Bolthole Index

Henderson County, Texas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Gun Barrel City, Texas

Gun Barrel City, Texas (Henderson County) has its own zoning code1, and the city Building Department says applications must be made and permits issued before work begins2. Septic permits inside city limits are not confirmed, so ask Henderson County Septic Services3. Henderson County's own rules cover unincorporated land only.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the city has its own Zoning Code1
Building permits
Issued by the city Building Department; applications come before work begins2
Building code
2015 International Residential Code for one- and two-family dwellings4
RV living
Limited to RV parks in the RVP-1 district; not allowed as a dwelling in Agriculture District A5
Manufactured homes
Only in a licensed park or manufactured-home subdivision district6
Septic
Statewide OSSF permit rules apply; ask Henderson County Septic Services who handles city lots73
Owner-builder
Owners doing their own electrical work still need the regular permit8

Who to call

Building permits

Gun Barrel City Building Department

Building permits and inspections inside Gun Barrel City city limits

903-887-1087

1716 W Main Street, Gun Barrel City, TX 75156

Septic permits

Henderson County Septic Services

On-site sewage facility (septic) permit applications for Henderson County; ask whether it also covers lots inside Gun Barrel City

903-257-9057

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

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Does Gun Barrel City, TX have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and manufactured homes?

Yes. Gun Barrel City adopts its own Zoning Code, and a City Planning and Zoning Commission advises the City Council on zoning1. The code establishes single-family residential districts R-1 through R-6, a multiple-family district (MF-1), a manufactured housing subdivision district (MH-1) and a recreational vehicle park district (RVP-1)9.

For RVs, the RVP-1 district is built for overnight, weekly and monthly stays with a three-month maximum, and RV parks operate only with a city permit that expires one year after issuance5. The ordinance separately prohibits living in an RV as a dwelling in Agriculture District A, with limited exceptions5. Tiny home trailers count as recreational vehicles under the same code10.

Manufactured homes may not be parked, stored or used on a lot outside a licensed manufactured home park or manufactured home subdivision district, except as a temporary office or shelter while construction is actively underway6. We could not confirm minimum lot sizes, minimum house sizes, setbacks or accessory dwelling rules for each district, so ask the Building Department for the district schedule for your lot2.

Do you need a building permit in Gun Barrel City, and who issues it?

The Gun Barrel City Building Department issues building permits inside city limits, and its page states that applications must be made and permits issued prior to beginning work2. The same page says permits ensure the proposed construction meets zoning as well as adopted building codes2.

The city adopted the 2015 International Residential Code for detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses4. Building permit applications must include accurate plot plans, submitted in duplicate and drawn to scale, showing the lot, existing and proposed buildings and their intended use11. Once construction starts, scheduling each inspection is the builder's responsibility12.

The city publishes a fee schedule for building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and irrigation permits, and accessory structures under 80 square feet are excepted from the building permit fee13. Outside city limits, Henderson County's building permit requirement is limited to development in designated floodplain areas14.

Who do you call for Gun Barrel City building permits and inspections?

Call the Gun Barrel City Building Department at 903-887-10872. The office is at 1716 W Main Street, Gun Barrel City, TX 751562.

A certificate of occupancy is required for a newly built or structurally altered building, and for a change in use. For a new building, you apply for it together with the building permit application15. The city issues it within 3 days after a written request once the building conforms, and a temporary certificate can run up to 6 months15.

An owner doing their own electrical work personally does not need to show proof of insurance or register, but still must obtain the regular permit8.

How do septic permits work inside Gun Barrel City?

We could not confirm which office issues septic permits for lots inside Gun Barrel City limits, so confirm before you buy. Texas requires a permit and approved plan to construct, alter, repair, extend and operate an on-site sewage facility, and most areas are handled by a local TCEQ-authorized agent7. Henderson County Septic Services publishes the On-Site Sewage Facilities Permit Application and is the county's office to ask163.

The state's 10-acre exemption requires a single-family dwelling on a tract of at least 10 acres, so it rarely helps on a typical city lot17. Where a lot can connect to city sewer, we could not confirm whether the city requires it; ask the Building Department2.

Building a home in Gun Barrel City: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district with the city Building Department, since district rules decide what can be built and whether an RV or manufactured home is allowed92.
  2. Settle sewage: ask Henderson County Septic Services whether a septic permit applies to your lot3.
  3. Apply for the building permit with plot plans in duplicate before any work begins112.
  4. Build to the city's adopted 2015 International Residential Code and schedule each inspection yourself412.
  5. Request a certificate of occupancy before moving in15.

What stays with Henderson County, and what to check before you buy

Land outside city limits falls under Henderson County instead. Henderson County has adopted no county zoning ordinance18, and county floodplain permits apply to development in designated floodplain areas outside any city limits19. For land outside the city, see the Henderson County page.

Wells in Henderson County fall under the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District, where exempt domestic wells need no drilling permit but must be registered20. We could not confirm a well rule specific to lots inside Gun Barrel City.

