Unincorporated Hemphill County, Texas does not require a county building permit for a home1. Hemphill County also has no zoning, so county zoning does not set minimum home size, setbacks or where a tiny or manufactured home may go23. TCEQ's Region 1 office in Amarillo issues septic permits because Hemphill County has no local OSSF permitting agent45.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Not required in unincorporated Hemphill County; the county has no building department1
- Zoning
- None; Texas gives Hemphill County no zoning authority23
- Septic permits
- Issued directly by TCEQ's Region 1 office in Amarillo; Hemphill County has no local OSSF agent45
- Tiny home & manufactured home siting
- Unrestricted by county zoning, since Hemphill County has none3
- RV / camping on private land
- We could not confirm a private-land occupancy rule; the county's published RV rules cover only its public parks6
- Owner-builder exemption
- Not confirmed either way; largely moot since no county building permit is required for an ordinary home7
- Road-crossing permits
- Required for underground, road-cutting or waterline crossings of a county road, through the County Judge's Office89
- Well permits
- Every well must be registered or permitted through the Hemphill County Underground Water Conservation District; domestic wells up to 50,000 gallons/day (35 gpm) are exempt from a permit but still must be registered10
Who to call
Septic permits
TCEQ Region 1 Office (Amarillo)
On-site sewage facility (OSSF/septic) permits for Hemphill County; TCEQ's own authorized-agent lookup shows Hemphill County has no city or county authorized agent, so this TCEQ regional office is the direct permitting authority
5809 S. Western St. STE 260, Amarillo, TX 79110
Also useful
Hemphill County Judge's Office
General county contact for road-crossing permits, questions about the county's RV and camping areas, and any county business without its own dedicated department
400 Main Street, Suite 200, Canadian, TX 79014
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 29, 2026.
Do you need a building permit in Hemphill County, Texas?
No, unincorporated Hemphill County does not require a county building permit for an ordinary home, and the county lists no building-permit or inspection department1. Texas law gives some counties narrow authority over fire codes and residential construction standards, but Hemphill County does not operate a general residential permitting program111. A road crossing is separate from a building permit: underground crossings, road cuts and waterline crossings require county approval8. Hemphill County does not publish an owner-builder exemption, but an exemption from a general residential building permit is unnecessary when that permit is not required71. Incorporated cities may have their own requirements, so confirm city rules if the parcel is inside municipal limits.
Who handles septic and other permits in Hemphill County, and how do you reach them?
Hemphill County has no building or zoning department for unincorporated land because the county runs neither program12. TCEQ's Region 1 office in Amarillo is the direct OSSF authority because Hemphill County has no local septic permitting agent45. The County Judge's Office handles permits for underground crossings, road cuts and waterline crossings on county roads98. Hemphill County has not published a county-road driveway or culvert requirement, so ask the County Judge's Office about the parcel's access before construction. A new or revised driveway connecting to a state highway instead requires a TxDOT permit12.
Does Hemphill County have zoning?
No — Hemphill County has no zoning ordinance, and Texas law grants county zoning authority only in a handful of narrowly defined situations that don't include Hemphill County23. That means there's no countywide minimum lot size, setback, building-height limit, or lot-coverage rule, and zoning districts simply aren't published because none exist3. Accessory dwelling units, tiny homes and manufactured homes on private land also aren't restricted by county zoning, for the same reason3. The county does regulate two specific things regardless of zoning: crossing a county road with a utility line or cutting into one requires a permit from the County Judge's Office, and wells across the entire county fall under the Hemphill County Underground Water Conservation District810.
How do septic permits work in Hemphill County?
Almost every on-site sewage facility (OSSF) in Texas needs a permit before it's constructed, installed, altered, extended or repaired, and Hemphill County is no exception13. TCEQ's own authorized-agent lookup, searched directly by county, returns only TCEQ's Region 1 office in Amarillo for Hemphill County — no city or county authorized agent is listed — so that's who reviews plans, issues permits, and handles inspections here514. A 10-acre exemption can apply, but only if every condition is met: a licensed site evaluation, a single-family home on at least 10 acres, no nuisance or groundwater pollution, every part of the system at least 100 feet from the property line, on-site effluent disposal, and no other dwelling on the tract1315. Hemphill County's soils are workable relative to many rural Texas counties: 32.9% are free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, though that still leaves most properties needing a closer look before you commit to a system design16.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Hemphill County?
