Bolthole Index

Donley County, Texas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Clarendon, Texas

Inside Clarendon city limits in Donley County, Texas, building and structural work needs a city permit1, and the city zones land into four district classes2. Septic systems also need a permit, and the city code ties that permit to plat approval3. Land outside city limits follows different rules, covered on the Donley County page.

At a glance

Building permit
Required inside city limits for building, structural work, excavation and grading; minor repairs may not need one14
Zoning
Yes: R-1, R-2, B (Central Business) and I (Industrial) districts5
Septic
Permit required; city code ties it to an approved final plat3
RV / house trailers
House trailers may be permitted in any district except R-16
R-1 minimum lot
6,000 sq ft and 50 ft average width for a single-family dwelling7
R-1 height
Up to 2.5 stories or 35 ft8
Water
Occupied properties must connect to city water where it is available9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Clarendon, Community Development Department

Building, code enforcement and planning/development services inside Clarendon city limits; call city hall to ask who takes building permit applications

(806) 874-3438

313 S. Sully Street, Clarendon, TX 79226

Septic permits

TCEQ Region 1 Office (Amarillo)

Regional TCEQ contact covering Donley County; ask which office is the current septic (OSSF) permitting authority for your address

806-353-9251

5809 S. Western St. STE 260, Amarillo TX 79110-3631

Online permits →

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

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Does Clarendon, Texas have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and lot size?

Yes. The City of Clarendon is divided into four classes of zoning districts2: R-1 Residential District One, R-2 Residential District Two, B Central Business District and I Industrial District5. Land annexed into the city is classified R-1 until the city governing body permanently zones it5.

In the R-1 district, a lot with a single-family dwelling must have at least 6,000 square feet and an average width of at least 50 feet7. Buildings in R-1 need a front yard at least 25 feet deep10 and may not exceed 2.5 stories or 35 feet8.

For RVs, Clarendon's code speaks of house trailers, which may be permitted in any district except R-16. We could not confirm separate city rules for tiny homes, manufactured homes, accessory dwellings or temporary camping, so ask the Community Development Department at (806) 874-343811.

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

Yes. Inside Clarendon city limits, no building or structure may be constructed, erected, altered, demolished, moved or placed unless the required permits have first been issued1. The permit requirement also covers site clearance, excavation, grading and landfill1.

An owner may make minor improvements and ordinary repairs without a permit if the work conforms to applicable building laws and codes, and the code compliance officer can inspect and decide whether a permit is needed4. Applicants for a building permit must file a scale plat and a signed written use statement with the building inspector12. Fees are those adopted by the city council; the code publishes no dollar amounts13.

The City of Clarendon's Community Development Department provides building, code enforcement and planning services11. We could not confirm which adopted building code edition the city enforces; ask the department.

How do septic permits work inside Clarendon?

Septic systems are separate from building permits. Clarendon's code requires a permit for installing a private sewage facility, and on a lot in a confirming plat the city will not issue it until a final plat has been approved and filed3. Texas law also requires a permit and approved plan to construct, alter, repair, extend and operate a septic system (OSSF)14.

Where no local government is an authorized agent, the TCEQ regional office is the permitting authority15. Donley County is in the TCEQ Region 1 (Amarillo) area16. We could not confirm who inspects private sewage facilities inside the city, so call city hall and the TCEQ regional office before you plan a system.

If city water reaches the property, occupied properties must connect to it9.

Building a home in Clarendon: the steps, in order

  1. Call the City of Clarendon Community Development Department at (806) 874-3438 to confirm the zoning district and whether the lot is in a confirming plat11.
  2. If the lot is in a confirming plat, make sure the final plat is approved and filed before applying for a building permit1.
  3. File a scale plat and signed written use statement with the building inspector12.
  4. Get the city building permit before construction starts1.
  5. Ask whether septic or city sewer applies, and get the septic permit if it is septic3.
  6. If the property fronts a state highway, request a TxDOT driveway permit on Form 1058 before any driveway work in the right of way17.

What stays with Donley County, and what to check before you buy in Clarendon

The city's rules apply inside Clarendon. Outside city limits, Donley County has adopted no zoning ordinance18, and Donley County appears to have no building department19; see the Donley County page for land outside the city.

Water wells in Donley County fall under the Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District, which requires every well drilled in the district to be registered or permitted20. We could not confirm a city well-permit rule for private wells inside Clarendon, so ask city hall11.

For costs, Donley County's effective property tax rate is 1.1%21. The typical home value is $136,46922.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm which building code edition Clarendon enforces, or whether a certificate of occupancy is required, so ask the Community Development Department before you design11.
  • Clarendon's code speaks only of house trailers, which are not permitted in R-1, so do not assume any RV or tiny home is allowed there6.
  • A final plat must be approved and filed before the city issues a permit for building, water or wastewater connection, or a private sewage facility on a lot in a confirming plat1.

