Unincorporated Deaf Smith County

No public countywide general building-permit requirement for ordinary construction was found. Verified narrower county controls are: OSSF permitting for on-site sewage facility new construction; floodplain administration in unincorporated Deaf Smith County as shown in the TWDB/FEMA community contact report; and subdivision/plat-related approval and recording controls.

Note: No public exempt-work list was found for a countywide general building permit program. Because no public evidence of a general unincorporated-county building permit program was found, the verified public record supports only the narrower county controls (OSSF and floodplain) rather than a city-style exemption schedule.

Contractor requirements

The county OSSF form calls for licensed site evaluator, installer, and designer information where applicable. No public county general-contractor licensing or registration program was found.

1. 01
   First determine whether the parcel is in unincorporated Deaf Smith County rather than inside Hereford city limits.
2. 02
   Do not assume a general county building permit exists. No public county ordinance page, application packet, or department page shows a countywide permit requirement for ordinary residential or commercial vertical construction in unincorporated areas.
3. 03
   If the project requires an on-site sewage facility, use the county's published Application for On-Site Sewage Facility New Construction form. The form requires owner information, legal description verification, water source, site evaluator and installer information, and attached soil/site evaluation and planning materials if applicable.
4. 04
   Do not begin OSSF construction before authorization to construct is issued. The county's form expressly warns that unauthorized construction can lead to civil and/or administrative penalties.
5. 05
   If the parcel is in a mapped flood hazard area, verify floodplain-development requirements directly with the county floodplain administrator listed in the TWDB/FEMA community contact report.
6. 06
   If the project involves a subdivision or plat, coordinate county plat approval and recording separately with the county clerk.

Source: Deaf Smith County Clerk's Office ↗

The county clerk fee schedule notes applications are available on the County Clerk tab of the county website, but it does not publish clear online payment instructions for OSSF or floodplain permit processing.

Fees change periodically. Confirm at the official fee schedule ↗ (effective 2024) before budgeting.

Typical sequence: No public countywide general inspection sequence found. For OSSF, the published form shows county review and authorization before construction, but the reviewed public sources did not publish a full inspection sequence. Floodplain inspection procedures were not posted in the sources reviewed.