Hemphill County zoning does not restrict tiny-home or manufactured-home occupancy on unincorporated private land because the county has no zoning ordinance3. Long-term RV occupancy is a different question, and we could not confirm a county rule for living in an RV on private land; ask the County Judge's Office before relying on an RV as a residence9. The county's published RV rules cover public campgrounds, not private property: the Recreation Park has 26 RV slots, while Lake Marvin is 12 miles out of town, and both have a 5-night maximum at $20 per night617. Any private wastewater system serving an RV, tiny home or manufactured home remains subject to the statewide septic rules administered here by TCEQ Region 11345.
Building a home in Hemphill County: the steps, in order
- Confirm that the parcel is outside incorporated city limits; unincorporated Hemphill County does not require a county building permit for an ordinary single-family home1.
- Apply for the OSSF permit through TCEQ's Region 1 office in Amarillo before construction because Hemphill County has no local septic agent4513.
- Get a soil site evaluation early: 32.9% of Hemphill County's soils are free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field16.
- Register or permit a planned well through the Hemphill County Underground Water Conservation District10.
- For state-highway access, submit TxDOT Form 1058 and give TxDOT 24 hours' notice before work begins in the right of way12.
- For an underground crossing, road cut or waterline crossing on a county road, obtain the county permit through the County Judge's Office98.
- Put inspections and construction standards in the builder contract because the county does not require the general residential building permit that would ordinarily trigger county review1.
What to check before you buy land in Hemphill County
Start with septic: 32.9% of Hemphill County's soils are free of severe limitations for a conventional drain field, a better starting point than many rural Texas counties, but still worth a site evaluation and a call to TCEQ's Region 1 office before you commit to a price165. Water is a real planning factor: the county averages just 23.3 inches of precipitation a year and sees severe drought in 32.3% of years, and any well you drill falls under the Hemphill County Underground Water Conservation District, which requires registration or a permit for every well in the county181910. The terrain is easy to build on — 83.5% of the county's land sits at 15% slope or less — but only 0.8% is wooded, among the least forested profiles in rural Texas, so don't count on tree cover for privacy, shade or wind protection2021. Heat and insurance costs are worth budgeting for too: mid-century projections put the county at about 36.7 days a year at or above 100°F, against a current average annual temperature of 58.7°F, and a typical home insurance premium runs near $3,042 a year, high for a rural county this size222324. Property taxes run moderate for rural Texas: the effective rate is about 1.2%, with a median bill near $2,502 a year against a typical home value around $180,617252627.
Watch-outs
- Do not use the OSSF form posted on Hemphill County's website: the form is labeled for Hill County; Hemphill County septic permits go to TCEQ's Region 1 office in Amarillo45.
- Hemphill County's lack of zoning removes county zoning limits on tiny homes, setbacks and lot size, but septic permits and water-district well rules still apply31310.
- The county's published RV rules govern its public parks, not living in an RV on private land; ask the County Judge's Office because we could not confirm a private-land occupancy rule69.
Sources
- Hemphill County, Texas - official county site (2026 county census)
- Hemphill County, Texas - official county site (2026 county census)
- Texas law on county zoning and building authority
- TCEQ OSSF Authorized Agent search (OARS) (2026 county census)
- TCEQ Region 1 Office (Amarillo) (tceq.texas.gov)
- Parks and Recreation, quoted and re-checked
- (2026 county census)
- Hemphill County Forms, quoted and re-checked
- Hemphill County Judge's Office (co.hemphill.tx.us)
- Application & Forms, quoted and re-checked
- Local Government Code Chapter 233, County Regulation of Housing and Other Structures (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Basics for Septic Systems (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
- Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System, quoted and re-checked
- Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
- Parks and Recreation, quoted and re-checked
- Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
- Share of years in severe drought: Bolthole Index county data
- Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
- Wooded share of land: Bolthole Index county data
- Projected mid-century days at or above 100°F: Bolthole Index county data
- Average annual temperature: Bolthole Index county data
- Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
- Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
- Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
Written September 29, 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.