Bolthole Index

Karnes County, Texas

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Kenedy, Texas

Kenedy, Texas requires building permits and inspections for new or remodeled construction under the codes adopted by the city.1 Kenedy also has zoning, so the permitted use and home dimensions depend on the parcel’s district.2 In Karnes County, septic applications go through the county’s Special Projects/Septic Permits office, separately from city building permits.3

At a glance

Building permits
City building permits and inspections required for covered new and remodeled construction1
Zoning
City zoning; uses must conform to the parcel’s district2
Septic
Karnes County; development determination precedes the OSSF application3
RE home size
Main residence: at least 1,500 square feet of livable floor space, excluding specified ancillary areas4
Manufactured homes
MH-1 minimum living area: 600 square feet; MH-2: 1,200 square feet, excluding specified ancillary areas56
Street access
Public-street adjacency or access to an approved private street required for erected or moved buildings7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Kenedy Building & Community Development

City building application forms and zoning information; City Hall contact for routing building and planning questions

8305832230

[email protected]

303 West Main Street, Kenedy, TX 78119

Septic permits

Karnes County Special Projects/Septic Permits

OSSF septic applications and the preceding development determination

830 780-3511

[email protected]

210 W Calvert Ave. Suite 155 Karnes City, Tx. 78118

Online permits →

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

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Do you need a building permit in Kenedy, Texas?

Kenedy requires building permits and inspections for all classes of new or remodeled construction covered by the International Building Code and the other applicable codes adopted by the city.1 Kenedy’s ordinance assigns building-permit issuance and fee collection to the City’s Code Compliance Officer.8 Building-permit fees vary by project type and declared value, and inspection fees must be paid before an inspection is scheduled.9 Ask Building & Community Development to identify the application and inspection schedule for your proposed work.10

Who issues building permits in Kenedy, and where do you apply?

Start with Kenedy’s Building & Community Development page for residential and commercial building applications, demolition paperwork and contractor registration.8 The same city page lists plumbing, electrical and mechanical permit applications; a residential building application is not the only form the city publishes.8 Kenedy publishes a zoning map and a Codes & Ordinances link alongside those forms.10 Ask the city to confirm the parcel’s district, the applicable code editions and the required trade applications before submitting your project.218

Does Kenedy have zoning, minimum home sizes and lot coverage limits?

Kenedy zoning requires buildings and land uses to conform to the district where the property lies.2 In Kenedy’s RE Residential Estate District, the main residence must contain at least 1,500 square feet of livable floor space, excluding garage, porches, breezeways and incidental storage area.4 In the RE district, the main building and all accessory buildings together may cover no more than 30% of the lot.11 Those are RE standards, not citywide dimensions; ask the city to identify your district and its full lot-size and setback requirements before choosing a house plan.2

How do septic permits work inside Kenedy?

For a Kenedy property needing an on-site sewage facility, Karnes County’s Special Projects/Septic Permits office handles OSSF applications, and a Determination Development Permit Application is required first.3 Septic construction, installation, alteration, extension or repair generally requires a permit; local requirements may be stricter than state minimums.12 Texas’s 10-acre exemption is conditional: the tract must serve only a single-family dwelling, receive a qualified site evaluation, dispose of effluent on site, avoid nuisance and groundwater pollution, and keep every OSSF component at least 100 feet from the property line while meeting applicable standards.13 Ask the county to confirm eligibility before relying on that exemption.13

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Kenedy?

We could not confirm a Kenedy rule allowing residential RV occupancy on private land or treating tiny homes as a separate occupancy category; ask Building & Community Development about the proposed dwelling and its zoning district.2 Kenedy’s ban on overnight camping in city parks applies to parks and does not answer private-property RV living.14 Kenedy’s MH-1 district requires at least 600 square feet of manufactured-home living area, excluding the specified ancillary areas.5 MH-2 requires at least 1,200 square feet, with the same exclusions, and multiple manufactured homes require an approved site plan.6

Building a home in Kenedy: what should you do first?

Begin by asking Kenedy to confirm the parcel’s zoning district and whether the proposed residential use fits that district.2 Then select the city’s residential building application and ask which trade applications and inspections the work requires.81 Confirm public-street adjacency or approved private-street access, with safe access for servicing, fire protection and required parking.7 If the project needs septic, complete the county development determination before the OSSF application, and arrange the required facility inspection before installation is completed.315 For property outside Kenedy city limits, use the Karnes County guide for the county building-permit answer.16

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Kenedy’s certificate-of-occupancy requirement or a city owner-builder exemption; ask Building & Community Development before planning construction and move-in.1
  • We could not confirm Kenedy’s sewer-connection requirement, private-well permit rule or off-grid sanitation allowance; ask the city about utilities and Karnes County Special Projects about any proposed septic system.103
  • Karnes County’s septic authorization to construct expires after 1 year; without a final inspection within that period, a new application and fee are required.15

