Bolthole Index

Camp County, Texas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Pittsburg, Texas

The City of Pittsburg, Texas (Camp County) zones land inside city limits and issues its own building permits through the Building Official at City Hall12. Septic permits are a separate question: Camp County is the listed septic authority for the county, and we could not confirm who handles septic on city lots3. Living in an RV on a lot inside Pittsburg is unlawful4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the city zones its land and divides it into 17 districts1
Building permit
City permit with published per-square-foot fees; apply through the city's online permit portal52
Building code
2024 International Building Code adopted by the city6
RV living on a lot
Unlawful inside city limits, with narrow exceptions for licensed RV parks and temporary visitors4
Septic
Camp County is the listed septic authority; city-lot arrangements unconfirmed, ask the Building Official3
Subdivision
Plats need city approval; splits into parcels of 2 acres or more are exempt unless a new street or city utility extension is involved7
Floodplain
Development permit required in special flood hazard areas8

Who to call

Building permits

City of Pittsburg Building Official

Building inspections and building permits inside Pittsburg city limits, including residential new construction, remodels, fences, demolition and manufactured-home moves

903-856-3621

200 Rusk Street, Pittsburg, TX 75686

Online permits →

Building permits

City of Pittsburg Permit Portal

Online applications, payment and plan upload for city construction permits

903-856-3621

200 Rusk Street, Pittsburg, TX 75686

Online permits →

Zoning

City of Pittsburg Planning & Zoning

Rezoning, site plans, subdivision plats, use permits and variances inside Pittsburg city limits

903-856-3621

200 Rusk Street, Pittsburg, TX 75686

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Pittsburg means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Pittsburg, Texas have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and lot size?

Pittsburg, Texas has zoning. The city divides its land into 17 classes of districts, and the zoning map is part of the ordinance19. What you can build on a given lot, and how big the lot or the house must be, depends on the district, and we could not confirm the district schedules for minimum lot size, setbacks or minimum home size. Ask Pittsburg Planning & Zoning for the district of the parcel before you buy10.

Living in a recreational vehicle or travel trailer on a lot inside Pittsburg is unlawful, with two exceptions: a duly licensed RV park, and temporary occupancy by visitors on a residential lot that already has a permitted dwelling, without a city water or sewer connection4. We could not confirm a city rule for tiny homes or accessory dwellings, so ask the Building Official before planning either.

These rules stop at the city line. Camp County itself has no zoning11.

Do you need a building permit in Pittsburg, Texas, and who issues it?

The City of Pittsburg issues building permits inside city limits through its Building Official at City Hall, and applications can be filed through the city's online permit portal212. The city has adopted the 2024 International Building Code by reference6. Fees for new construction, primary buildings, accessory buildings and additions are $50 plus $0.10 per square foot, and work done without a required permit is charged double5.

Moving a HUD-code manufactured home into the city takes its own permit, a completed city application, inspections before the move and a current TDHCA statement of ownership; the application fee is $12513. Development in a special flood hazard area also needs a development permit8. We could not confirm an owner-builder exemption inside the city, so ask the Building Official.

How do septic permits work inside Pittsburg, Texas?

Texas requires a permit to construct, install, alter or repair an on-site sewage facility, and Camp County is the listed local septic authority for the county143. We could not confirm whether the city or the county handles septic on lots inside Pittsburg city limits. Ask the Building Official at 903-856-3621 before you count on a septic system for a city lot2.

Texas lets owners of tracts of 10 acres or more skip some septic requirements when every other state condition is met, including keeping all parts of the system 100 feet from the property line15. That exemption rarely fits a city lot. Soils matter too: only about 5.3% of Camp County soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system16.

