Highland Village, TX Building Permits, Zoning & Septic Rules

Highland Village, Texas, in Denton County, runs its own zoning under Chapter 28 of its city code¹. The city's Building Inspections & Permits office requires a permit for new buildings and residences². Septic authority inside city limits is not confirmed; ask Building Inspections or Denton County Environmental Health before planning any on-site system³.

At a glance

Zoning: Yes, city-adopted zoning ordinance (Chapter 28)¹
Building permit: Required for new buildings and residences; issued by the city²
Minimum lot, SF-40: 40,000 sq ft, 150 ft wide⁴
Minimum lot, SF-15: 15,000 sq ft, 100 ft wide⁵
Maximum height, single-family: 35 ft for the main building⁶⁷
Private water wells: City permit required to drill or repair²
Septic inside city limits: Not confirmed; ask the city and Denton County Environmental Health³

Who to call

Building permits

City of Highland Village Building Inspections & Permits

Building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, plan review and inspections inside Highland Village city limits

(972) 899-5093

1000 Highland Village Rd. Highland Village, TX 75077

Building permits

Highland Village: Do I need a permit for that?

The city's list of projects that need a permit, including new residences, accessory buildings and private water wells

Septic permits

Denton County Public Health, Environmental Health Division

On-site sewage facility permits and inspections in unincorporated Denton County; whether it also serves addresses inside Highland Village is unconfirmed

940-349-2920

3900 Morse Street, Denton, TX 76208

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Highland Village means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Highland Village, TX have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Highland Village adopted its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 28 of the city code¹. Rules differ by district, so check the district of the parcel you are looking at.

In the SF-40 single-family district, the minimum lot is 40,000 square feet and 150 feet wide⁴. SF-40 setbacks are 35 feet front, 20 feet on each side and 30 feet at the rear⁸. Lot coverage is capped at 50 percent including driveways and parking⁹, and a dwelling must be at least 2,000 square feet¹⁰.

In the SF-15 district, the minimum lot is 15,000 square feet and 100 feet wide⁵. SF-15 setbacks are 30 feet in front, a 5-foot minimum side yard and 20 feet at the rear next to an alley¹¹. Lot coverage is capped at 35 percent¹². Main buildings in both districts top out at 35 feet⁶⁷.

We could not confirm the rules for other districts, RVs, tiny homes or accessory dwellings; ask the city's Building Inspections office.

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

Yes, for most construction. The city's list of permit projects includes new buildings and residences, fences and decks, pools, retaining walls, patio covers, re-roofing and plumbing, electrical and HVAC work¹³. The city's Building Inspections & Permits office issues them and does plan review before a permit is issued, then inspects on site².

Accessory buildings must follow the zoning setbacks¹³. The page says to contact the office before you begin to find out whether you need a permit².

This is the city's rule. Denton County does not issue building permits for unincorporated land, and unincorporated development there instead needs a county Development Permit¹⁴; see the Denton County page for land outside city limits.

How do septic permits and wells work inside Highland Village?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits for addresses inside Highland Village city limits. Texas requires a permit to install, alter or repair an on-site sewage facility¹⁵, and Denton County Environmental Health administers that program in the unincorporated parts of the county³. Whether the county or the city handles a given address should be confirmed with both offices before you buy a lot that is not on city sewer.

Private water wells are a separate permit: the city's list requires one to drill, repair or abandon a private ground water well¹³.

Building a home in Highland Village: the steps, in order

Confirm the parcel's zoning district with the city, then check lot size, setbacks and coverage against it¹.
Call Building Inspections & Permits at (972) 899-5093 to confirm what permits and plans your project needs².
Settle sewer or septic and any well permit before design; septic authority inside city limits is unconfirmed³.
Apply for the building permit; the city reviews plans before issuing it².
Schedule on-site inspections as work proceeds².

What stays with Denton County, and what to check before you buy in Highland Village

Outside Highland Village city limits, Denton County rules apply instead: septic permits come from the county Environmental Health Division³, and new driveway or access onto a state highway needs a state driveway permit¹⁶. See the Denton County page.

Costs: Denton County's effective property tax rate is 1.7%¹⁷, with a median bill of $6,943 a year¹⁸, and its typical home value is $444,495¹⁹.

Watch-outs

We could not confirm which office issues septic permits at addresses inside Highland Village; ask Building Inspections at (972) 899-5093 and Denton County Environmental Health at 940-349-2920²²⁰.
The district rules above cover only two single-family districts; other districts differ⁴.
Denton County's own rules, including its unincorporated-land Development Permit, do not apply inside city limits¹⁴.

Sources

Written October 14, 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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Highland Village publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Denton County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Highland Village, Texas