Bolthole Index

Carson County, Texas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Groom, Texas

The Town of Groom in Carson County, Texas zones all land inside town limits into districts1. Manufactured or mobile homes need a building permit from city hall before they are placed2. Septic permits and water wells are not decided by the town; we could not confirm which office handles septic inside Groom, so ask the Carson County Judge's Office or TCEQ before you buy.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the whole town is zoned into districts13
Building permit
Required from city hall for manufactured/mobile homes; applications need a plat24
Minimum home size
1,200 sq ft in the A District; 700 sq ft in the B District56
Minimum lot size
7,000 sq ft for a single-family dwelling7
Manufactured homes
Only in B, C, D or E districts west of FM 2300 and south of I-408
Septic
State OSSF rules apply; local permitting agent not confirmed for Groom910
Wells
Registered or permitted through the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District11

Who to call

Building permits

Groom City Hall (city secretary)

Building permits for manufactured and mobile homes, applications under the zoning ordinance, and inspection of moved houses inside Groom town limits

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 Town of Groom means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Groom, Texas have zoning, and what does it mean for homes and RVs?

Yes. Groom's zoning ordinance exists "to zone the entire area of the city into districts"1. The districts run from the A District for single-family dwellings and the B District for two-family dwellings to the C District for local retail, apartments and multifamily dwellings3. Land annexed into Groom is held to A District restrictions until the ordinance is amended3.

In the A District, a new residence must have at least 1200 square feet of floor space5. In the B District the minimum is 700 square feet6. Lots for single-family homes need 7,000 square feet in the A and B Districts7. A District front yards must be at least 30 feet deep, and B and C District front yards at least 25 feet, unless the block's existing front yards justify averaging12.

Manufactured and mobile homes in Groom may go only in B, C, D or E districts west of FM 2300 and south of I-40, on a lot of at least 7,000 square feet, with skirting or underpinning within 90 days of move-in8. We could not confirm any Groom rule on RV living, tiny homes, camping or accessory dwellings, so call city hall before parking an RV or placing a tiny home on a lot.

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

Inside Groom, city hall issues the building permit for a manufactured or mobile home, and the permit must be in hand before the home is located on the lot2. Applications for building permits must include a plat in duplicate, drawn to scale4. A permit expires if work does not start within 60 days or is not finished within one year of issuance4.

A house moved into a zoned district gets a visual inspection from the city secretary or a designated official, and any work needed to meet the requirements must be finished within 12 months after the permit is issued13. Groom's fee schedule includes a building-related-fees article, and a request to amend the zoning ordinance carries a $50 filing fee that is not refunded if the request is denied14.

We could not confirm which residential building-code edition Groom has adopted, whether it issues certificates of occupancy, or whether it has an owner-builder exemption2. Ask city hall before you design anything.

How do septic permits work inside Groom, Texas?

Groom's town code, as we read it, does not name an on-site sewage authority, so we could not confirm who permits septic systems inside town limits. Texas requires a permit and approved plan to construct, alter, repair, extend and operate an on-site sewage facility9. In most of the state, local governments act as TCEQ-authorized agents, and the TCEQ regional office is the permitting authority where no local jurisdiction has been authorized10.

A tract of at least 10 acres with a single-family dwelling can qualify for an exemption if every condition is met, including a licensed site evaluation and all parts of the system at least 100 feet from the property line9. Lots inside town limits are rarely that large. The installer must give the permitting authority at least five working days' notice before inspection15.

If Groom's water main reaches your street, connecting needs a city application plus payment of installation costs and a meter deposit, though the code does not say every new residence must connect to city water or sewer16. Carson County's soils rate 37.5% "not limited" for conventional drain fields, so many sites still need a site evaluation17.

