Bolthole Index

Harris County, Texas

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

Hilshire Village, Texas requires building permits for ordinary new residential construction and administers its own zoning inside city limits.12 The City Permit Department is the building application counter.3 Hilshire Village is in Harris County; county septic guidance for unincorporated land does not establish the septic authority inside the city, so ask the village secretary about wastewater service before buying.45

At a glance

Building permits
Required for ordinary new residential construction1
Zoning
City zoning; residential and business districts26
RV living
Prohibited temporarily or permanently; city temporary permit possible for special circumstances7
Residential fees
New residence: $1.31 per square foot; plan review: 50% of the permit fee8
Utility connections
Village-secretary permit and village-engineer approval for connections to village water or sewer mains5
Flood standards
Residential elevation and professional certification requirements apply in specified flood-hazard areas9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Hilshire Village - City Permit Department

Building permit applications, payments and inspection scheduling inside Hilshire Village.

713-973-1779

[email protected]

8301 Westview Drive

Planning & zoning

City of Hilshire Village - Building Official and City Engineer

Pre-development and pre-construction meetings and building-plan review.

713-973-1779

8301 Westview Drive

Septic permits

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality - OSSF Program

State septic guidance and assistance identifying the permitting authority; not a confirmed Hilshire Village permit issuer.

[email protected]

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

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Hilshire Village, TX?

Hilshire Village requires a building permit for ordinary new residential construction; the city code limits permit exemptions to listed work.1 The city’s published new-residence building permit fee is $1.31 per square foot, and residential plan review costs 50% of the permit fee, is non-returnable and is not credited toward the building permit fee.8 Hilshire Village doubles the building permit fee when work starts before a building permit is obtained.8 Ask the City Permit Department to price the full scope, including the relevant trade and drainage applications.83

Who handles Hilshire Village building applications and inspections?

The Hilshire Village City Permit Department handles building applications; use the permit page and the department contact listed below to start.3 Complete the building permit application and the city’s rules and regulations, and provide a liability insurance certificate naming the city as certificate holder.3 A trade-license holder must also provide the license and the master’s state-issued identification.3 Processed building permits arrive by email.3 Inspection requests go by email by 3 PM and must identify the building permit, job address, requested inspection, requested date and contact information.3

Does Hilshire Village have zoning, and can you live in an RV?

Hilshire Village has municipal zoning and divides the city into residential and business districts.26 Hilshire Village prohibits using a trailer, boat or recreational vehicle as living quarters, temporarily or permanently; the city may issue a temporary permit for special circumstances such as a natural disaster.7 An RV is therefore not an automatic housing option while you build in Hilshire Village.7 We could not confirm Hilshire Village’s tiny-home occupancy rule or district-specific minimum lot size, dwelling size and setbacks; ask the city’s building official and city engineer to review the proposed lot and house before commissioning final plans.610

How do septic permits and sewer connections work in Hilshire Village?

Connections to Hilshire Village water or sewer mains require a permit from the village secretary and approval from the village engineer before plumbing is connected.5 We could not confirm which office issues septic permits inside Hilshire Village; ask the village secretary whether the parcel must use city sewer and ask TCEQ’s OSSF Program to identify the septic authority if an on-site system is proposed.511 Texas generally requires a permit and approved plan to construct, alter, repair, extend or operate an on-site sewage facility.12 Harris County’s septic-permitting answer covers unincorporated land, so it does not establish the answer for a Hilshire Village address.4

What are the steps to build a home in Hilshire Village?

1. Review Hilshire Village’s Building Plan Submittal Checklist and prepare rough plans for the proposed construction.10 2. Schedule a pre-development meeting with the building official and city engineer to discuss preliminary plans.10 3. Submit plans and pay the plan-review fees.10 4. After plan approval, schedule the city’s pre-construction meeting to discuss the construction process and project considerations.10 5. Apply for building permits and inspections, and arrange the separate village-secretary permit and village-engineer approval for village water or sewer connections.105 Hilshire Village’s published sequence puts plan approval before the pre-construction meeting and building permit application.10

What should you check before buying in Hilshire Village?

Hilshire Village’s residential flood standards apply to new construction and substantial improvements in specified special or moderate flood-hazard areas where the required elevation data is provided.9 In those circumstances, the lowest floor, including a basement, must be at least 1 foot above base flood elevation or at or above the 500-year floodplain elevation, whichever is higher, with professional certification submitted to the floodplain administrator.9 Hilshire Village does not check or enforce subdivision or HOA deed restrictions; owners and contractors remain responsible for complying with them.10 For a parcel outside city limits, use the Harris County guide for the county’s unincorporated-area building and zoning answers.1314

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm a Hilshire Village owner-builder building permit exemption; ask the City Permit Department before treating self-built work as exempt.13
  • Hilshire Village’s RV living prohibition includes temporary occupancy, subject to a city-issued temporary permit for special circumstances.7
  • We could not confirm the private-well approval route inside Hilshire Village; ask the village secretary before planning a well instead of a village water connection.5

