Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Bonham, Texas

Bonham’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building construction inside Bonham city limits.

  • The city adopted the 2024 IBC with stated permit-exemption amendments.
  • The city separately adopted the 2024 IRC with the same stated amendments.

  International Building Code edition: 2024 · International Residential Code edition: 2024

  “The 2024 edition of the International Building Code (IBC), is hereby adopted by reference as though it were copied herein fully”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Bonham city limits.

  • The zoning ordinance includes agricultural, single-family, duplex, multifamily, manufactured-home, business, industrial, planned-development, and overlay districts.

  “§ 2.14 Light Industrial District (LI). § 2.15 Heavy Industrial District (HI). § 2.16 Planned Development District (PD). § 2.17 Heritage Corridor District (Overlay) (HC).”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured-home parks and manufactured-home subdivisions inside Bonham city limits.

  • Manufactured-home parks and manufactured-home subdivisions require a special use permit and site plan.
  • Minimum park or subdivision size is 5 acres.
  • A park must have at least 10 spaces and a subdivision at least 10 lots.

  minimum park or subdivision size: >= 5 acres · minimum park spaces: >= 10 spaces · minimum subdivision lots: >= 10 lots

  “*Manufactured home subdivisions or Manufactured home parks are allowed by special use permit”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Guest houses or servant’s quarters with kitchen facilities inside Bonham city limits.

  • The lot must have at least 20,000 square feet of buildable area.
  • Buildable area excludes areas within designated floodplains or easements.

  minimum buildable area: >= 20000 square feet (Buildable area excludes designated floodplains and easements.)

  “20,000 sq. ft. buildable area. Buildable area shall be the area of the lot or parcel less any areas within designated floodplains or easements.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision activity inside Bonham city limits.

  • Chapter 10 includes procedures, design standards, required improvements, acceptance requirements, and fees.
  • The cited ordinance was adopted July 8, 2024.

  “This chapter consists of the subdivision ordinance, Ordinance 1449, adopted by the city on July 8, 2024.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  City construction permitting and inspection-related fees inside Bonham city limits.

  • Fee schedules may be revised periodically by city council.
  • The source does not publish a dollar schedule in the opened text.

  “Fee schedules may be revised periodically by the city council.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Bonham city limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Bonham city limits.
• Inspections — Residential construction inside Bonham city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Buildings and land inside Bonham city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Bonham city limits.

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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