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

Crockett County requires a Floodplain Development Permit for development in a FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Area, and no work may begin in a floodplain until the permit is issued¹. The permit process covers more than buildings: the county application includes additions, clearing, fill, grading, mining, dredging, drilling, pools and ditches¹. Floodplain inspections can occur during the project and at completion, and permitted development cannot be used or occupied until the Floodplain Administrator issues a Certificate of Compliance¹.

For an ordinary home outside a floodplain, we could not confirm either a general residential building-permit requirement or an explicit exemption. The official county material establishes only the floodplain-specific requirement¹. Before assuming no permit is needed, call the Crockett County Floodplain Administrator and ask whether the parcel or project triggers another county review⁷.

We could not confirm a Crockett County building department or a general residential building-permit process outside floodplains. The confirmed county land-development contact is the Floodplain Administrator at (325) 392-2965^1,7. For a Floodplain Development Permit, submit the county application to that office; the Floodplain Administrator reviews it, requests missing material, and approves with conditions or denies it¹. The office may also require an Elevation Certificate, Substantial Improvement Determination, Floodproofing Certificate, or hydraulic analysis and No-Rise Certification¹.

Septic permits do not move with building-permit or zoning authority: TCEQ Region 8 handles the separate OSSF process throughout Crockett County and can be reached at 325-655-9479^3,4. For land along a state highway, TxDOT—not the county—requires Form 1058 for a new or modified driveway⁸.

Unincorporated Crockett County has no county zoning rule setting minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage, building height or zoning districts². The same county-zoning answer leaves accessory dwellings, manufactured homes, RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy and temporary camping unrestricted by county zoning².

No county zoning does not remove the county Floodplain Development Permit or the separate TCEQ septic permit^1,4. Outside municipal limits, dividing a tract into two or more parts generally requires a plat when the state subdivision law applies, and the Crockett County Commissioners Court approves a required plat⁹. A division used primarily for agriculture, farming, ranching, wildlife management or timber production can avoid county platting if it meets the state conditions, but floodplain, wastewater and recording requirements can still apply; platting applies if the qualifying use ends⁹. We could not confirm a Crockett County subdivision application procedure, so ask the county about filing before dividing a tract.

TCEQ Region 8 is the OSSF permitting authority listed for Crockett County, with a published phone number of 325-655-9479³. A septic permit and approved plan are generally required to construct, install, alter, extend or repair an on-site sewage facility⁴. For systems under a maintenance contract, the provider inspects components at each site visit and reports to the owner and permitting authority; we could not confirm a separate Crockett County inspection rule¹⁰.

The narrow state permit exemption can apply to a single-family dwelling on a tract of at least 10 acres only when every condition is met, including a licensed site evaluation, at least 100 feet between every system part and the property line, on-property effluent disposal, no nuisance or groundwater pollution, and no other dwelling on the tract⁴. An owner may install a system for the owner’s single-family home only if the permitting authority allows it and the other ownership, skill and non-sale conditions are met⁴. Only 11.3% of county soils avoid severe limitations for conventional drain fields, so obtain the site evaluation before fixing a house location⁶.

County zoning does not restrict RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy, manufactured-home occupancy or temporary camping on unincorporated land in Crockett County². County zoning also sets no minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size or setback for those uses².

An RV or tiny home still needs lawful sanitation. An OSSF can handle wastewater on the property, but construction and operation generally require a septic permit and approved plan unless every condition of the narrow state exemption is met⁴. A Floodplain Development Permit is also required for placement or site work in a floodplain¹. We could not confirm a countywide utility-connection rule or a Crockett County-specific off-grid sanitation rule, so ask the relevant utility and TCEQ Region 8 what applies to the parcel³.

1. Check the parcel against the current flood map and call the Crockett County Floodplain Administrator; mapped floodplain development needs approval before work starts^1,7.
2. Ask the county whether the home needs building review beyond the Floodplain Development Permit, because a general building-permit rule outside floodplains could not be confirmed¹.
3. Arrange the septic site evaluation and contact TCEQ Region 8 for the septic permit before choosing the final house and drain-field locations^3,4,6.
4. Ask the Crockett County Groundwater Conservation District whether the proposed well is exempt or needs a well permit; district rules can govern non-exempt wells in most of the county⁵.
5. If access connects to a state highway, submit TxDOT Form 1058 before constructing or modifying the driveway⁸.
6. If the purchase includes a land division, confirm platting before closing; qualifying divisions outside municipal limits generally need a plat approved by the Commissioners Court, subject to statutory exceptions⁹.

Start with water and wastewater. Crockett County averages 18.4 inches of precipitation a year, and severe drought occurs in 19.6% of years⁶. Only 11.3% of soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so a parcel’s usable homesite depends heavily on the site evaluation⁶.

Check flood mapping and legal access before closing, because floodplain development requires a county permit and a new or modified driveway along a state highway requires TxDOT Form 1058^1,8. Ask the groundwater district whether the proposed well needs a well permit, because district rules can regulate non-exempt wells and well spacing⁵. The county’s effective property-tax rate is about 0.3%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $466, but verify the actual parcel with the appraisal district⁶. Crockett County has about 1 person per square mile, and the nearest city of 100,000 or more is roughly 101 miles from the county center, so price contractor travel and material delivery before committing to a remote tract⁶.