Building permits, zoning and land rules in Bastrop County, Texas

Bastrop County does not issue building permits or certificates of occupancy in unincorporated areas, but requires a development permit before building or placing a structure, subject to limited exemptions^1,2,3. County residential code standards cover new single-family homes, duplexes and additions increasing an existing home’s square footage or value by more than 50%; the county has no building codes for other uses². The builder chooses substantial conformity with the 2006 International Residential Code or the IRC version applicable in the City of Bastrop². For covered new construction, the builder hires an authorized inspector for foundation, framing and mechanical systems, and completion inspections; Bastrop County does not conduct those inspections or require copies of the reports². Elgin requires city building permits for construction and listed alterations inside city limits; septic approval is separate, and Elgin’s septic permitting authority remains unconfirmed—ask Bastrop County Development Services^2,10,11. Austin, mainly in Travis County but reaching into Bastrop County, issues building permits within its zoning jurisdiction; Austin Water regulates septic within Austin’s full jurisdiction^6,12.

Bastrop County Development Services handles development, floodplain, driveway and OSSF (septic) applications for unincorporated land^3,5,13. Reach the office at 211 Jackson Street, Bastrop, Texas 78602, (512) 581-7176 or development.services@co.bastrop.tx.us². Development applications require proof of ownership, a dimensioned site plan and a survey or plat; additional information may be requested². A single-family development permit costs $225, or $300 with floodplain involvement⁷. Development Services will not issue a development permit for non-compliant property unless the department head approves a health or public-safety exception². Non-exempt wells in the Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District portion of Bastrop County require district approval; reach the district at 512-360-5088^9,14.

Bastrop County has no general zoning authority on unincorporated land, except for a small northwest airport-zoning area near Austin Executive Airport⁴. Elgin administers zoning inside city limits; septic approval remains separate, with the local permitting authority unconfirmed—ask Bastrop County Development Services^2,11,15. Austin, a city mainly in Travis County that reaches into Bastrop County, administers zoning inside its city limits; Austin Water handles septic within Austin’s full jurisdiction^6,16. Outside the airport area, Bastrop County sets no zoning-based minimum dwelling size, lot-coverage limit or building-height limit on unincorporated land². County subdivision, driveway, floodplain, septic and RV-park requirements still apply independently of general zoning, and recorded deed restrictions, covenants and easements can limit a parcel’s use⁴. Land divisions in unincorporated areas are regulated; cities handle subdivision regulation inside their limits, while extraterritorial-jurisdiction authority depends on local agreements¹⁷.

Bastrop County acts as TCEQ's authorized agent for on-site sewage facilities and has adopted TCEQ's rules under Title 30 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 285, plus its own additional requirements⁵. With few exceptions, a permit is required to construct, install, alter, extend or repair an OSSF, regardless of how many acres the property has, and a standard residential permit costs $600^5,7. Specified emergency repairs — replacing tank lids, inlet and outlet devices, or fixing solid lines — need no septic permit but must be reported to Development Services within 72 hours after work begins⁵. Once permitted, a system has 1 year to be installed, inspected and finally approved under the Permit to Construct, after which the License to Operate lasts for the life of the system unless usage changes significantly⁵. Lot size matters directly here: a platted or unplatted lot using an individual OSSF must be at least 1/2 acre if served by public water, or 1 acre if not, and lots under 1/2 acre need a Registered Sanitarian or Professional Engineer to design the system regardless of type⁵. USDA rates only 19% of Bastrop County’s soils “not limited” for conventional drain fields; that calls for a site evaluation and potentially an engineered system, rather than ruling out septic¹⁸.

Placing an RV, manufactured home or tiny home in unincorporated Bastrop County requires a development permit³. We could not confirm a general rule allowing temporary occupancy of a single RV on private land; ask Bastrop County Development Services before relying on an RV as housing². A private RV park or lodging development designed for more than 2 RVs, lodging units or tiny houses requires a pre-application meeting, an Infrastructure Development Plan and Commissioners Court approval before construction; units must be at least 20 feet apart⁸. Within a covered development, a tiny house under 400 square feet is treated as an RV on wheels or a lodging unit when secured to a foundation⁸. Bastrop County has no separate short-term rental permitting process, but sleeping accommodations rented for less than 30 consecutive days remain subject to applicable septic, driveway, addressing and other approvals, plus Hotel Occupancy Tax filing¹⁹. Rentals inside city limits or city extraterritorial jurisdictions also face city regulations and application requirements¹⁹.

1. Confirm city limits, any extraterritorial jurisdiction and the northwest airport-zoning area; ask Bastrop County Development Services who reviews a proposed land division^2,17.
2. Check available water and wastewater: regulated subdivisions may require utility connections, but Bastrop County has no universal connection requirement²⁰.
3. Submit proof of ownership, a dimensioned site plan and a survey or plat with the development application; submit the OSSF application concurrently when public wastewater is unavailable².
4. For floodplain construction, obtain a surveyor’s certification before applying³.
5. Evaluate septic soils and lot size; lots under 1/2 acre require a Registered Sanitarian or Professional Engineer to design the system⁵.
6. For covered residential construction, choose an allowed IRC version, hire an eligible inspector and retain the inspection reports².
7. Obtain a driveway permit before construction or modification on a county-maintained or WCID#2 road; TxDOT handles state-highway access, and routine driveway maintenance needs no county permit^13,21.
8. Ask Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District about a non-exempt well within its territory⁹.

Before buying Bastrop County land, confirm septic feasibility and water supply: individual OSSF lots generally need at least 1/2 acre with public water or 1 acre without it, and USDA rates only 19% of county soils “not limited” for conventional drain fields; a site evaluation may point to an engineered system^5,18. Floodplain status affects the development-permit class and fee; residential additions, remodels or repairs exceeding 50% of existing value trigger elevation requirements of 2 feet above base flood elevation^3,7. Confirm whether Lost Pines Groundwater Conservation District covers the parcel and whether the intended well use is exempt⁹. Bastrop County receives about 37.6 inches of annual precipitation but experiences severe drought in 20.5% of years, so rainfall alone does not settle water reliability¹⁸. The effective property tax rate is about 1.5%, with a median annual bill around $4,077; these county figures are a starting point for budgeting¹⁸.