Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Plainview, Texas

Plainview’s own rules

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  A homeowner acting as their own roofing contractor for a homestead-exempt property inside Plainview city limits.

  • The provision appears in the roofing-contractor registration rule and is limited to a homeowner whose property has received a homestead exemption and who acts as their own roofing contractor.

  “Homestead exemption. A homeowner for which a homestead exemption has been given for his/her property intended for the permit and said homeowner is acting as his/her own roofing contractor.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings inside Plainview city limits.

  • The adopted 2015 IBC and 2015 IRC are adopted as amended.

  International Building Code edition: 2015 (as hereinafter amended) · International Residential Code edition: 2015 (as hereinafter amended)

  “The 2015 International Residential Code, as written by the International Code Council, Inc., as hereinafter amended, is specifically adopted as part of the building code of the city.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Temporary uses inside Plainview corporate limits.

  • Inspection is required before issuance of a temporary use permit and applies only to temporary uses listed in Table 14.04.004.

  “All temporary uses per table 14.04.004, Temporary Use Standards, shall be inspected by the administrator or his designee prior to the issuance of a temporary use permit.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Plainview city limits.

  • Uses are governed by the applicable zoning district and development procedures.

  “The tables in this article describe which land uses are prohibited, permitted, limited, special, and temporary within the zoning districts identified in table 14.02.002, Zoning Districts and Purposes.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Plainview city limits.

  • Use permissions depend on the applicable zoning district and the relevant use-table designation.

  “The tables in this article describe which land uses are prohibited, permitted, limited, special, and temporary within the zoning districts identified in table 14.02.002, Zoning Districts and Purposes.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Lots or tracts seeking connection to municipal water and/or sewer mains inside Plainview city limits.

  • Connection is permitted only for property properly subdivided and platted under the city subdivision regulations, with an approved and recorded plat and dedication deed, unless City Council specifically permits and approves otherwise.

  “Connection of property to existing water and/or sewer mains shall be permitted to be made to serve only lots or tracts which have been properly subdivided and platted for development in compliance with the subdivision regulations of the city and for which a plat with accompanying dedication deed has been approved and filed for record, unless such connections are otherwise specifically permitted and approved by the city council.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  A building-permit applicant subject to Plainview floodplain-development provisions.

  • A building permit cannot be granted unless the applicant complies with all applicable Chapter 14 provisions, including Article 3.13 Floodplain Development, site-development-plan requirements, and other applicable City Code provisions.

  “No building permit shall be granted unless an applicant is in compliance with all applicable provisions of this chapter, including article 3.13, Floodplain Development, and section 14.12.006, Site Development Plans, and all other applicable provisions of the city’s Code of Ordinances.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Plainview city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Plainview city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Plainview city limits.
• Who permits septic — On-site sewage facilities inside Plainview city limits.
• Septic permit — On-site sewage facilities inside Plainview 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 Plainview 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.

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