Unincorporated Upton County

No public county source was found establishing a countywide general building permit requirement for ordinary vertical construction. TCEQ requires a permit for OSSF/septic systems. County pipeline/utility crossing permits required for work in county road right-of-way.

• Exempt Limited septic permitting exemptions per TCEQ guidance, including qualifying 10-acre-rule systems and certain emergency repairs that must still be reported to the permitting authority in writing within 72 hours after repairs begin

Note: No public county exempt-work list was found for a general building-permit program because no countywide general building-permit program was publicly identified.

Building code

No public Upton County countywide building-code adoption program was found for unincorporated areas. TCEQ OSSF rules and county right-of-way permit control apply to their respective areas.

Permit validity

County right-of-way pipeline/utility crossing permit term: maximum of two weeks unless specifically extended by Commissioners Court action.

Owner-builder

TCEQ homeowner guidance states almost all OSSFs require a permit and that work may be performed directly by the homeowner when it is the homeowner's single-family residence; if someone is paid for any part of the process, that person must be state-licensed.

Contractor requirements

OSSF designers, installers, inspectors, and related personnel are governed by state licensing rules through TCEQ. The county right-of-way form asks whether the work will be performed by a contractor and, if yes, requires the contractor name.

Source: Upton County Judge's Office and Commissioners Court ↗

1. 01
   Confirm the parcel is in unincorporated Upton County. If the site is inside McCamey or Rankin, use city rules instead.
2. 02
   Determine whether the project triggers one of the county's verified permit programs.
3. 03
   For an OSSF/septic project, contact Upton County as the TCEQ authorized agent. Submit the application and planning materials required by the local permitting authority.
4. 04
   For a county road right-of-way pipeline or utility crossing, use the county PDF form with applicant information, road and precinct location, pipeline description, construction method, timeline, and an attached map or sketch.
5. 05
   Submit the pipeline or utility crossing application to the Upton County Judge's Office at P.O. Box 482, Rankin, TX 79778, or by the submission methods listed on the form.
6. 06
   Wait for county approval before starting county right-of-way work.
7. 07
   If the project also requires septic, floodplain, driveway, subdivision, utility, or state approvals, confirm those separately.

Typical processing time: OSSF: 30 days per TCEQ. County right-of-way pipeline/utility crossing: no public estimate found.

Source: Upton County Judge's Office and Commissioners Court ↗

Inspection hours

Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Typical sequence: OSSF inspections occur as part of the septic permit process under TCEQ-authorized-agent administration. No public sequence found for county right-of-way inspections.

Source: Upton County Judge's Office and Commissioners Court ↗