County Building Permits
Calhoun County, TX - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Calhoun County, Texas. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Unincorporated Calhoun County, including places such as Port O'Connor outside municipal limits. County permit program runs through Flood Plain Administration and related county controls such as subdivision and culvert compliance.
- Department
- Flood Plain Administration
- Address
- 211 S. Ann St., Suite 301, Port Lavaca, TX 77979
- Phone
- (361) 553-4455
Application Process
- First verify the parcel is in unincorporated Calhoun County and not inside Port Lavaca, Point Comfort, or Seadrift.
- Contact Flood Plain Administration and use the county's Application for Development Permit when the project falls within the county's published development-permit program.
- Complete the application with owner, contractor, legal-description, use, square footage, class of work, water/sewer information, and floodplain details.
- If the property is in Flood Zone AE or VE, attach a survey showing natural ground elevation before the application can be processed.
- Submit plans. County states plans are preferred electronically and, if not electronic, cannot be larger than 8.5 x 11 inches.
- For projects in AE or VE zones, provide the required elevation documentation and comply with the county flood-damage-prevention requirements.
- Obtain any related county approvals referenced by the application, including culvert permit from the commissioner in the applicable precinct and any Port O'Connor Improvement District pre-construction inspection where applicable.
- Pay the permit fee by check or money order payable to Calhoun County (no credit/debit cards; cash must be exact).
Source: Flood Plain Administration
General Requirements
The county publishes an Application for Development Permit through Flood Plain Administration for residential, commercial, RV park, and other work categories including new work, repair, addition, remodel, and moves. The county permit program is directly tied to floodplain administration, subdivision regulations, culvert permits, windstorm compliance, and utility-connection approval.
Required Documents
- Development-permit application
- Owner and contractor information
- Legal description
- Work description
- Flood-zone information
- Survey showing natural ground elevation in AE or VE zones
- Finished-construction elevation certificate after completion in AE or VE zones
- Plans
- Subdivision or culvert compliance items as applicable
- Permit validity
- All permits expire 6 months from date of issuance.
- Building code
- No clearly posted countywide building-code-adoption ordinance found for all unincorporated Calhoun County construction. County application requires compliance with the Flood Damage Prevention Order and State of Texas building and windstorm regulations.
- Owner-builder
- No public owner-builder rule was found in reviewed county materials.
- Contractor requirements
- County application collects contractor information but does not publish a separate county contractor-registration program. Compliance with State of Texas building and windstorm regulations required. Certain specialized work may require licensed or certified professionals under state law.
Fees
- Minimum permit fee
- $60
- Plan check fee
- Not separately stated.
- Permit fee formula
- Flat fee structure
- Reinspection fee
- No separate public reinspection-fee schedule found.
- Penalty (no permit)
- Violation of the Flood Damage Prevention Order is a Class C misdemeanor for each act and each day of violation, plus costs and expenses involved in the case.
- Payment note
- Check or money order payable to Calhoun County; no credit or debit cards accepted; cash must be exact.
Fees change. Verify current amounts at the official fee schedule.
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
Contact the Flood Plain Administration to confirm whether your project requires a permit before starting work.
Inspections
How to Schedule
Typical inspection sequence: In flood-hazard areas, the county requires pre-processing flood-zone documentation, review of plans, and a finished-construction elevation certificate within 60 days after completion for AE or VE projects. Utility connections are not to be finally made until the Floodplain Administrator approves compliance.
Additional Resources
- Building code: No clearly posted countywide building-code-adoption ordinance found for all unincorporated Calhoun County construction. County application requires compliance with the Flood Damage Prevention Order and State of Texas building and windstorm regulations.
- Verify contractor license: Texas TDLR License Lookup
- Flood Plain Administration
- Application for Development Permit (2024)
- Flood Damage Prevention Order
- Subdivision Regulations and Culvert Requirements
- Texas Department of Insurance Windstorm
- 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 Flood Plain Administration before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Calhoun County Building Permit FAQ
- Do I need a building permit in unincorporated Calhoun County, TX?
- The county publishes an Application for Development Permit through Flood Plain Administration for residential, commercial, RV park, and other work categories including new work, repair, addition, remodel, and moves. The county permit program is directly tied to floodplain administration, subdivision regulations, culvert permits, windstorm compliance, and utility-connection approval.
- How much does a building permit cost in unincorporated Calhoun County, TX?
- The minimum permit fee is $60. Fees are calculated as: Flat fee structure. Plan check fee: Not separately stated..
- How do I apply for a building permit in unincorporated Calhoun County, TX?
- 1. First verify the parcel is in unincorporated Calhoun County and not inside Port Lavaca, Point Comfort, or Seadrift. 2. Contact Flood Plain Administration and use the county's Application for Development Permit when the project falls within the county's published development-permit program. 3. Complete the application with owner, contractor, legal-description, use, square footage, class of work, water/sewer information, and floodplain details. 4. If the property is in Flood Zone AE or VE, attach a survey showing natural ground elevation before the application can be processed. 5. Submit plans. County states plans are preferred electronically and, if not electronic, cannot be larger than 8.5 x 11 inches. 6. For projects in AE or VE zones, provide the required elevation documentation and comply with the county flood-damage-prevention requirements. 7. Obtain any related county approvals referenced by the application, including culvert permit from the commissioner in the applicable precinct and any Port O'Connor Improvement District pre-construction inspection where applicable. 8. Pay the permit fee by check or money order payable to Calhoun County (no credit/debit cards; cash must be exact).
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