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

An ordinary home in unincorporated Cochran County does not require a general county building permit¹. The Texas residential-standards framework applies only when an eligible county adopts it, and even then the statute does not require county approval before construction begins¹². We could not confirm a Cochran County residential-code adoption, building inspection program, certificate of occupancy, or building-permit fee; ask the County Judge's Office if any of those matters affect the project¹³.

City limits change the building-permit answer. Morton has adopted the International Building Code for buildings and structures within the city, subject to local amendments⁶. Morton therefore handles city building rules, but septic permits and OSSF inspections remain under the Texas permitting-authority framework^3,14. Whiteface building-permit and zoning requirements were not confirmed; ask the city directly for a parcel inside its limits.

Cochran County does not list a general building department, and an ordinary home in an unincorporated area does not require a general county building permit¹. The County Judge's Office is the county contact for unresolved building-inspection, occupancy, floodplain-development, and county-road-access questions¹³.

Each specialized approval has a separate authority. Ask the TCEQ OSSF Program to identify the current septic-permit and inspection authority before filing^3,5,14. The High Plains Underground Water Conservation District handles water-well permits in Cochran County; wells producing less than 17.5 gallons per minute are exempt from an HPWD permit, although a state well report may still be required^9,10,15. A driveway connecting to a state highway needs an executed TxDOT access permit before work begins¹⁶. Inside Morton, the city applies its building code, while septic and well authority do not shift to the city^3,6,9.

Unincorporated Cochran County has no county zoning ordinance². Texas counties have no zoning authority except in limited cases the Legislature grants, and no Cochran County zoning ordinance or county zoning department appears on the county's official site². As a result, county zoning sets no minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setback, lot-coverage limit, building-height limit, or zoning district on unincorporated land⁷. Private deed restrictions, easements, septic design, flood risk, and road-access requirements can still constrain a particular tract, so review the recorded documents and site conditions before treating land as build-ready.

Municipal rules are separate. Morton's zoning chapter is reserved, but Morton separately regulates construction through its adopted building code^6,8. The countywide status of municipal zoning beyond that Morton chapter was not confirmed, so buyers inside Morton or Whiteface should ask the relevant city about parcel-specific rules. A qualifying division of rural land used primarily for agriculture, ranching, wildlife management, or timber production may be exempt from the state subdivision-plat requirement, but that exemption does not erase other applicable rules¹⁷.

Texas generally requires a septic permit before an OSSF is constructed, installed, altered, extended, or repaired³. The permitting authority also conducts the construction inspection, and the installer must give at least 5 working days' notice before the system is ready⁴. We could not confirm Cochran County's current authorized agent, so ask the TCEQ OSSF Program which office receives the application and inspection notice^3,5.

A narrow exception can remove planning materials, the septic permit, and inspections for the only single-family dwelling on a tract of at least 10 acres, but every condition must be met, including a licensed site evaluation, compliance with remaining state standards, no nuisance or groundwater pollution, at least 100 feet between every OSSF part and the property line, and disposal of effluent on the tract^3,4. About 82.3% of Cochran County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, but the parcel evaluation controls the design¹⁸.

Unincorporated Cochran County has no county zoning restriction on RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy, manufactured-home occupancy, accessory dwellings, or temporary camping, and county zoning imposes no minimum dwelling size⁷. That answer is limited to county zoning; sanitation, access, deed restrictions, and any applicable floodplain requirements remain separate questions. We could not confirm a county certificate-of-occupancy rule, so ask the County Judge's Office if a lender, utility, or insurer needs county documentation¹³.

Do not carry the unincorporated answer into Morton. Morton's building code governs structures within the city, and its separate building regulations deny permanent-residence permits and city utility service for campers, camper trailers, travel trailers, and recreational vehicles^6,8. Whiteface rules were not confirmed, so contact the city before buying a lot there for RV, tiny-home, or manufactured-home use.

1. Confirm that the parcel is outside Morton or Whiteface; Morton applies its city building code within city limits⁶.
2. Ask the County Judge's Office about any parcel-specific floodplain, county-road access, building-inspection, or occupancy requirement¹³.
3. Contact the TCEQ OSSF Program to identify the current septic authority, obtain the septic permit unless every exemption condition is met, and schedule the construction inspection^3,4,5.
4. Contact the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District before drilling; a well expected to produce 17.5 gallons per minute or more requires a district permit, while a lower-producing well is exempt from the HPWD permit^9,10,15.
5. If access connects to a state highway, submit Form 1058 and receive the executed TxDOT driveway permit before right-of-way construction¹⁶.
6. If acting as your own contractor, treat the state owner-builder provision as a conditional notice-penalty exemption, not a blanket waiver of construction rules¹¹.

Start with water and wastewater. Cochran County receives about 16.9 inches of precipitation annually and has experienced severe drought in 36.3% of years, so verify well feasibility and expected yield with the groundwater district before closing^15,18. About 82.3% of county soils avoid a severe conventional-drain-field rating, but the exact homesite still needs a septic evaluation¹⁸.

Confirm legal access and determine whether the driveway meets a county road or a state highway; state-highway access requires TxDOT approval¹⁶. Review the deed, easements, survey, and any recent land division. Agricultural or ranch use can support a conditional plat exemption, but the exemption is not a general release from building, septic, or other requirements¹⁷. Floodplain development rules remain unconfirmed, so ask the County Judge's Office before choosing a building pad¹³. Finally, budget for an effective property-tax rate around 1.2% and a median annual bill near $684¹⁸.