Bolthole Index

Collin County, Texas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Lowry Crossing, Texas

Lowry Crossing, Texas, in Collin County, zones its own land: every parcel inside city limits falls in a zoning district1. Building permits inside the city start with the city's building permit form at City Hall2. Collin County's rules cover only unincorporated land. We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Lowry Crossing, so ask City Hall before you buy.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the city's own zoning ordinance and districts13
Building permit
Application form at City Hall; site-plan review comes first for some uses24
Agricultural (A) district lot
3 acres minimum, 200 feet wide, 300 feet deep5
Minimum home size (A district)
1,800 square feet, excluding garages, breezeways and porches6
Setbacks (A district)
50 feet front, 20 feet sides, 20 feet rear7
Septic inside city limits
Not confirmed; ask City Hall8
RV or tiny home living
Not confirmed inside the city2

Who to call

Building permits

City of Lowry Crossing, City Hall

Building permit applications, commercial building permit forms and contractor registration for projects inside Lowry Crossing

972-542-8678

1405 S. Bridgefarmer Road Lowry Crossing, TX 75069

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 Lowry Crossing means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Lowry Crossing, Texas have zoning?

Yes. Lowry Crossing divides the land inside city limits into zoning districts, and the use, height and area rules are uniform within each district3. Anything built, altered or placed on land inside the city must conform to the district it sits in1. The zoning map decides which district a parcel is in, so check the map before you make an offer3.

In the Agricultural (A) District, a lot needs 3 acres, 200 feet of width and 300 feet of depth5. A home must be at least 1,800 square feet, not counting garages, breezeways and porches6. Setbacks are 50 feet in front and 20 feet on each side and the rear7. Buildings may cover 30 percent of the lot, including barns, shops and detached garages9, and height tops out at 35 feet or two and one-half stories10. Other districts have different numbers.

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

Lowry Crossing publishes a building permit form that the city requires for all building permit applications; you return it to City Hall with supporting documents2. For uses that the zoning ordinance sends to site-plan review, no building permit or certificate of occupancy issues until both the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council conclude that review4. A successful review is a prerequisite to the permit, not an approval of the plan itself11.

The city also publishes a fee schedule with a building, construction and fire prevention article, amended in 202612. Contractors must register with the city before working inside Lowry Crossing2. The city's building code adoption chapter exists, but we could not confirm which codes it adopts13. Ask City Hall at 972-542-8678 about inspections, which we could not confirm2.

How do septic permits work inside Lowry Crossing?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Lowry Crossing city limits. Texas requires a permit and approved plan to construct, alter, repair or operate a septic system14. In most areas a local government acts as the state's authorized agent, and the TCEQ regional office steps in where none is authorized15. Collin County Development Services issues septic permits for property outside city limits, and its page says another authorized agent may handle property inside city limits8.

Before you buy inside Lowry Crossing, ask City Hall and Collin County Development Services which one permits your lot. On a tract of at least 10 acres, a single-family home may qualify for the state's 10-acre exemption if every listed condition is met, including keeping all parts of the system 100 feet from the property line16.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Lowry Crossing?

We could not confirm an answer. The city's zoning ordinance addresses RV storage in the Agricultural District, not living in one, and we found no tiny-home or temporary-camping provision. Do not assume the county's open rules apply: Collin County has no zoning in unincorporated areas17, but that statement does not reach land inside a city that zones for itself1. Ask City Hall at 972-542-8678 in writing before you plan to occupy anything while you build2.

What stays with Collin County, and what should you check before buying in Lowry Crossing?

Collin County's permit rules apply to unincorporated land, not inside Lowry Crossing: outside city limits the county requires a permit for projects that disturb ground or add footprint18. The county has no zoning in unincorporated areas17. For land outside the city, see the Collin County page.

For a lot inside the city, confirm the zoning district, septic authority and any floodplain rules with City Hall, since we could not confirm floodplain or driveway approvals. A driveway onto a state highway needs a TxDOT permit on Form 105819. Collin County's effective property tax rate is 1.7%20, and a typical home there is valued around $486,57021.

Watch-outs

  • The city's building code adoption and inspection requirements for new homes are unconfirmed, so ask City Hall before you break ground13.
  • Septic authority inside city limits is unconfirmed: the county says another authorized agent may handle it8.
  • Collin County's open unincorporated-land rules do not apply inside Lowry Crossing17.

Sources

  1. Exhibit 14A: Zoning Ordinance - City of Lowry Crossing, TX (Lowry Crossing), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Lowry Crossing, City Hall (lowrycrossingtexas.org)
  3. Exhibit 14A: Zoning Ordinance - City of Lowry Crossing, TX (Lowry Crossing), quoted and re-checked
  4. Exhibit 14A: Zoning Ordinance - City of Lowry Crossing, TX (Lowry Crossing), quoted and re-checked
  5. ecode360.com (Lowry Crossing), quoted and re-checked
  6. ecode360.com (Lowry Crossing), quoted and re-checked
  7. ecode360.com (Lowry Crossing), quoted and re-checked
  8. Development Services: On Site Sewage Facilities, quoted and re-checked
  9. ecode360.com (Lowry Crossing), quoted and re-checked
  10. Exhibit 14A: Zoning Ordinance - City of Lowry Crossing, TX (Lowry Crossing), quoted and re-checked
  11. Exhibit 14A: Zoning Ordinance - City of Lowry Crossing, TX (Lowry Crossing), quoted and re-checked
  12. Appendix A: Fee Schedule - City of Lowry Crossing, TX (Lowry Crossing), quoted and re-checked
  13. Chapter 3: Building Regulations - City of Lowry Crossing, TX (Lowry Crossing), 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 (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. collincountytx.gov, quoted and re-checked
  18. collincountytx.gov, quoted and re-checked
  19. Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Typical home value (Zillow): 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 Lowry Crossing

Lowry Crossing’s own rules

  • Building permitLimited

    Construction for a use whose adoptive zoning ordinance requires site-plan review inside Lowry Crossing city limits.

