Bolthole Index

Kendall County, Texas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Boerne, Texas

Inside Boerne city limits, the city requires building permits for residential and commercial projects1 and enforces its own zoning code through the Unified Development Code2. Septic permits inside the city are unconfirmed: we could not find which office issues them, so call the Kendall County Engineer's Office before you plan a septic system3. Land outside city limits in Kendall County follows different rules4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required inside Boerne city limits; contractors must be registered with the city1
Zoning
Yes, the city has a Zoning Ordinance within its Unified Development Code2
Inspections
The city inspects all construction projects in the city limits5
Permit application
Through the city's MGO online platform6
Septic permit
Not confirmed for city limits; ask the Kendall County Engineer's Office3
Manufactured homes
Limited: manufactured home parks appear in the zoning use table; further district review applies7
RV or tiny home living
Not confirmed; ask the city before you buy8
Owner-builder
Texas exempts owners from state electrician and plumber licensing on their own homestead; city rules not confirmed9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Boerne Permitting and Code Compliance

Building permits, contractor registration and construction inspections inside Boerne city limits

(830) 248-1529

447 N. Main Street, Boerne, TX 78006

Septic permits

Kendall County Engineer's Office (Onsite Sewage / OSSF)

Septic (OSSF) permit applications for unincorporated Kendall County; whether it also covers addresses inside Boerne is unconfirmed

830-249-9343

[email protected]

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

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Does Boerne, Texas have zoning?

Yes. The City of Boerne adopted a Zoning Ordinance, also called the Zoning Code, as part of its Unified Development Code, and it governs land use inside Boerne city limits2. The city is divided into base zoning districts shown on the official zoning map, and the same standards apply to every parcel with the same district classification10.

Height, bulk and setback limits depend on the district, so no single number applies citywide: no building or structure may exceed the limits set for its district11. Manufactured home parks are listed in the zoning use table, and siting is limited and depends on district-specific review7. We could not confirm the city's rules on RVs as a residence, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or minimum home size, so ask the city before you buy.

Do you need a building permit in Boerne, and who issues it?

Yes. Boerne Permitting and Code Compliance issues building permits for residential and commercial projects inside city limits8. Contractors must be registered with the city before they can work in the city limits or submit permit applications1.

The city inspects all construction projects within city limits5. Applications run through the city's MGO platform6. Boerne's published fee ordinance lists a $250 certificate-of-occupancy fee when the certificate is not tied to a permit12. Call (830) 248-1529 or visit 447 N. Main Street for the fee for your project8.

We could not find an official owner-builder rule for homes inside city limits, so confirm with the city whether you can pull permits yourself. Texas separately exempts owners from state electrician licensing on a dwelling they own and live in9.

How do septic permits work inside Boerne?

We could not confirm which office issues septic permits inside Boerne city limits. No official Boerne source we found names the septic authority there. Texas requires a permit and approved plan to build, alter, repair or operate a septic system (an on-site sewage facility)13, and in most areas a local government acts as the state's authorized agent14.

Kendall County's Engineer's Office handles septic permits for unincorporated Kendall County and decides applications within 30 days3. Call that office at 830-249-9343 to ask whether it covers your address3. Many lots inside a city connect to city sewer instead, but we could not confirm Boerne's sewer connection rules, so ask the city as well.

Building a home in Boerne: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the zoning district for your parcel with the city and ask whether your intended use, such as a manufactured home, is allowed there10.
  2. Hire a contractor registered with the City of Boerne, or ask the city what it requires of owner-builders1.
  3. Submit your permit application through the city's MGO platform6.
  4. Confirm your septic or sewer arrangement with the Kendall County Engineer's Office and the city3.
  5. Schedule the city's construction inspections5.
  6. Ask the city whether a certificate of occupancy applies; one not tied to a permit carries a $250 fee12.

What stays with Kendall County, and what to check before you buy near Boerne

Land outside Boerne city limits is governed by Kendall County, which has not adopted zoning for unincorporated areas4. The county notes that municipalities may also have requirements in their extraterritorial jurisdictions15. For the county's rules on land outside the city, see the Kendall County page.

