County Building Permits
Brewster County, TX - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Brewster County, Texas. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Unincorporated areas of Brewster County. The county does not operate a general countywide building-permit program. Instead, it administers narrower permit and development controls for On-Site Sewerage Facilities (OSSF/septic systems), flood-damage-prevention, utility certificates, subdivision regulation, mass gatherings, outdoor lighting, and well drilling.
- Department
- Brewster County Permits and Procedures
- Address
- Brewster County Courthouse, 201 West Avenue E, Alpine, TX 79830
- Phone
- (432) 837-6200
Online Permit Portal
Platform: Brewster County website • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Application Process
- Determine whether the project falls into one of the county's published permit or approval buckets: OSSF/septic permits, utility certificates, floodplain controls, subdivision approvals, mass gatherings, outdoor-lighting compliance, or well-drilling permits.
- Download the applicable county form or rule document from the county permits page.
- Submit through the channel the county specifies for that control type.
- For OSSF/septic: contact County Designated Representative Marshall McLean at (432) 294-3021 for permitting, inspections, and questions.
- For Utility Certificate: email the application to geni.brito@co.brewster.tx.us and lea.catano@co.brewster.tx.us with a land survey, land deed, or legal description.
- For Mass Gathering: submit to the County Judge at least 45 days before the event.
- For Subdivision: file the preliminary plat and application with the County Clerk's office, then proceed through Commissioners Court review.
- For Well drilling: apply through the Brewster County Groundwater Conservation District, not the county courthouse.
- Complete county review and obtain approval before beginning the regulated activity.
Typical processing time: No general county building-permit timeline applies. Specific timelines: Mass Gathering applications must be submitted 45 days before the event; subdivision review allows at least 45 days from filing for final plat approval, with preliminary plat on file at least 21 days before Commissioners Court consideration and at least 10 days between preliminary and final approval.
General Requirements
Unincorporated Brewster County does not operate a general countywide building permit. Verified county controls are narrower and specific to OSSF/septic systems, flood-damage-prevention, utility certificates, subdivisions, mass gatherings, outdoor lighting, and groundwater well drilling.
Required Documents
- Varies by permit type.
- Utility Certificate: land survey, land deed, or property legal description
- Mass Gathering: promoter, property, funding, sanitation, traffic-control, and medical-preparation information
- Subdivision: plat materials and application filings
- OSSF: project-specific documentation under county designated representative and TCEQ rules
- Permit validity
- No countywide general building permit validity rule found.
- Building code
- No verified countywide adopted building code or general county building inspection program was found in official Brewster County sources.
- Owner-builder
- No county owner-builder rule or countywide building-code owner-builder program was found in official sources.
- Contractor requirements
- No countywide contractor licensing rule for general building work was found in official sources. OSSF work may involve state-regulated roles under TCEQ rules.
Fees
- Payment note
- No consolidated county permit fee schedule was found. Because the county does not publish consolidated permit fees for these controls, applicants should confirm any fee directly with the county office or designated representative handling the specific permit.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Brewster County Permits and Procedures to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
- County Designated Representative Marshall McLean (432) 294-3021 (phone)
Typical inspection sequence: For OSSF/septic work, inspections are handled through the county designated representative under the county's septic-permit process. No public online inspection scheduler was found.
Additional Resources
- Building code: No verified countywide adopted building code or general county building inspection program was found in official Brewster County sources.
- Permits and Procedures
- Q and A
- Subdivision Regulations
- Flood-Damage-Prevention Order (September 1999)
- Order Regulating Outdoor Lighting (2021)
- Brewster County Groundwater Conservation District
- License lookup guide: Texas Contractor License Requirements
- Contract template: Texas Homeowner-Contractor Agreement
- Texas hub: Texas Contractor License & Permit Hub
Information on this page was last verified: March 2026. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with the Brewster County Permits and Procedures before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brewster County Building Permit FAQ
- Do I need a building permit in unincorporated Brewster County, TX?
- Unincorporated Brewster County does not operate a general countywide building permit. Verified county controls are narrower and specific to OSSF/septic systems, flood-damage-prevention, utility certificates, subdivisions, mass gatherings, outdoor lighting, and groundwater well drilling.
- How do I apply for a building permit in unincorporated Brewster County, TX?
- 1. Determine whether the project falls into one of the county's published permit or approval buckets: OSSF/septic permits, utility certificates, floodplain controls, subdivision approvals, mass gatherings, outdoor-lighting compliance, or well-drilling permits. 2. Download the applicable county form or rule document from the county permits page. 3. Submit through the channel the county specifies for that control type. 4. For OSSF/septic: contact County Designated Representative Marshall McLean at (432) 294-3021 for permitting, inspections, and questions. 5. For Utility Certificate: email the application to geni.brito@co.brewster.tx.us and lea.catano@co.brewster.tx.us with a land survey, land deed, or legal description. 6. For Mass Gathering: submit to the County Judge at least 45 days before the event. 7. For Subdivision: file the preliminary plat and application with the County Clerk's office, then proceed through Commissioners Court review. 8. For Well drilling: apply through the Brewster County Groundwater Conservation District, not the county courthouse. 9. Complete county review and obtain approval before beginning the regulated activity.
- How long does it take to get a building permit in unincorporated Brewster County, TX?
- Typical processing time is No general county building-permit timeline applies. Specific timelines: Mass Gathering applications must be submitted 45 days before the event; subdivision review allows at least 45 days from filing for final plat approval, with preliminary plat on file at least 21 days before Commissioners Court consideration and at least 10 days between preliminary and final approval..
- How do I schedule a building inspection in unincorporated Brewster County, TX?
- Inspections can be scheduled via: County Designated Representative Marshall McLean (432) 294-3021.
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