Building a home in Pittsburg, Texas: the steps, in order

  1. Call Pittsburg Planning & Zoning at 903-856-3621 and ask which of the city's 17 zoning districts the parcel sits in, and whether your use is allowed there910.
  2. If you are dividing land, check the platting rule: splits into parcels of 2 acres or more are exempt unless they include a new street, access easement or city water or sewer extension7.
  3. Confirm who permits septic for the address; Camp County is the listed septic authority for the county3.
  4. Check whether the parcel lies in a special flood hazard area8.
  5. Apply for the residential building permit through the city's permit portal and pay the per-square-foot fee125.
  6. Schedule inspections with the Building Official2.

What stays with Camp County, and what to check before you buy in Pittsburg?

Land outside Pittsburg city limits follows the county's answers, not the city's. Camp County has no countywide zoning11, and the county page covers unincorporated Camp County. A driveway onto a Texas state highway needs a state permit on Form 105817.

Camp County's effective property tax rate is 1.1%, with a median property tax bill of $1,703 a year1819. These tax figures are county-level, not specific to the city. Ask the Camp Central Appraisal District and the Building Official about any city utility connection, because we could not confirm a connection threshold for new homes.

Watch-outs

  • City rules apply only inside Pittsburg city limits; land outside them is governed by the county's answers, not the city's111.
  • We could not confirm minimum lot size, setbacks or minimum home size, which depend on the zoning district; ask Pittsburg Planning & Zoning before you buy9.
  • We could not confirm who issues septic permits for lots inside Pittsburg city limits; call the Building Official at 903-856-36212.

Sources

  1. Section II: Districts and Boundaries Thereof - City of Pittsburg, TX (Pittsburg), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Pittsburg Building Official (pittsburgtx.gov)
  3. Types of Systems Installed by Time Period (2026 county census)
  4. Article 3.09: Recreational Vehicles - City of Pittsburg, TX (Pittsburg), quoted and re-checked
  5. Article A3.000: Building and Construction - City of Pittsburg, TX (Pittsburg), quoted and re-checked
  6. Division 2: Building Code - City of Pittsburg, TX (Pittsburg), quoted and re-checked
  7. Division 3: Rules and Regulations Governing Platting and Subdividing of Land - City of Pittsburg, TX (Pittsburg), quoted and re-checked
  8. Division 1: Generally - City of Pittsburg, TX (Pittsburg), quoted and re-checked
  9. Section II: Districts and Boundaries Thereof - City of Pittsburg, TX (Pittsburg), quoted and re-checked
  10. City of Pittsburg Planning & Zoning (pittsburgtx.gov)
  11. 2023 Camp County Hazard Mitigation Action Plan, quoted and re-checked
  12. City of Pittsburg Permit Portal (pittsburgtx.gov)
  13. Article A3.000: Building and Construction - City of Pittsburg, TX (Pittsburg), quoted and re-checked
  14. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System, quoted and re-checked
  16. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  17. Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Pittsburg

Pittsburg’s own rules

  • Building permitLimited

    Moving a HUD-code manufactured home within Pittsburg city limits.

    • A completed city application is required.
    • The building official conducts proper inspections before the move.
    • The home must meet city building codes, HUD rules, and habitability requirements.
    • A current TDHCA statement of ownership is required; failure to provide it results in denial.

    application fee: 125 USD (nonrefundable; each application)

    “Any owner, operator, licensee shall be required to obtain a permit from the city prior to moving a HUD-code manufactured home within the city. The city building official will, upon receipt of completed application, on a form provided by the city, will conduct all proper inspections prior to moving a HUD-code manufactured home.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings inside Pittsburg city limits.

    • The cited provision adopts the 2024 International Building Code by reference.

    code edition: 2024

    “The ICC International Building Code, 2024 edition, is hereby adopted by reference as though copied herein fully.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    HUD-code manufactured homes moved into Pittsburg city limits.

    • The city Building Official conducts an inspection to confirm compliance with city codes, the ordinance, and habitability.
    “The city Building Official will, upon receipt of completed application, on a form provided by the City of Pittsburg, will conduct all proper inspections prior to moving a HUD-code manufactured home.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Pittsburg city limits.