Sources

  1. mcclibraryfunctions.azurewebsites.us (Kenedy), quoted and re-checked
  2. Sec. 90-16. Supplementary district regulations (Kenedy), quoted and re-checked
  3. Karnes County Texas — Permitting Department, quoted and re-checked
  4. Sec. 90-7. RE Residential Estate District (Kenedy), quoted and re-checked
  5. Sec. 90-13. MH-1 Manufactured Home District 1 (Kenedy), quoted and re-checked
  6. Sec. 90-14. MH-2 Manufactured Home District 2 (Kenedy), quoted and re-checked
  7. library.municode.com (Kenedy), quoted and re-checked
  8. Building & Community Development (Kenedy), quoted and re-checked
  9. Ordinance No. 11-7 (Kenedy), quoted and re-checked
  10. City of Kenedy Building & Community Development (kenedytx.gov)
  11. Sec. 90-7. RE Residential Estate District (Kenedy), quoted and re-checked
  12. Karnes County Texas — Permitting Department, quoted and re-checked
  13. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Sec. 66-66. Camping (Kenedy), quoted and re-checked
  15. Application for On-Site Sewage Facility, quoted and re-checked
  16. Karnes County Special Projects & Permits (2026 county census)

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 Kenedy

Kenedy’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    New and remodeled construction inside Kenedy city limits.

    • Requirements are those provided in the International Building Code and other applicable codes adopted by the City.
    “Building Permits and Inspections shall be required for all classes of new or remodeled construction as provided for in the International Building Code, and other applicable Codes adopted by the City.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Kenedy city limits; the city adopts and administers Chapter 90 zoning regulations.

    • Uses and structures must conform to the applicable zoning district.
    “No building shall hereafter be erected, reconstructed, altered or enlarged, nor shall any building or land be used for any purpose other than is permitted in the district in which such building or land is located.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Manufactured homes in the MH-1 Manufactured Home District 1.

    • The measurement excludes garage, porches, breezeways, and incidental storage areas.
    • No horizontal dimension may be less than 14 feet, subject to the stated extension/addition exception.

    minimum living area: >= 600 square feet (exclusive of garage, porches, breezeways, and incidental storage areas)

    “Manufactured homes must have a minimum of 600 square feet of living area, exclusive of garage, porches and breezeways, and incidental storage areas. No horizontal dimension shall be less than 14 feet, except for original extensions or subsequent additions containing less than 50 percent of the total enclosed floor area.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Main residences in the RE Residential Estate District.
      “The main residence shall contain a minimum of 1,500 square feet of livable floor space, exclusive of garage, porches and breezeways, and incidental storage area.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Lots in the RE Residential Estate District.

    • Coverage includes the main building and all accessory buildings.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 30 percent (main building and all accessory buildings)

    “The maximum portion of the lot area, which may be covered by the main building and all accessory buildings, shall not exceed 30 percent.”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Overnight sleeping or camping within City of Kenedy parks.

    “It shall be unlawful for any person to sleep overnight or camp overnight within the parks.”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Manufactured homes in Kenedy's MH-2 district.

    • Multiple manufactured homes require an approved site plan.
    • The district permits manufactured homes subject to district conditions.
    • Minimum living area is 1,200 square feet.

    minimum living area: >= 1200 square feet (exclusive of garage, porches, breezeways, and incidental storage areas)

    “Multiple manufactured homes placed in accordance with an approved site plan.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Every building erected or moved inside Kenedy city limits.

    • The lot must be adjacent to a public street or have access to an approved private street.
    • Structures must be located to provide safe and convenient access for servicing, fire protection, and required off-street parking.
    “Every building hereafter erected or moved shall be on a lot adjacent to a public street, or with access to an approved private street, and all structures shall be so located on lots as to provide safe and convenient access for servicing, fire protection and required off-street parking.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building permits and inspections inside Kenedy city limits.

    • Fees vary by project type and declared value.
    • Inspection fees are payable before scheduling inspection.
    • The ordinance states that conflicting ordinances are repealed.

    single-family permit fee for project value $1-$25,000: 15 USD · electrical inspection fee: 40 USD · plumbing inspection fee: 40 USD · gas inspection fee: 40 USD

    “Single Family Housing Building Permits: Value Fee $1 to $25,000 $15.00”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building-permit applications inside Kenedy city limits.

    • The official city page lists residential, commercial, demolition, contractor-registration, plumbing, electrical, and mechanical forms.
    • The ordinance assigns permit issuance and fee collection to the City's Code Compliance Officer.
    “Residential Building Permit Application Commercial Building Permit Application Demolition Permit Contractor Registration Form Plumbing Permit Application Electrical Permit Application Mechanical Permit Application”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing inside Kenedy city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Construction and occupancy inside Kenedy city limits.
  • Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Kenedy city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Kenedy city limits.
  • Off-grid sanitation — Off-grid sanitation on land inside Kenedy city limits.
5 more unanswered
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 Kenedy publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Karnes County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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