Enter applicant and agent details
Write the property owner's full name on APPLICANT. If a legally authorized representative acts for the owner, enter that person on AGENT, then add the email, telephone and mailing address of the applicant or agent.
Answer the OSTDS remediation plan question
Circle Y or N for OSTDS REMEDIATION PLAN?, which asks whether the property is subject to a plan developed under 403.067(7)(a), Florida Statutes.
Describe the lot
Enter LOT, BLOCK, SUBDIVISION and the PLATTED date (month/day/year from the county plat books). Enter the 27-character PROPERTY ID # and the ZONING, and answer Y or N for I/M OR EQUIVALENT.
Enter property size and water supply
Write the lot area in acres (square footage divided by 43,560) on PROPERTY SIZE. Check Private, or Public with <=2000GPD or >2000GPD, on WATER SUPPLY.
Report sewer availability
Answer Y or N to IS SEWER AVAILABLE AS PER 381.0065, FS? and enter the DISTANCE TO SEWER in feet.
Give the address and directions
Enter the street address on PROPERTY ADDRESS; for a lot without one, give the street or road and locale in the county. On DIRECTIONS TO PROPERTY, write detailed directions or attach an area map.
Complete the building information
Check Residential or Commercial. In the unit table, list the type of establishment from Table I, Chapter 62-6, FAC, the number of bedrooms, the building area in square feet and the system design; commercial or institutional applications add the business activity details.
Mark fixtures
Check Floor/Equipment Drains or Other (Specify) and name the item, or write "NA" if not applicable.
Prepare the Part II site plan
On page 2, draw the site plan to the grid scale (each block 10 feet, 1 inch = 40 feet) with the features listed in the form's attachments paragraph, and note who submitted it.
Sign, date and download the PDF
The applicant or agent signs and dates the form; the date is the day it is submitted to the County Health Department. Check every line, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and gather your attachments.
How to submit DEP 4015
The form directs you to submit the completed application to the County Health Department, with the appropriate fees and attachments, and to date the signature on the day you do so.
- County Health Department: the signature instruction names it as the office that receives the application. The form prints no street address, mailing address or online portal, so confirm the office and its current submission method with the County Health Department before you deliver it.
- Fees: the form includes boxes for the fee paid, date paid and receipt number, so payment is part of the submission. The amount is not printed on the form; ask the County Health Department for the current fee and accepted payment methods.
- Attachments: send them with the application (see the required documents on this page). The County Health Department marks the Part II site plan Approved or Not Approved, and all changes to it must be approved by that office.
The City of Cape Coral posts the form in its Common Forms list, where its Application - Septic Abandonment entry is shown without an in-person or mail note. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using an older edition of the form; DEP 4015, 06-21-2022 states that previous editions may not be used.
- Leaving out the lot legal description or deed when the lot is not in a recorded subdivision.
- Submitting a site plan that is not drawn to scale, or that omits boundaries with dimensions, easements, wells or surface water.
- Requesting grandfather consideration without documentation of the date the lot was created or platted.
- Including the garage, carport, storage shed or open or fully screened patios and decks in the building area; only enclosed habitable area counts, measured from the outside.
- Entering the bedroom count without including every room designed primarily for sleeping and areas expected to routinely provide sleeping accommodations.
- Entering property size in square feet instead of acres; divide the square footage by 43,560 and list only the area within the legal description.
- Submitting engineer-prepared plans or forms that are not dated, signed and sealed.
- Dating the signature on a day other than the date the application is submitted to the County Health Department with fees and attachments.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Cape Coral septic abandonment application?
It is Form DEP 4015, the Florida DEP Application for Construction Permit for an Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal System (OSTDS), which the City of Cape Coral lists as Application - Septic Abandonment. You use its Abandonment option to apply to abandon a septic system.
Is this a Cape Coral building permit?
No. It is a State of Florida DEP application for an onsite sewage system construction permit, submitted with fees and attachments to the County Health Department. The City of Cape Coral posts it in its Common Forms list.
Who signs the septic abandonment application?
The applicant, who is the property owner, or the applicant's authorized agent, defined as the owner's legally authorized representative. The signed date should be the day the application is submitted to the County Health Department with fees and attachments.
Where do I submit Form DEP 4015?
The form tells you to submit it to the County Health Department with the appropriate fees and attachments. It prints no address or portal, so confirm the office and how it accepts applications before you deliver or send the package.
What do I have to attach to the application?
A site plan drawn to scale and, for residences, a floor plan showing bedrooms and building area. Nonresidential establishments attach a floor plan with square footage, drains and fixtures. Other items, such as a legal description or deed for an unrecorded lot, depend on your property.
Is there a fee for the septic abandonment application?
The form refers to submitting the application with appropriate fees and has blocks for the fee paid, date paid and receipt number. It does not print the amount, so ask the County Health Department for the current fee and how to pay.
How do I measure building area on the form?
Use the total square footage of the enclosed habitable area of each dwelling unit, based on outside measurements for each story. The instructions exclude garages, carports, exterior storage sheds, and open or fully screened patios or decks.
Can I fill out the septic abandonment application online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the application or accept fees; you submit it to the County Health Department yourself.
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