Building a home in Groom: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district on Groom's zoning map before you buy3.
  2. Check the lot against the district's minimum lot size and minimum home size7.
  3. Prepare a plat in duplicate, drawn to scale, and apply at city hall4.
  4. For a manufactured home, confirm the lot lies in a B, C, D or E district west of FM 2300 and south of I-408.
  5. Ask the Carson County Judge's Office or the TCEQ regional office who permits septic at your address10.
  6. If you need a well, register or permit it with the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District11.
  7. Begin work within 60 days of the permit date4.

What stays with Carson County and the state outside Groom's rules?

Septic permits are a state program run by TCEQ or a local authorized agent, not by the town's zoning rules10. Water wells anywhere in Carson County fall under the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District, which requires every well to be registered or permitted11.

A driveway onto a state highway needs a TxDOT access driveway permit on Form 105818. Outside town limits, Carson County has adopted no zoning ordinance, so the district rules above stop at the town line19. For land outside Groom, see the Carson County page.

Carson County's effective property tax rate is 1.4% and the median bill is $1,915 a year2021.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm which office permits septic systems inside Groom town limits; ask the Carson County Judge's Office or the TCEQ regional office before you close10.
  • Groom's flood-damage-prevention article and water-wells article exist in the town code, but we could not confirm their requirements, so ask city hall about flood zones and wells before buying11.
  • Manufactured and mobile homes face district, location and skirting limits inside Groom that do not apply on unzoned land outside town limits8.

Sources

  1. Chapter 14: Zoning - City of Groom, TX (Town of Groom), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 14: Zoning - City of Groom, TX (Town of Groom), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 14: Zoning - City of Groom, TX (Town of Groom), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 14: Zoning - City of Groom, TX (Town of Groom), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 14: Zoning - City of Groom, TX (Town of Groom), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 14: Zoning - City of Groom, TX (Town of Groom), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 14: Zoning - City of Groom, TX (Town of Groom), quoted and re-checked
  8. Chapter 14: Zoning - City of Groom, TX (Town of Groom), quoted and re-checked
  9. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System, quoted and re-checked
  10. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District, quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 14: Zoning - City of Groom, TX (Town of Groom), quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 14: Zoning - City of Groom, TX (Town of Groom), quoted and re-checked
  14. Appendix A: Fee Schedule - City of Groom, TX (Town of Groom), quoted and re-checked
  15. On-Site Sewage Facility Rules Compilation, quoted and re-checked
  16. Article 13.03: Water and Sewers - City of Groom, TX (Town of Groom), quoted and re-checked
  17. 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
  18. Section 6: Access Driveways, quoted and re-checked
  19. Texas law on county zoning and building authority
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. 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 Town of Groom

Town of Groom’s own rules

  • Building permitLimited

    Location of manufactured or mobile homes inside Groom town limits.

    • A permit from city hall is required before location of the home.
    • The home must be in B, C, D, or E districts west of FM 2300 and south of I-40, skirted or underpinned within 90 days, and on a lot of at least 7,000 square feet.

    minimum lot area: >= 7000 square feet (Manufactured/mobile home location)

    “Must receive a building permit from city hall prior to location of mobile/ manufactured home.”
  • InspectionsLimited

    A residence moved into a zoned district inside Groom town limits.

    • The city secretary or designated official must visually inspect the proposed moved house.
    • The house must meet the zoning article and receive city construction approval; work allowed to meet requirements must be completed within 12 months after permit issuance.

    completion deadline: <= 12 months (Work done to meet requirements for a moved house)

    “A visual inspection must be made by the city secretary or a designated official, of the proposed house to be moved.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Groom town limits.

    • The code zones the entire city into districts under its comprehensive plan.
    “The purpose of this article is to zone the entire area of the city into districts”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Groom town limits.

    • District boundaries are on the zoning map, which is incorporated into the ordinance.
    • Annexed territory is subject to A District restrictions until changed by ordinance amendment.
    “A District: Single-Family Dwellings B District: Two-Family Dwellings C District: Local Retail and Apartments and Multifamily Dwellings”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residentially developed lots inside Groom town limits, by zoning district and dwelling type.