County-level figures: Henderson County's effective property tax rate is 1%21, and a typical home is valued around $273,12022. About 38% of the county is wooded23.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm who issues septic permits, or whether sewer connection is required, for lots inside Gun Barrel City limits; call Henderson County Septic Services before closing3.
  • RVs and tiny home trailers can be kept only in RVP-1 RV parks with a city permit, and manufactured homes only in licensed parks or manufactured home subdivisions56.
  • A county rule for unincorporated Henderson County does not apply inside city limits, and the city's rules do not apply outside them18.
  • We could not confirm short-term rental or driveway access rules for city lots; ask the Building Department2.

Sources

  1. TITLE XV: LAND USAGE | Code of Ordinances | Gun Barrel City, TX (Gun Barrel City), quoted and re-checked
  2. Gun Barrel City Building Department (gunbarrelcity.gov)
  3. Henderson County Septic Services (henderson-county.com)
  4. TITLE XV: LAND USAGE | Code of Ordinances | Gun Barrel City, TX (Gun Barrel City), quoted and re-checked
  5. TITLE XV: LAND USAGE | Code of Ordinances | Gun Barrel City, TX (Gun Barrel City), quoted and re-checked
  6. TITLE XV: LAND USAGE | Code of Ordinances | Gun Barrel City, TX (Gun Barrel City), quoted and re-checked
  7. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. TITLE XV: LAND USAGE | Code of Ordinances | Gun Barrel City, TX (Gun Barrel City), quoted and re-checked
  9. TITLE XV: LAND USAGE | Code of Ordinances | Gun Barrel City, TX (Gun Barrel City), quoted and re-checked
  10. TITLE XV: LAND USAGE | Code of Ordinances | Gun Barrel City, TX (Gun Barrel City), quoted and re-checked
  11. TITLE XV: LAND USAGE | Code of Ordinances | Gun Barrel City, TX (Gun Barrel City), quoted and re-checked
  12. TITLE XV: LAND USAGE | Code of Ordinances | Gun Barrel City, TX (Gun Barrel City), quoted and re-checked
  13. APPENDIX 1: FEE SCHEDULE | Code of Ordinances | Gun Barrel City, TX (Gun Barrel City), quoted and re-checked
  14. Development & Floodplain Administration Office, quoted and re-checked
  15. TITLE XV: LAND USAGE | Code of Ordinances | Gun Barrel City, TX (Gun Barrel City), quoted and re-checked
  16. Septic Services, quoted and re-checked
  17. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Texas law on county zoning and building authority
  19. Development & Floodplain Administration Office, quoted and re-checked
  20. Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District Rules, quoted and re-checked
  21. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  22. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  23. Wooded share of land: 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 Gun Barrel City

Gun Barrel City’s own rules

  • Owner-builder exemptionConditional

    Individuals performing their own electrical work personally on their own particular job in Gun Barrel City.

    • The individual must obtain the regular permit.
    • The work must be performed personally and not as a service to the public generally.
    “Any individual desiring to perform his own electrical work personally shall not be required to submit proof of insurance or to obtain the required registration, but shall be required to obtain the regular permit for that particular job. Such work done by an individual must be done by him personally on his own particular job and not by way of performing a service to the public generally.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses not more than three stories in Gun Barrel City.

    • The adopted IRC provision also incorporates subsequent revisions, standards, and supplements.

    International Residential Code edition: 2015

    “The 2015 Edition of the International Residential Code, published by the International Code Council, Inc., and all subsequent revisions, standards or supplements thereto, are hereby adopted to regulate and govern the construction, alteration, movements, enlargement, replacement, repair, equipment, location, removal and demolition of detached one- and two-family dwellings, and multiple single-family dwellings (townhouses) not more than three stores in height with separate means of egress; and to provide for the issuance of permits and the collection of fees.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Buildings and premises subject to the city zoning chapter inside Gun Barrel City.

    • Inspections are those necessary for enforcement of the zoning chapter.
    “When construction has begun, it is your responsibility to schedule needed inspections as indicated by the Building Inspection Department.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Erected or structurally altered buildings, specified changes of use or occupancy, and vacant land use inside Gun Barrel City.

    • Agricultural use of vacant land is excepted.
    • Retail businesses have additional State Comptroller sales-and-use-tax documentation requirements.
    • For a new or altered building, written application is made with the building-permit application.

    issuance period after written request following conforming completion: 3 days (new or altered building) · temporary certificate period: <= 6 months (pending regular certificate)

    “Certificates of occupancy shall be required for any of the following: (a) Occupancy and use of a building hereafter erected or structurally altered; (b) Change in use of an existing building to a use of a different classification; (c) Occupancy and use of vacant land, except agricultural use.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Gun Barrel City city limits.

    • The City Planning and Zoning Commission advises the City Council on planning and zoning matters.
    “This chapter shall be known, cited and referred as the "Zoning Code for the City of Gun Barrel City, Texas."”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Gun Barrel City city limits.