Sources

  1. Sec. 3.1120. Work Exempt from Permit (Hilshire Village), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 12, Exhibit A — Zoning Regulations of the City of Hilshire Village, Texas (Hilshire Village), quoted and re-checked
  3. City of Hilshire Village - City Permit Department (hilshirevillagetexas.com)
  4. Wastewater Quality Permitting, quoted and re-checked
  5. Sec. 11.100. Connection to Sewer or Waterlines (Hilshire Village), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 12, Exhibit A — Zoning Regulations of the City of Hilshire Village, Texas (Hilshire Village), quoted and re-checked
  7. Sec. 10.606. Parking of Recreational Vehicles, Commercial Vehicles, Trailers, and Boats in Residential Districts (Hilshire Village), quoted and re-checked
  8. Appendix A, Article 3.000 — Building Related Fees (Hilshire Village), quoted and re-checked
  9. Sec. 3.336. Specific standards (Hilshire Village), quoted and re-checked
  10. City of Hilshire Village - Building Official and City Engineer (hilshirevillagetexas.com)
  11. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality - OSSF Program (tceq.texas.gov)
  12. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. oce.harriscountytx.gov, quoted and re-checked
  14. oce.harriscountytx.gov, quoted and re-checked

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.

Answers from the rulebook for Hilshire Village

Hilshire Village’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Residential building work inside Hilshire Village city limits.

    • Only the listed work exemptions are exempt from the permit requirement.
    • The cited exemption section does not exempt ordinary new residential construction.
    “And replacing such list under the category entitled "Building" to include only the following as exempt from the permit requirement:”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Residential construction inside Hilshire Village city limits.

    • The adopted code is the 2018 International Residential Code as amended by the city.
    • Future amendments are not adopted automatically and require subsequent city-council approval.
    “The International Residential Code, 2018 Edition (residential) [...] is hereby adopted and made a part of this article.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Hilshire Village city limits; the city adopts and administers its own zoning regulations and districts.

    “PROVIDING FOR AND ESTABLISHING ZONING REGULATIONS AND DISTRICTS”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts established by Hilshire Village city for land inside its limits.

    • The opened source establishes that the city is divided into residential and business districts, but the complete district schedule and dimensional tables were not available in the opened excerpt.
    “DIVIDING THE WHOLE CITY INTO RESIDENTIAL AND BUSINESS DISTRICTS”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Using a recreational vehicle for living quarters inside Hilshire Village city limits.

    • The city may issue a temporary permit for special circumstances, including a natural disaster.
    “No trailer, boat, or recreational vehicle shall be used in the city for living quarters, temporarily or permanently”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    New construction and substantial improvements in special or moderate flood-hazard areas inside Hilshire Village city limits where the cited elevation data conditions apply.

    • The rule applies where base flood elevation and 500-year floodplain elevation data has been provided as specified in the section.
    • Residential lowest floors, including basements, must be one foot above base flood elevation or at or above the 500-year floodplain elevation, whichever is higher.
    • A registered professional engineer, architect, or land surveyor must submit certification to the floodplain administrator.

    minimum elevation above base flood elevation: >= 1 foot (Or at or above the 500-year floodplain elevation, whichever is higher.)

    “New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated to one (1) foot above the base flood elevation”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building-related permits inside Hilshire Village city limits.

    • Residential plan review is 50% of the permit fee.
    • Permit fees include inspections and processing fees.
    • Additional inspections not listed are $50.00 per inspection.
    • The permit fee is doubled if work is started before obtaining a permit.
    • The fee schedule contains separate residential, commercial, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, drainage, yard, miscellaneous, tree-removal, and application fees.

    new residence permit fee: per 1.31 USD per square foot (Permit fee will be doubled if work is started prior to obtaining a permit.) · residential plan review fee: 50% of permit fee (Non-returnable and not credited toward permit fee.) · additional inspection: 50 USD per inspection (Any additional inspections not listed.)

    “Permit fees include inspections and processing fees. Any additional inspections not listed will be performed at $50.00 per inspection”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building and utility permit processing inside Hilshire Village city limits.

    • The opened code establishes listed permit exemptions and fee/inspection processing, but does not provide a complete application checklist or approval timeline.
    • Connections to village sewer or water mains require a village-secretary permit and village-engineer approval.
    • Work must comply with applicable village and City of Houston codes.
    “Obtain a permit from the village secretary [...] and [...] Obtain the approval of the village engineer before connecting any plumbing”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Hilshire Village or Harris County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemptions inside Hilshire Village city limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Hilshire Village city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings and uses inside Hilshire Village city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in Hilshire Village zoning districts.
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in Hilshire Village zoning districts.
14 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Hilshire Village publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Harris County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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