    • Zoning district map and district regulations govern parcel-specific land use.
    “In order to classify, regulate and restrict the location of trades and industries and the location of buildings designed for specific uses; to regulate and limit the height and bulk of buildings; to regulate and determine the area of yards, courts and other open spaces, surrounding buildings, and to regulate and limit the density of population, the City of Pittsburg, Texas, is hereby divided into 17 classes of “Districts.””
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Pittsburg city limits.

    • The official zoning map is part of the ordinance and has the same force and effect as ordinance text.
    • The official map is retained by the City Clerk and an up-to-date copy is maintained by the building official.

    district classes: 17

    “The Zoning District Map and all the notations, references and other information shown thereon are a part of this Ordinance and shall have the same force and effect as if such map and all the notation[s], references and other information shown thereon were all fully set forth or described herein;”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Use or occupancy of a recreational vehicle or travel trailer as a residence on a lot or tract inside Pittsburg city limits.

    • Exception: a recreational vehicle or travel trailer in a duly licensed RV park that complies with RV-park zoning-district use-and-occupancy-permit requirements.
    • Exception: temporary occupancy by visitors on a residentially zoned lot with an existing permitted residential dwelling; the vehicle may not connect to city water or sewer during temporary occupancy.
    “It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to park or permit the parking of a recreational vehicle and/or travel trailer on any lot or tract of land within the city, whenever the recreational vehicle or travel trailer is being used or occupied as a residence.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land within Pittsburg city limits.

    • Preliminary and final/record plats must conform to the city rules and receive planning-and-zoning-commission recommendation and city-council approval.
    • A division into parcels of two acres or more is exempt unless it includes a new street or access easement or extension of city-owned water or sewer mains.

    large-parcel exemption threshold: >= 2 acres (does not apply if division includes a new street/access easement or city-owned water/sewer-main extension)

    “Division of land into parcels of two (2) acres or more shall be exempt from the platting requirements outlined in subsection (a) of this section, unless such division includes the planning or development of a new street or access easement, or the extension of city-owned water or sewer mains to serve the property.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in areas of special flood hazard within Pittsburg city jurisdiction.

    • Article applies only to areas of special flood hazard within city jurisdiction.
    • Development permit is required to ensure conformance with the flood-damage-prevention article.
    • Where a conflict or overlap occurs with another ordinance, the more stringent restriction prevails.
    “This article shall apply to all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of the city.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building and construction permits inside Pittsburg city limits.

    • Residential new-construction, primary-building, accessory-building, and addition fees are calculated per square foot.
    • Work without a required permit is charged double permit fee, minimum $100.

    residential new-construction base fee: 50 USD (plus $0.10 per square foot) · residential construction rate: 0.1 USD per square foot (in addition to $50 base fee)

    “New construction, primary building, accessory building, addition: Per square foot on building permit $50.00 + $0.10 per square foot.”
  • Permit processPartial

    HUD-code manufactured-home moves inside Pittsburg city limits.

    • Applicant must submit a completed city form.
    • Building official conducts inspections before the move.
    • Permit is denied if home does not meet ordinance, HUD-construction, city-code, or habitability requirements.
    • Current TDHCA statement of ownership is required.
    “A current statement of ownership, as defined in section 1201.205 in the Texas Occupation Code, issued by TDHCA will be required as part of the application and permit requirements. Failure to provide a current statement of ownership will result in a denied permit.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Pittsburg or Camp County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Pittsburg city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Pittsburg city limits; dimensional requirements depend on zoning district.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Pittsburg city limits; requirements depend on zoning district and subdivision status.
  • Setbacks — Structures inside Pittsburg city limits; setbacks depend on zoning district.
  • Lot coverage — Lots inside Pittsburg city limits; coverage depends on zoning district.
11 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Pittsburg publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Camp County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Camp County: county rules, score and offices