Unincorporated Navarro County

Public county records verified the following permit programs, but did not verify a universal county general building permit for all unincorporated construction: Lake area building permits in the Richland Chambers lakeshore zoning jurisdiction, Floodplain permits for development in floodplain-regulated areas, OSSF permits for all septic systems, including new, modified, or repaired systems, Culvert / driveway access permits on county easements and rights-of-way, Plat / subdivision approvals in the unincorporated county

Note: Because Navarro County does not publish a countywide general building-permit code program for all unincorporated construction, exemption analysis is permit-type specific rather than city-style.

Building code

No public countywide adoption of a general building code for all unincorporated areas was verified from the county materials reviewed. Verified county regulatory programs are zoning, floodplain, subdivision, access, and OSSF controls.

Owner-builder

No general county owner-builder rule was found in the public materials reviewed. For OSSF work, state-law licensing and exemption rules apply.

Contractor requirements

No county general contractor license program was publicly identified. OSSF work is tied to licensed installers under state law. The county packet warns that all septic systems must be permitted and installed by a licensed installer.

1. 01
   Confirm the parcel is in unincorporated Navarro County and determine whether it is inside the county's 5,000-foot Richland Chambers lakeshore zoning jurisdiction or elsewhere in the unincorporated area.
2. 02
   If the project is in the lake-area zoning jurisdiction, use the county residential building permit checklist and zoning materials. If outside that area, the county's posted construction packet is tied to 911 temporary addressing plus notices about septic, culvert, and floodplain rules.
3. 03
   Submit any required floodplain development permit, OSSF / septic application, culvert / access permit, or plat / replat package, depending on the project.
4. 04
   For OSSF work, provide the required site evaluation, design, installer information, and other TCEQ-required materials.
5. 05
   Pay the applicable fee.
6. 06
   Wait for county review and approval before beginning regulated work.

Source: Navarro County Planning and Development Office; Navarro County OSSF program ↗

Culvert permit notes say check or money order only

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

• Contact the Planning and Development Office or OSSF Inspector depending on permit type (in-person)

Inspection hours

Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Typical sequence: Varies by permit type; OSSF work follows county OSSF procedures, and lake-area / floodplain / access approvals follow the applicable county program