Unincorporated Menard County

No public countywide general building permit requirement was found for ordinary building construction in unincorporated Menard County. Verified county permit and approval triggers are narrower: OSSF new installations and repairs, subdivision plats, manufactured home rental community infrastructure plans, and floodplain-related development controls. For OSSF, a permit is required for all new installations and certain repairs.

Note: No public exempt-work list was found for unincorporated Menard County. No public countywide general building-permit program was found.

Building code

No public countywide general building code adoption was found. The verified adopted local programs are the county subdivision and manufactured home rental community regulations and the county OSSF permit program operating under Texas OSSF rules.

Permit validity

The OSSF Authorization to Construct is valid for 1 year from the date of issuance.

Owner-builder

For OSSF permits, standard systems may be prepared by the owner or the OSSF installer. No broader public county owner-builder policy for ordinary building construction was found.

Contractor requirements

OSSF site evaluations must be performed by a licensed soil/site evaluator or state-licensed engineer. Non-standard and proprietary OSSF planning materials must be prepared by a professional engineer or professional registered sanitarian. The OSSF installer or the installer's registered apprentice on record must be present onsite during all OSSF site inspections. No separate county general contractor license requirement was found.

1. 01
   Determine whether the project is one of the county-regulated categories: OSSF (on-site sewage facility), subdivision platting, manufactured home rental community development, or floodplain-related development review.
2. 02
   For OSSF work: Obtain the county OSSF application from the courthouse or county website.
3. 03
   Have a licensed soil/site evaluator or state-licensed engineer complete the site evaluation. Standard-system planning materials may be prepared by the owner or OSSF installer; non-standard and proprietary systems must be prepared by a professional engineer or professional registered sanitarian.
4. 04
   Submit the completed application, Technical Information Sheets 1 and 2, the soil/site evaluation, planning materials, any required recorded affidavit, any required maintenance contract, site directions, and the permit fee to the county.
5. 05
   The designated representative reviews the application and planning materials. If approved, the county issues an Authorization to Construct in writing.
6. 06
   Before construction inspection, the installer must notify the local designated representative at least 5 working days in advance. All excavations must remain open until final inspection.
7. 07
   If installation passes inspection, the county issues a Notice of Approval to the owner within 7 days. If reinspection is required, an additional fee equal to one-half of the original permit fee must be paid before the Notice of Approval will be issued.
8. 08
   For subdivision plats and manufactured home rental communities, submit the required application, plans, and fees to the County Judge at the courthouse address in the regulations. The county reviews and approves or rejects under Texas Local Government Code Chapters 232 and 233.

Typical processing time: OSSF Notice of Approval is issued within 7 days after a successful inspection. No public countywide general building-permit review time estimate available.

Source: Menard County Government (County Judge, County Clerk, OSSF Program, Emergency Management) ↗

OSSF fees are non-refundable and must be paid by check or money order payable to the Menard County OSSF Program; cash is not accepted. Subdivision and MHRC application fees must be paid in full by cashier's check or money order to Menard County at application submission. Certificates of Approved Plat and MHRC Compliance are $50.00 each.

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

• Contact Menard County OSSF Program or designated representative (in-person)

Scheduling deadline

For OSSF inspections, the installer must notify the local designated representative at least 5 working days before the construction inspection.

Typical sequence: For OSSF: Site evaluation and planning, county review, Authorization to Construct, installation, inspection while excavations remain open, then Notice of Approval within 7 days after an approved inspection.

Source: Menard County Government (County Judge, County Clerk, OSSF Program, Emergency Management) ↗