Unincorporated San Saba County

No public countywide general building permit exists for ordinary construction in unincorporated San Saba County. Verified county permits/approvals are: OSSF permit for new construction or modification of on-site sewage facility; floodplain/development permit for regulated floodplain development; Commissioners Court approval for underground crossings and lines in county road right-of-way; subdivision plat approval and compliance.

Note: No county exempt-work list was found because San Saba County does not publish a general county building-permit program for ordinary construction. County's publicly documented permit controls are limited to floodplain, OSSF, county right-of-way line crossings, and subdivision regulation.

Building code

No public countywide building code adoption for general construction found. Verified county regulatory programs include: Flood Damage Prevention Order/floodplain permitting program; Order Adopting Rules for On-Site Sewage Facilities (authorized by TCEQ August 2025); Subdivision Regulations (amended March 14, 2022); Commissioners Court guidelines for underground crossings and right-of-way lines.

Permit validity

OSSF Authorization to Construct valid for one year from date of issuance; county floodplain/development permit valid for one year from date of application.

Owner-builder

OSSF application materials state completed application and technical information sheet are to be submitted in the property owner's name.

Contractor requirements

OSSF soil identification must be performed by qualified individual (Registered Sanitarian, Professional Engineer, or Site Evaluator). OSSF professional design required for proprietary and non-standard systems. OSSF packet requests installer registration information. No countywide general contractor licensing program for ordinary building construction found.

Source: San Saba County Commissioners Court / County Permits ↗

1. 01
   Determine which county approval applies. San Saba County does not publish a general building permit for ordinary construction in unincorporated areas.
2. 02
   For on-site sewage facility (OSSF/septic) work: obtain the county application, have required site evaluation/soil identification performed by a qualified professional, prepare planning materials, and submit completed application and technical information sheet with fee.
3. 03
   County staff reviews the OSSF application. Non-standard OSSF plans may be reviewed by TCEQ in Austin. If approved, the county issues an Authorization to Construct.
4. 04
   For OSSF inspection, contact the county office at least 5 working days before the system is covered if inspection is required.
5. 05
   For floodplain development, submit the county floodplain/development permit form before development in the regulated floodplain area with owner, contractor, site, flood-zone, and elevation information.
6. 06
   For underground county road crossing/right-of-way line work, obtain Commissioners Court permission before construction and submit the county road crossing/right-of-way application with location, map, legal description, and precinct information.
7. 07
   For subdivision activity in unincorporated areas, follow county subdivision regulations and plat approval process before recording/selling lots or proceeding with regulated subdivision development.

Typical processing time: No public processing-time estimate found for floodplain, right-of-way, or subdivision approvals. OSSF packet does not publish a fixed turnaround time.

Source: San Saba County Commissioners Court / County Permits ↗

All fees must be paid before inspection. Public materials reviewed did not publish separate online payment instructions for county permits.

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

• County office (OSSF inspections) (phone)

Scheduling deadline

For OSSF: contact county office at least 5 working days in advance if inspection is necessary, and do so before covering the system.

Inspection hours

Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Typical sequence: OSSF: site evaluation and planning, application submittal, county review, Authorization to Construct, installation, then inspection before covering if required. Floodplain: permit application before development; no detailed published field-inspection sequence found. Right-of-way/subdivision: approval first; no detailed published inspection sequence found.

Source: San Saba County Commissioners Court / County Permits ↗