Sources

  1. City of Clarendon Code, § 3.01.001 Permits (Clarendon), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Clarendon Code, Chapter 14, Division 1 Generally (Clarendon), quoted and re-checked
  3. City of Clarendon Code, § 3.01.001 Permits (Clarendon), quoted and re-checked
  4. City of Clarendon Code, § 3.01.001 Permits (Clarendon), quoted and re-checked
  5. City of Clarendon Code, Chapter 14, Division 1 Generally (Clarendon), quoted and re-checked
  6. City of Clarendon Code, Chapter 14, Division 7 Additional Use, Height, and Area Regulations (Clarendon), quoted and re-checked
  7. City of Clarendon Code, Chapter 14, R-1 Residential District One (Clarendon), quoted and re-checked
  8. City of Clarendon Code, Chapter 14, R-1 Residential District One (Clarendon), quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Clarendon Code, § 13.03.010 Mandatory water connection (Clarendon), quoted and re-checked
  10. City of Clarendon Code, Chapter 14, R-1 Residential District One (Clarendon), quoted and re-checked
  11. City of Clarendon, Community Development Department (cityofclarendontx.com)
  12. City of Clarendon Code, Chapter 14, Division 7 Additional Use, Height, and Area Regulations (Clarendon), quoted and re-checked
  13. City of Clarendon Code, § 3.01.001 Permits (Clarendon), 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. TCEQ Region 1 Office (Amarillo) (tceq.texas.gov)
  17. Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Texas law on county zoning and building authority
  19. Donley County Government (2026 county census)
  20. Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District, quoted and re-checked
  21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  22. 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 Clarendon

Clarendon’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Building, structural work, site clearance, excavation, grading, and landfill inside Clarendon city limits.

    • Minor improvements and ordinary repairs may be done without a permit if they conform to applicable building laws and codes; the code compliance officer may inspect and determine whether a permit is necessary.
    • A final plat must be approved and filed before a city permit for building, city water/wastewater installation, or a private sewage facility on a lot in a confirming plat.
    “No building or structure or part therefor shall be hereafter constructed, erected, altered, demolished, moved, or placed within the city unless all appropriate permits [...] shall have first been issued for such work.”
  • Owner-builder exemptionConditional

    Owners making minor improvements and ordinary repairs to structures inside Clarendon city limits.

    • The work must conform to applicable building laws and codes.
    • The code compliance officer may inspect the work and determine whether a permit is necessary.
    “Any owner may make minor improvements and ordinary repairs on any structure without a permit that such improvements and repairs conform to all applicable building laws and codes.”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Plumbing and electrical materials in a new house moved into Clarendon city limits.

    • Materials must be uncovered and plainly visible to city plumbing and electrical inspectors.
    “All plumbing and electrical materials installed in any new house moved into the city limits shall be uncovered and plainly visible to the city plumbing and electrical inspectors.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Clarendon city limits.

    • Land and buildings must comply with the regulations of the district where located.
    “The City of Clarendon is divided into districts, of which there shall be four (4) classes in number”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Clarendon city limits.

    • Annexed territory is classified R-1 until permanently zoned by the city governing body.

    districts: R-1 Residential District One; R-2 Residential District Two; B Central Business District; I Industrial District

    ““R-1” Residential District One. “R-2” Residential District Two. “B” Central Business District. “I” Industrial District.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    House trailers used for habitation inside Clarendon city limits.

    • House trailers are not permitted in the R-1 district.
    • The code's quoted term is house trailers; it does not separately resolve all categories of recreational vehicles.
    “House trailers may be permitted in any district except the “R-1” district.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation of a private sewage facility inside Clarendon city limits.

    • For a lot in a confirming plat, the final plat must be city-approved and filed for record and applicable city standards must be met in full.
    “No permit shall be issued by the city [...] for the installation of [...] a private sewage facility upon any lot in a confirming plat for which a final plat has not been approved by the city and filed for record”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater (with conditions)

    Each occupied household, business, dwelling, and similar occupied property inside Clarendon city limits.

    • Connection is mandated only if the city water system is available or accessible to the property.
    • The code states the section was approved October 27, 2016; Ordinance 456 was adopted October 27, 2016.
    “This section mandates that each occupied household, business, dwelling, etc., shall be connected to the city water system if that said system is available, or accessible to the property.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Building permits and inspections inside Clarendon city limits.

    • Fees are those adopted by the city council; the reviewed code did not publish dollar amounts.
    “Fees for permits and inspections shall be as adopted by the city council.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Permit applications for erection, alteration, or enlargement of buildings inside Clarendon city limits.

    • Applicant must file a scale plat and signed written use statement with other information required by the building inspector.
    • Failure to comply is grounds for permit revocation.
    “No permit for the erection, alteration, or enlargement of any building shall be issued by the building inspector unless there first be filed in his office by the applicant therefor, a plat, drawn to scale”

Rules another office applies inside Clarendon

Clarendon does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwellings in Clarendon R-1 Residential District One.

    • A qualifying preexisting smaller parcel may be used for a single-family dwelling if its boundary lines along their entire length touched land under other ownership on the ordinance effective date and have not since changed.

    minimum lot area: >= 6000 square feet (single-family dwelling) · minimum average lot width: >= 50 feet (single-family dwelling)

    “A lot on which there is erected a single-family dwelling shall contain an area of not less than six thousand (6,000) square feet and an average width of not less than fifty (50) feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Buildings in Clarendon R-1 Residential District One.

    • Side yard need not exceed six feet and may not be less than five feet.
    • Rear-yard depth need not be more than 25 feet.

    front-yard minimum depth: >= 25 feet · side-yard width: >= 10 percent of lot width (need not exceed 6 feet and shall not be less than 5 feet) · rear-yard depth: >= 25 percent of lot depth (need not be more than 25 feet)

    “The minimum depth of such front yard shall be twenty-five (25) feet.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in Clarendon R-1 Residential District One.

    maximum height: <= 35 feet · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories

    “No building within the “R-1” Residential District One shall exceed two and one-half (2-1/2) stories or thirty-five (35) feet in height.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Clarendon or Donley County directly.

  • Building code adopted — Construction inside Clarendon city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Clarendon city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings in Clarendon R-1 Residential District One.
  • Lot coverage — Lots inside Clarendon city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Clarendon city limits.
10 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 Clarendon publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Donley County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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