County Building Permits
Erath County, TX - 2026 Building Permit Guide
How to apply for a building permit in unincorporated Erath County, Texas. Permit authority, application steps, fees, and inspection requirements.
Permit Authority
Applies only in unincorporated Erath County outside city limits and ETJ-specific city controls. Publicly verified county controls are narrower: subdivision/development regulations, floodplain permitting, and OSSF/septic permitting.
- Department
- Land Development Department for subdivision/development and floodplain matters; Environmental Health Department for on-site sewage facilities
- Address
- 100 W Washington, Stephenville, TX 76401
- Phone
- (254) 434-5019
Online Permit Portal
Platform: County website resources • Account required: No • Submission: In-person only
Additional resources:
Application Process
- Determine whether the property is inside a city or ETJ before relying on county-only rules.
- For ordinary residential home construction or remodeling in unincorporated Erath County, note that the county expressly states it does not issue permits or perform inspections for that work.
- If the structure will use an on-site sewage facility, contact Environmental Health and obtain the required septic/OSSF permit before installation.
- If any part of the work is within a FEMA-recognized flood zone, contact the Erath County Floodplain Administrator before construction begins and obtain the required floodplain permit.
- If the project involves land development, subdivision, platting, or filing requirements, work through the Land Development Department under the adopted county subdivision regulations and plat filing procedures.
Typical processing time: Not publicly stated
General Requirements
No general county building permit is publicly documented for ordinary residential construction/remodeling in unincorporated Erath County. Verified permit controls are limited to OSSF/septic permits, floodplain permits, and development/subdivision compliance. The county states: it does not issue permits or perform inspections related to residential home construction/remodeling; septic systems require Environmental Health permits; and construction in a FEMA-recognized flood zone requires a permit before construction starts.
Required Documents
- Depends on the narrow county program involved. Floodplain and subdivision documents are governed by the county flood damage prevention ordinance and subdivision regulations; OSSF documents are handled by Environmental Health.
- Permit validity
- No general county building permit validity policy applies because no general county building permit program was found
- Building code
- No countywide general building code adoption or countywide general building permit program was identified
- Contractor requirements
- No countywide contractor licensing summary was found for unincorporated residential construction. Trade licensing remains governed by applicable state law.
Fees
- Permit fee formula
- Not applicable for a general county building permit program
- Payment note
- Program-specific floodplain, OSSF, or plat fees were not cleanly compiled on the reviewed public pages
Work That Does NOT Require a Permit
- Residential home construction and remodeling in unincorporated Erath County is effectively outside a county general building permit program, except where septic/OSSF, floodplain, or development/subdivision rules apply.
Important: The county does not issue permits or perform inspections for residential home construction/remodeling unless septic/OSSF, floodplain, or development/subdivision rules apply. Contact the appropriate county department before construction.
Inspections
How to Schedule
Typical inspection sequence: No general county building inspection scheduling process applies because the county does not perform general residential construction/remodel inspections. Inspection activity would be limited to narrower county programs such as OSSF or floodplain compliance.
Additional Resources
- Building code: No countywide general building code adoption or countywide general building permit program was identified
- Verify contractor license: Texas TDLR License Lookup
- Land Development
- Plat Filings
- Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance
- Subdivision Regulations
- 9-1-1 Addressing and Maps
- 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 Land Development Department for subdivision/development and floodplain matters; Environmental Health Department for on-site sewage facilities before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Erath County Building Permit FAQ
- Do I need a building permit in unincorporated Erath County, TX?
- No general county building permit is publicly documented for ordinary residential construction/remodeling in unincorporated Erath County. Verified permit controls are limited to OSSF/septic permits, floodplain permits, and development/subdivision compliance. The county states: it does not issue permits or perform inspections related to residential home construction/remodeling; septic systems require Environmental Health permits; and construction in a FEMA-recognized flood zone requires a permit before construction starts.
- How much does a building permit cost in unincorporated Erath County, TX?
- Fees are calculated as: Not applicable for a general county building permit program.
- How do I apply for a building permit in unincorporated Erath County, TX?
- 1. Determine whether the property is inside a city or ETJ before relying on county-only rules. 2. For ordinary residential home construction or remodeling in unincorporated Erath County, note that the county expressly states it does not issue permits or perform inspections for that work. 3. If the structure will use an on-site sewage facility, contact Environmental Health and obtain the required septic/OSSF permit before installation. 4. If any part of the work is within a FEMA-recognized flood zone, contact the Erath County Floodplain Administrator before construction begins and obtain the required floodplain permit. 5. If the project involves land development, subdivision, platting, or filing requirements, work through the Land Development Department under the adopted county subdivision regulations and plat filing procedures.
- How long does it take to get a building permit in unincorporated Erath County, TX?
- Typical processing time is Not publicly stated.
- What work is exempt from building permits in unincorporated Erath County, TX?
- The following work is generally exempt: Residential home construction and remodeling in unincorporated Erath County is effectively outside a county general building permit program, except where septic/OSSF, floodplain, or development/subdivision rules apply.. Note: The county does not issue permits or perform inspections for residential home construction/remodeling unless septic/OSSF, floodplain, or development/subdivision rules apply. Contact the appropriate county department before construction.
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