Unincorporated Garza County

County permit requirements apply primarily to subdivisions. For subdivision areas, a permit is required before construction begins for a habitable structure, new or added onto for living space; commercial structures and other structures for public use; and any other construction project not defined by the International Residential Code or the Commercial Construction Provision. The county page also states this includes operations within a county road right-of-way.

Note: No public exempt-work list was found for unincorporated Garza County. County controls are limited and permit-specific rather than based on a countywide public list of exempt versus non-exempt building work for all unincorporated land.

Building code

Garza County operates under the 2003 code approved by Commissioners Court on May 8, 2006. Packets also reference the International Residential Code, the Commercial Construction Provision, the 2000 International Energy Conservation Code, and for commercial alterations the 1996 International Mechanical Code amendment fee schedule.

Permit validity

No public permit-expiration rule was found in the county permit materials reviewed.

Owner-builder

No separate county owner-builder handout was found. The county packets are contractor-oriented and require identification of builder and trade contractors, with Texas master license numbers requested for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work. Applicants should confirm how current county practice interacts with Texas HB 2833 private-inspection rules.

Contractor requirements

Texas master license numbers and expiration dates required for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractors. The new-residence checklist also requires contractor registration with Building Inspection and a certificate of insurance naming Garza County, Texas, with stated liability coverages.

1. 01
   Confirm whether the tract is in unincorporated Garza County and within a subdivision, because the county permit page states the county construction permit requirements apply only to subdivisions.
2. 02
   Obtain the residential or commercial permit packet from the County Clerk's office or download it from the county permit page.
3. 03
   Complete the application and assemble the required plans and supporting documents. The packets say to submit the completed application to the county clerk or directly to the inspector.
4. 04
   Wait for county review. The packets say permit processing is expedited as workload allows and that review time varies with work volume.
5. 05
   After approval, the County Clerk contacts the contractor when the permit fee is determined.
6. 06
   Pay the permit fee at the County Clerk's office and obtain the permit.
7. 07
   Keep the approved plans and permit on site during construction.
8. 08
   Contact the county inspector before each inspection. The public packets say the inspector is available Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
9. 09
   After final inspection, the inspector submits the request for a certificate of occupancy to be issued to the property owner.

Typical processing time: No fixed turnaround published. Review time varies with work volume.

Source: Garza County Clerk / Garza County Building Inspection Department ↗

County Clerk contacts the contractor when the fee is determined. Payment is made at the County Clerk's office. No public online payment portal for permits was identified.

Fees change periodically. Confirm at the official fee schedule ↗ (effective 2021) before budgeting.

• Contact county inspector prior to each inspection (phone)

Inspection hours

Tuesday and Thursday evenings

Typical sequence: Residential and commercial rate sheets show footing, slab, plumbing rough, framing, mechanical rough, electrical rough, plumbing top-out, and final inspections for building, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing, with plan check included.

Source: Garza County Clerk / Garza County Building Inspection Department ↗