    • The retrieved published list includes R-1 through R-6 residential districts, MF-1, MH-1, and RVP-1; the full ordinance establishes additional zones.
    “In order to classify, regulate, and restrict the use of land, buildings and structures; to regulate and restrict the height and bulk of buildings; to regulate the area of yards and other open spaces about buildings; to regulate the intensity of land use, and to promote the orderly urban growth within the corporate area of the city, the following zones are established: (A) Single-Family Detached Residential Districts (R-1). (B) Single-Family Detached Residential Districts (R-2). (C) Single-Family Detached Residential Districts (R-3). (D) Single-Family Detached Residential Districts (R-4, R-4A). (E) Single-Family Detached Residential Districts (R-5). (F) Single-Family Detached Residential Districts (R-6A, B, C, and D). (G) Multiple-Family Residential Districts (MF-1). (H) Manufactured Housing Subdivision Districts (MH-1). (I) Recreational Vehicle Park Districts (RVP-1).”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles in the RVP-1 recreational vehicle park district inside Gun Barrel City.

    • The district is zoned by conditional-use permit only.
    • RV parks require a city permit and annual fee; the permit expires one year after issuance.
    • The ordinance separately prohibits parking, storing, using, or occupying an RV as a residential dwelling in Agriculture District A, subject to stated temporary-construction and nonconforming-use exceptions.

    maximum monthly RV stay: <= 3 months (RVP-1 district)

    “The district is specifically designed to accommodate overnight, weekly, monthly (three month maximum), and camping spaces of current state licensed recreational vehicles. All RV parks should only be operated with a permit and fee as established in the city's annual fee schedule. The permit shall expire one year from the date of issuance.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping spaces for current state-licensed recreational vehicles in RVP-1 recreational vehicle parks inside Gun Barrel City.

    • The district is zoned by conditional-use permit only.
    • RV parks must operate with the required city permit and annual fee.

    maximum monthly stay: <= 3 months (RVP-1 district)

    “The district is specifically designed to accommodate overnight, weekly, monthly (three month maximum), and camping spaces of current state licensed recreational vehicles.”
  • Tiny homesLimited

    Tiny home trailers in RVP-1 recreational vehicle parks inside Gun Barrel City.

    • The cited rule concerns tiny home trailers as recreational vehicles, rather than all forms of tiny homes.
    • The RVP-1 district is conditional-use-permit only and its permit expires one year after issuance.

    maximum monthly RV stay: <= 3 months (RVP-1 district)

    “Recreational vehicle shall include a motor home, travel trailers, camping trailers and tiny home trailers, but shall not include a mobile home or manufactured home;”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes inside Gun Barrel City city limits.

    • Placement is limited to a licensed manufactured-home park or manufactured-home subdivision district.
    • A temporary office or shelter incidental to active construction or development is excepted.
    • New or replacement manufactured homes may not be more than five years old and must meet HUD habitation standards.

    maximum age from year of manufacture: <= 5 years (newly placed or replacement manufactured home)

    “No person shall park, store or use a manufactured home on any lot other than in a licensed manufactured home park or a manufactured home subdivision district within the corporate limits of the city, except that a manufactured home may be used as a temporary office or shelter incidental to construction or development of premises on which the manufactured home is located, only during the time construction or development is actively underway.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision proposals inside Gun Barrel City city limits.

    • The Planning and Zoning Commission makes recommendations on platting and subdivision proposals.
    “This chapter shall be known, cited and referred to as the "Subdivision Regulations for the City of Gun Barrel City, Texas."”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and irrigation permits within Gun Barrel City.

    • Commercial construction permit costs are based on 1998 UBC Table 1A.
    • Accessory structures below 80 square feet are excepted from the city building-permit fee.

    accessory structure area exemption: < 80 square feet (building-permit fee)

    “The fees for issuance of the above mentioned permits within the city shall be computed in the following manner:”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit applications inside Gun Barrel City city limits.

    • Plot plans must be submitted in duplicate and drawn to scale.
    • The code identifies required lot, building, use, and household-unit information and allows other information needed for enforcement.
    “All applications for building permits shall be accompanied by accurate plot plans, submitted in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing: (a) The actual shape and dimensions of the lot to be built upon; (b) The exact sizes and locations on the lot of the buildings and accessory building then existing; (c) The lines within which the proposed buildings and structure shall be erected or altered; (d) The existing and intended use of each building or part of building; (e) The number of families or housekeeping units the building is designed to accommodate; (f) Such other information with regard to the lot and neighboring lots as may be necessary to determine and provide for the enforcement of this chapter.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Gun Barrel City or Henderson County directly.

  • Building permit — Residential construction inside Gun Barrel City city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Gun Barrel City city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Single-family lots inside Gun Barrel City city limits.
  • Setbacks — Single-family dwellings inside Gun Barrel City city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Single-family dwellings inside Gun Barrel City city limits.
10 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • 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 Gun Barrel City publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Henderson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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