Unincorporated Dawson County

No public Dawson County source was found establishing a countywide general building permit requirement for ordinary construction in unincorporated areas. For OSSF/septic systems, TCEQ states a permit and approved plan are required to construct, alter, repair, extend, or operate an OSSF.

• Exempt Single-family residence OSSF installations when performed by the property owner (subject to licensed site and soil evaluation before installation)

Note: No public exempt-work list was found for a Dawson County general building-permit program because no public countywide general building-permit program was identified. OSSF-specific owner-installation allowance verified by SPPHD.

Building code

No public countywide building code adoption or county building-code enforcement page was found. The verified public county permit authority identified is the OSSF program.

Permit validity

No Dawson County-specific public expiration rule for OSSF permits was located. No countywide general building permit validity rule found because no public countywide building permit program was identified.

Owner-builder

The SPPHD OSSF application states the property owner may install a septic system on the owner's property only if: (1) the owner is the property owner, (2) the project is a single-family residence, and (3) the required site and soil evaluation is performed by a licensed individual before installation. Commercial installations must be performed by a licensed installer.

Contractor requirements

No Dawson County contractor registration program for general building work was found. OSSF installers and evaluators must hold the applicable TCEQ licenses.

Source: Dawson County Authorized Agent / South Plains Public Health District (OSSF permitting) ↗

1. 01
   Confirm the parcel is in unincorporated Dawson County and not inside Lamesa, Los Ybanez, Ackerly, or O'Donnell city limits.
2. 02
   Determine whether the project triggers one of the county's verified permit controls (primarily OSSF/septic permitting).
3. 03
   For on-site sewage facilities, use the Dawson County Authorized Agent process through South Plains Public Health District. TCEQ's OARS lookup identifies Dawson County Authorized Agent for the entire county.
4. 04
   Complete the OSSF application with owner information, legal description, installer information, site and soil evaluator information, water-usage data, site evaluation and soil analysis, and a scale map of the proposed system.
5. 05
   Submit the completed application to South Plains Public Health District. Construction may not begin until the applicant receives authorization to construct.
6. 06
   Schedule inspection with SPPHD / designated representative by calling (806) 801-3749, (432) 209-3361, or (432) 955-1021.
7. 07
   If the owner is self-installing a qualifying single-family system, follow the owner-installation limits and still submit the completed application with site and soil survey before construction.

Typical processing time: TCEQ states the permitting authority must approve or deny an OSSF application within 30 days of receipt.

Source: Dawson County Authorized Agent / South Plains Public Health District (OSSF permitting) ↗

SPPHD form accepts check, cash, and debit card payment in office. No public fee schedule was located.

• (806) 801-3749, (432) 209-3361, or (432) 955-1021 (phone)

Inspection hours

Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM

Typical sequence: OSSF sequence: (1) Submit completed application and site/soil evaluation, (2) Receive authorization to construct, (3) Construct according to approved site materials and map, (4) Request inspection before covering the system, (5) Obtain final approval from designated representative.

Source: Dawson County Authorized Agent / South Plains Public Health District (OSSF permitting) ↗