La Salle County, TX — 2026 Building Permit Guide

On this page 6

§ 01

Permit authority

La Salle County Commissioners Court / County Judge

Street address

101 Courthouse Square, Cotulla, TX 78014

Phone

(830) 483-5139

Leodoro.Martinez@co.la-salle.tx.us

Coverage

All properties in unincorporated La Salle County not inside Cotulla or Encinal. County controls include floodplain development, driveway or access permits in county right of way, pipeline and right-of-way permits, certificate of compliance filings, and subdivision platting.

Website

Department website

Additional resources

§ 02

When a permit is required

Permit triggers and exempt work for La Salle County

No public countywide general building permit requirement was found for unincorporated La Salle County. Verified county permit controls are narrower. The county flood ordinance requires a Floodplain Development Permit for development within the ordinance's floodplain jurisdiction. The county also posts driveway access, pipeline, right-of-way, certificate of compliance, and subdivision documents.

Scope of work

Permit?

Outside mapped floodplain jurisdiction and outside county right-of-way, the reviewed sources did not show a general unincorporated county building permit requirement.

Exempt

Exempt Outside mapped floodplain jurisdiction and outside county right-of-way, the reviewed sources did not show a general unincorporated county building permit requirement.

Note: No public exempt-work list was found for a countywide general building permit program because no such countywide program was publicly documented. Work involving county road access, pipeline or right-of-way use, floodplain development, subdivision platting, or certificate of compliance issues should not be treated as exempt without confirming the specific county program.

Building code: No public countywide adoption of a general building code such as the IBC or IRC was found. The verified county ordinance program here is floodplain regulation under the posted flood damage prevention ordinance.
Permit validity: For driveway permits, the county access manual says the applicant has six months to install the driveway. No public floodplain permit validity rule was located in the reviewed county sources.
Owner-builder: No public county owner-builder rule was found. For residential work in unincorporated areas, Texas HB 2833 private-inspection rules may matter where a county actually operates an applicable inspection program, but a publicly documented La Salle County countywide residential building inspection program was not found.
Contractor requirements: No public county contractor licensing program was found in the reviewed sources.

§ 03

Application process

Typical processing: No public general processing time was found. The driveway process document gives the applicant six months to install the driveway after approval. No public floodplain turnaround estimate was located.

01

Verify the property is in unincorporated La Salle County and not inside Cotulla or Encinal.
02

Determine which county program actually applies. The reviewed county sources do not document a city-style county building permit for ordinary construction. Verified county programs are narrower: floodplain development, driveway or access to county roads, pipeline or right-of-way uses, certificates of compliance, and subdivision platting.
03

For floodplain work in mapped flood hazard areas, contact the County Judge as Floodplain Administrator before development. The county flood ordinance states that a Floodplain Development Permit is required for all development within the community covered by the ordinance.
04

For driveway access work, use the county driveway permit process documents. The Access Management Manual says the applicant completes and submits the permit application, obtains approval through the county commissioner precinct process, calls the county commissioner two days in advance before installation, and has six months to install the driveway.
05

For driveway work, after installation the county inspects for compliance. If inspection is not approved, the applicant calls the County Clerk to schedule reinspection.
06

For pipeline or right-of-way work, use the county forms posted on the permits page, including the pipeline process, application, and non-exclusive or limited right-of-way forms.
07

For subdivision-related compliance, use the county certificate of compliance and platting documents on the county website.

Typical processing time: No public general processing time was found. The driveway process document gives the applicant six months to install the driveway after approval. No public floodplain turnaround estimate was located.

Source: La Salle County Commissioners Court / County Judge ↗

§ 04

Fee schedule

La Salle County building permit fees

Fee type

Amount

Minimum permit fee

Public Company permits at $100. Driveway permits: $50 for residential home or single-family residence driveway access and $50 for operating ranch or farm access.

Plan check fee

No separate plan check fee was publicly posted for county permit programs reviewed

Permit fee formula

Flat fees by permit type in the posted county documents. The Permit Fees PDF lists private-company surface and subsurface permit categories and a public-company fee. The driveway manual lists flat fees by driveway use category.

Reinspection fee

The driveway process document confirms reinspection may be required if the initial inspection is not approved, but a separate published reinspection dollar amount was not found in the reviewed sources.

The driveway process chart says the County Clerk transmits payment to the County Treasurer. No online county permit payment system was found.

