Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Dalhart, Texas

At a glance

Building permits

City Code Department publishes residential building permit fees and requires plans¹

Zoning

Uses and structures must comply with the Dalhart zoning district²

Septic

Dallam County is a listed authorized agent; confirm the address and receiving office³

Manufactured homes

Planning and Zoning Board approval required before placement inside city limits¹

RV parks

City application and building-inspector permit required for park construction or expansion⁵

Homestead remodeling

Owners may obtain trade permits and perform work on their homestead, with inspection¹

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Dalhart, Texas?

Dalhart’s Code Department publishes a new-residential building permit charge based on square footage, with a $100 minimum.¹ Dalhart requires plans to be submitted to the inspector at City Hall or by email, and the department states that plans must comply with the 2015 International Building Codes.¹ For remodeling in Dalhart, a remodel permit is required when a wall must be opened or plumbing or electrical systems are exposed.¹ Ask the Code Department which building and trade applications your proposed work needs before scheduling construction.¹

Who issues building permits and handles zoning in Dalhart?

Dalhart’s permit clerk accepts building permit requests by phone through the Code Department.¹ Use the verified Code Department contact below for plan submission and questions about the parcel’s zoning district.¹ Dalhart also directs applications for zoning changes and manufactured-home approval to the Code Department.¹ The Dallam County Judge’s Office is a separate referral contact for the county’s current septic application office; the county’s authorized-agent listing does not identify the receiving employee or application address.⁶³ Keep the city building application and wastewater approval questions separate when describing your project.¹⁷

Does Dalhart have zoning, and what does it mean for manufactured homes?

Dalhart requires land uses and new or altered structures to match the uses allowed in the parcel’s zoning district.² Dalhart’s MH manufactured-home district is not intended for placement of a single manufactured home; developments in that district must be within or part of a manufactured-home park or subdivision.⁴ Manufactured-home subdivisions must comply with the city’s subdivision requirements.⁸ Dalhart’s Code Department also states that manufactured homes need Planning and Zoning Board approval before placement, and the property may need Special Use zoning.¹ Ask the Code Department for the district’s lot-size, setback and height requirements for the specific address.¹

How do septic permits work inside Dalhart?

Dallam County is listed as an OSSF authorized agent, but the current receiving office and application address are not identified in that listing.³ For a Dalhart address in Dallam County, ask the County Judge’s Office for the current septic contact and ask the city Code Department about the proposed wastewater arrangement.⁶¹ Texas generally requires a septic permit and approved plan to construct, alter, repair, extend or operate an on-site sewage facility.⁹ The state’s 10-acre exemption also requires a qualified site evaluation, a single dwelling, on-site disposal, no nuisance or groundwater pollution, and all system components at least 100 feet from property lines; local requirements may be stricter.⁹

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Dalhart?

We could not confirm permission for residential RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy on an individual Dalhart lot; ask the Code Department about the intended use and the parcel’s zoning district.¹ Dalhart’s RV-park construction rule requires an application to the city code department and a building-inspector permit before constructing, altering, extending or expanding a park.⁵ That park construction requirement does not answer whether a resident may occupy an RV on a private residential lot.⁵ Dalhart’s district-based land-use rule remains the starting point for evaluating a proposed small dwelling or RV use.²

Building a home in Dalhart: what are the steps, in order?

1. Ask Dalhart’s Code Department to confirm the parcel’s zoning district and whether the proposed dwelling use is allowed.¹²
2. Submit building plans to the city inspector at City Hall or by email and request the applicable building permit.¹
3. Resolve wastewater approval before installing a septic system; for a Dallam County address, request the county’s current OSSF contact through the County Judge’s Office.⁹⁶
4. Ask the Code Department to specify required inspections and residential occupancy approval before moving in.¹

For land outside Dalhart city limits, use the Dallam County guide: the county’s residential building-permit answer applies to unincorporated land.¹⁰

Watch-outs

• We could not confirm Dalhart’s residential certificate-of-occupancy requirement; ask the Code Department before planning a move-in date.¹
• Dalhart allows homestead owners to obtain remodeling trade permits and do the work themselves, but the work still needs inspection.¹
• A large tract alone does not qualify a Dalhart septic system for the Texas 10-acre exemption; every exemption condition and applicable local requirement must be satisfied.⁹

Sources

1. Dalhart Code Department (dalharttx.gov)
2. Code of Ordinances, Sec. 40-4, Specific purposes of districts (Dalhart), quoted and re-checked
3. Types of Systems Installed by Time Period — 2025 Systems Authorized by Authorized Agents, quoted and re-checked
4. Code of Ordinances, Sec. 40-37, MH Manufactured home district (Dalhart), quoted and re-checked
5. Code of Ordinances, Sec. 24-5, Manufactured home park and recreational vehicle park permits (Dalhart), quoted and re-checked
6. Dallam County Judge’s Office (dallam.org)
7. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System, quoted and re-checked
8. Code of Ordinances, Sec. 40-37, MH Manufactured home district (Dalhart), quoted and re-checked
9. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Dallam County Subdivision Regulations 2025 (2026 county census)

Written October 11, 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.