    • A District requires 7,000 square feet.
    • B District requires 7,000 square feet for single-family and 8,000 square feet for two-family dwellings.
    • C, D, and E districts require 7,000 square feet for single-family, 8,000 square feet for two-family/apartment houses, and 6,000 plus 1,000 square feet per family unit over two for multifamily dwellings.

    A District minimum lot area: 7000 square feet · B District single-family minimum lot area: 7000 square feet · B District two-family minimum lot area: 8000 square feet

    “In the “B” District, the minimum area of the lot shall be 7,000 square feet for a single-family dwelling and 8,000 feet for a two-family dwelling.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Dwellings inside Groom town limits.

    • A District front yard is at least 30 feet, subject to the block-improvement averaging exception.
    • B and C District front yards are at least 25 feet, subject to the same exception.
    • All dwelling districts require rear yard depth of 20% of lot depth, capped at 30 feet.
    • A, B, and C, and other dwelling development, require two side yards with combined width at least 20% of lot width, capped at 12 feet, and neither less than 5 feet.

    A District front setback: >= 30 feet (May be reduced to average existing front-yard depth if 50% or more of one block side is improved) · B/C District front setback: >= 25 feet (May be reduced to average existing front-yard depth if 50% or more of one block side is improved)

    “In the “A” District, there shall be a front yard having a depth of not less than thirty (30) feet”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured and mobile homes inside Groom town limits.

    • Permitted only in B, C, D, or E districts west of FM 2300 and south of I-40.
    • Skirting or underpinning is due within 90 days after move-in.
    • A city-hall building permit is required before location.
    • Lot area must be at least 7,000 square feet.
    • Only manufactured homes, not newly moved mobile homes, may be moved to manufactured/mobile-housing lots; existing mobile homes are unaffected.

    minimum lot area: >= 7000 square feet (Manufactured/mobile home location) · skirting deadline: <= 90 days (After move-in)

    “A manufactured/mobile home may be located in “B”, “C”, “D”, or “E” districts; west of FM 2300 and south of I-40.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Premises inside Groom town limits seeking connection to the city water supply.

    • Connection requires a city application, payment of installation costs and meter deposit, and a city water main on the abutting street.
    • The cited provision does not establish that every new residence must connect to water or sewer.
    “At the time of such filing, the applicant shall pay for the installation costs and meter deposit for water service as herein provided.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Groom building-related fees and zoning-amendment applications.

    • The fee schedule has a building-related-fees article.
    • A zoning-amendment/change request requires a $50 filing fee, which is nonrefundable if the applicant does not present formally or the request is denied.

    zoning amendment filing fee: 50 USD (Nonrefundable if applicant fails to make formal presentation or request is denied)

    “Any person requesting an amendment or change to the zoning ordinance shall be required to pay a filing fee of $50.00. No action by the commission shall be valid until the filing fee has been paid. This fee shall not be refunded should the person making the request fail to make formal presentation not [or] should the requested amendment of [or] change be denied.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit applications under Groom's zoning ordinance.

    • Application must include duplicate scaled plats showing actual lot dimensions, building size, and information needed for enforcement.
    • A permit expires if work does not commence within 60 days, is suspended or abandoned for 60 days, or is not completed within one year after issuance.

    permit commencement deadline: <= 60 days (From permit date) · permit completion deadline: <= 1 year (From issuance)

    “All applications for building permits shall be accompanied by a plat in duplicate, drawn to scale”

Rules another office applies inside Town of Groom

Town of Groom does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    A District: Single-Family Dwellings inside Groom town limits.

    • A residence must also meet the quality and construction of dwellings in the surrounding area.

    minimum floor space: >= 1200 square feet (A District residence)

    “In an “A” District, no residence shall be erected that has less than 1200 square feet floor space”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Groom or Carson County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Groom town limits.
  • Building code adopted — Residential construction inside Groom town limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Groom town limits.
  • Lot coverage — Lots inside Groom town limits.
  • Building height — Buildings inside Groom town limits.
13 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Town of Groom publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Carson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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