Fees change periodically. Confirm at the official fee schedule ↗ before budgeting.

§ 05

Required inspections

Scheduling and sequence

How to schedule

County Commissioner (2 days in advance for driveway permits) (phone)
County Clerk (830) 483-5120 for reinspection scheduling (phone)

Scheduling deadline: For driveway permits, applicant must call the county commissioner two days in advance before installation.

Typical sequence: For driveway permits, the county's published sequence is application, precinct-level approval, installation, county inspection for compliance, and reinspection if needed. For floodplain permits, the ordinance authorizes the Floodplain Administrator to review permit applications and ensure outside permits are obtained, but the county does not publish a step-by-step field inspection sequence online.

Source: La Salle County Commissioners Court / County Judge ↗

§ 06

Frequently asked

Common questions about unincorporated La Salle County permits

01 Do I need a building permit in unincorporated La Salle County, TX? ▸

02 How much does a building permit cost in unincorporated La Salle County, TX? ▸

Building permit fees in unincorporated La Salle County, TX are set by the local building department and vary by project type and valuation. The minimum permit fee is Public Company permits at $100. Driveway permits: $50 for residential home or single-family residence driveway access and $50 for operating ranch or farm access.. Fees are calculated as: Flat fees by permit type in the posted county documents. The Permit Fees PDF lists private-company surface and subsurface permit categories and a public-company fee. The driveway manual lists flat fees by driveway use category.. Plan check fee: No separate plan check fee was publicly posted for county permit programs reviewed.

03 How do I apply for a building permit in unincorporated La Salle County, TX? ▸

To apply for a building permit in unincorporated La Salle County, TX, follow these steps: 1. Verify the property is in unincorporated La Salle County and not inside Cotulla or Encinal. 2. Determine which county program actually applies. The reviewed county sources do not document a city-style county building permit for ordinary construction. Verified county programs are narrower: floodplain development, driveway or access to county roads, pipeline or right-of-way uses, certificates of compliance, and subdivision platting. 3. For floodplain work in mapped flood hazard areas, contact the County Judge as Floodplain Administrator before development. The county flood ordinance states that a Floodplain Development Permit is required for all development within the community covered by the ordinance. 4. For driveway access work, use the county driveway permit process documents. The Access Management Manual says the applicant completes and submits the permit application, obtains approval through the county commissioner precinct process, calls the county commissioner two days in advance before installation, and has six months to install the driveway. 5. For driveway work, after installation the county inspects for compliance. If inspection is not approved, the applicant calls the County Clerk to schedule reinspection. 6. For pipeline or right-of-way work, use the county forms posted on the permits page, including the pipeline process, application, and non-exclusive or limited right-of-way forms. 7. For subdivision-related compliance, use the county certificate of compliance and platting documents on the county website.

04 How long does it take to get a building permit in unincorporated La Salle County, TX? ▸

Building permit processing times in unincorporated La Salle County, TX typically run No public general processing time was found. The driveway process document gives the applicant six months to install the driveway after approval. No public floodplain turnaround estimate was located.. Timelines can vary based on project complexity and current department workload.

05 What work is exempt from building permits in unincorporated La Salle County, TX? ▸

Not all construction work requires a permit in unincorporated La Salle County, TX. The following work is generally exempt: Outside mapped floodplain jurisdiction and outside county right-of-way, the reviewed sources did not show a general unincorporated county building permit requirement.. Note: No public exempt-work list was found for a countywide general building permit program because no such countywide program was publicly documented. Work involving county road access, pipeline or right-of-way use, floodplain development, subdivision platting, or certificate of compliance issues should not be treated as exempt without confirming the specific county program. When in doubt, confirm with the local building department before starting work.

06 How do I schedule a building inspection in unincorporated La Salle County, TX? ▸

Once your permit is issued and work reaches an inspection milestone, you can schedule a building inspection in unincorporated La Salle County, TX via: County Commissioner (2 days in advance for driveway permits), County Clerk (830) 483-5120 for reinspection scheduling. For driveway permits, applicant must call the county commissioner two days in advance before installation..

last verified April 2026 source La Salle County Commissioners Court / County Judge ↗ entry id permits/texas/lasalle/unincorporated

Report a correction

Educational reference. Permit rules and fees change — confirm current requirements directly with La Salle County Commissioners Court / County Judge before applying. Jaspector is not legal advice.

Unincorporated La Salle County