    • The Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council must each conclude site-plan review before issuance.
    • This evidence does not establish a permit requirement for every construction project.
    “No building permit or as the case may be, certificate of occupancy, shall be issued until the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council have each concluded the site plan review process with a motion.”
  • Building code adoptedPartial

    Construction regulated inside Lowry Crossing city limits.

    • The opened official chapter identifies technical and construction-code provisions, but the operative adoption sections were not opened within the research limit.
    “Division 2 Building Code § 3.04.051 Adoption.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Occupancy for a use whose adoptive zoning ordinance requires site-plan review inside Lowry Crossing city limits.

    • The Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council must each conclude site-plan review before issuance.
    • This evidence does not establish a certificate requirement for every occupancy.
    “No building permit or as the case may be, certificate of occupancy, shall be issued until the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council have each concluded the site plan review process with a motion.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Lowry Crossing city limits.

    • Uses and development must conform to the regulations of the applicable zoning district.
    “All land, buildings, structures or appurtenances thereon located within the city which are hereafter occupied, used, erected, altered, removed, placed, demolished or converted, shall be occupied, used[,] erected, altered, removed, placed, demolished or converted in conformance with the zoning regulations prescribed for the zoning district in which such land or building is located as herein provided.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Lowry Crossing city limits.

    • The zoning map is adopted as part of the ordinance and determines the district applicable to a parcel.
    “The City of Lowry Crossing, Texas, is hereby divided into the zoning districts named below. The use, height and area regulations as set out herein are uniform in each district.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision platting and development inside Lowry Crossing city limits.

    • The Chapter 10 table of contents separately identifies platting procedure, preliminary plat, final plat, development, construction, and drainage/floodplain requirements.
    “Division 3 Subdivision Platting Required (§ 10.02.061 – § 10.02.063)”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building, construction, fire-prevention, subdivision, and zoning applications inside Lowry Crossing city limits.

    • The fee schedule lists building, construction, fire-prevention, subdivision, and zoning fee articles.
    • The webpage reports 2026 amendments, including an April 14, 2026 amendment affecting building, construction, and fire-prevention related fees.
    “ARTICLE A3.000 BUILDING, CONSTRUCTION AND FIRE PREVENTION RELATED FEES”
  • Permit processPartial

    Uses subject to city-required site-plan review inside Lowry Crossing city limits.

    • A concluded site-plan-review motion is a prerequisite to issuance of the relevant building permit or certificate of occupancy.
    • Where city consulting-engineer review is required by City Council, an application fee is charged to offset engineering-review costs; otherwise no additional review fee is charged.
    “Where ordered, the Site Plan Review Process shall not result in the approval of any new plan, but a successful review of the applicant’s plan shall be a prerequisite to the issuance of the building permit or as the case may be, the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.”

Rules another office applies inside Lowry Crossing

Lowry Crossing 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 sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Agricultural (A) District inside Lowry Crossing city limits.

    • Excludes garages, breezeways, and porches.

    minimum dwelling size: >= 1800 square feet (exclusive of garages, breezeways, and porches)

    “Minimum Dwelling Size: 1,800 square feet exclusive of garages, breezeways, and porches.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Agricultural (A) District inside Lowry Crossing city limits.

    minimum lot area: >= 3 acres · minimum lot width: >= 200 feet · minimum lot depth: >= 300 feet

    “Minimum Size of Lot: Lot Area: Three (3) acres. Lot Width: 200 feet. Lot Depth: 300 feet.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Agricultural (A) District inside Lowry Crossing city limits.

    front yard: >= 50 feet · side yard: >= 20 feet · rear yard: >= 20 feet

    “Minimum size of yards: Front Yard: 50 feet. Side Yard: 20 feet. Rear Yard: 20 feet.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Agricultural (A) District inside Lowry Crossing city limits.

    • Coverage includes the combined area of main and listed accessory buildings.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent

    “30% of the total area of the lot may be covered by the combined area of the main buildings and accessory buildings such as shop, barn, recreation building, swimming pool cabana, enclosed space for additional private vehicle parking (detached garage), carport, boat storage barn, loafing shed or stable.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Agricultural (A) District inside Lowry Crossing city limits.

    maximum height: <= 35 feet (not more than two and one-half stories)

    “35 feet not more than two and one-half (2 1/2) stories.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Lowry Crossing or Collin County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Lowry Crossing city limits.
  • Inspections — Building work inside Lowry Crossing city limits.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Lowry Crossing city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping inside Lowry Crossing city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Lowry Crossing city limits.
11 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • 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 Lowry Crossing publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Collin County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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