County-wide, Kendall County requires a driveway permit for connections to public county roads16, and TxDOT handles access to state highways17. Kendall County's effective property tax rate is 1.2%18, and the typical home value is about $593,41919. USDA rates none of the county's soils as not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system20.

Watch-outs

  • Short-term rentals inside Boerne must follow the city's short-term rental ordinance, and the city's fee schedule lists a $200 permit fee and a $100 inspection fee21.
  • We could not confirm Boerne's rules for private wells, driveways or floodplain development inside city limits, so ask the city's Permitting and Code Compliance office8.
  • Deed restrictions and homeowners association rules can apply on top of zoning, so check them before you buy4.

Sources

  1. Permitting and Code Compliance | Boerne, TX (Boerne), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 3. Zoning | Unified Development Code | Boerne, TX (Boerne), quoted and re-checked
  3. Kendall County Engineer's Office (Onsite Sewage / OSSF) (kendallcountytx.gov)
  4. Permits Required, Building Codes, Certificates of Occupancy, and Zoning Regulations Verification Letter, quoted and re-checked
  5. Permitting and Code Compliance | Boerne, TX (Boerne), quoted and re-checked
  6. Permitting and Code Compliance | Boerne, TX (Boerne), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 3. Zoning | Unified Development Code | Boerne, TX (Boerne), quoted and re-checked
  8. City of Boerne Permitting and Code Compliance (ci.boerne.tx.us)
  9. Exemptions to Electrician Licensing (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 3. Zoning | Unified Development Code | Boerne, TX (Boerne), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 3. Zoning | Unified Development Code | Boerne, TX (Boerne), quoted and re-checked
  12. Fee Ordinance FY 2025-2026 (Boerne), quoted and re-checked
  13. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Permits Required, Building Codes, Certificates of Occupancy, and Zoning Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  16. Access/Driveway Permit, quoted and re-checked
  17. Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  20. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Chapter 3. Zoning | Unified Development Code | Boerne, TX (Boerne), quoted and re-checked

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 Boerne

Boerne’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Residential and commercial projects within Boerne city limits.

    • Contractors must be registered with the city to work in city limits and submit required permit applications.
    “Contractors must be registered with the City of Boerne to work in the city limits and to submit the permit applications required for projects.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Construction projects within Boerne city limits.

    • Inspection status and scheduling are available through the city portal.
    “Permitting and Code Compliance conducts inspections of all construction projects in the city limits.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land and uses within Boerne city limits.

    • The city UDC governs land-use and development regulations.
    “This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Zoning Ordinance," or "Zoning Code" of the City of Boerne.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Boerne city limits.

    • The official zoning map incorporates district boundaries by reference; standards apply uniformly to areas with the same district classification.
    “Zoning regulations and districts as set forth in this ordinance are established and the city is divided into base zoning districts as follows:”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured-home communities and manufactured-home parks inside Boerne city limits.

    • The UDC use table and district-specific standards control siting; further district-specific review is required.
    “Manufactured home park | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | P |”
  • Short-term rentalsLimited

    Short-term rentals inside Boerne city limits.

    • Short-term rentals must comply with the city's short-term-rental ordinance; the published fee schedule includes a permit fee and an inspection fee.

    short-term rental permit fee: 200 USD · short-term rental inspection fee: 100 USD

    “Short-term rentals. Shall comply with regulations defined in the City of Boerne's short-term rental ordinance.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Permitting and code-compliance services inside Boerne city limits.

    • The fee ordinance identifies a $250 certificate-of-occupancy fee when the certificate is not associated with a permit.

    certificate of occupancy not associated with a permit: 250 USD

    “Certificate of Occupancy not associated with a permit $250”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Permit applications and construction projects inside Boerne city limits.

    • The city uses the MGO platform to manage permitting applications.
    “The City of Boerne uses the MGO platform to manage applications for Permitting, Code, Planning, and more.”

Rules another office applies inside Boerne

Boerne does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Boerne city limits.

    • The UDC prohibits structures that exceed the district height or bulk limit.
    “No building or structure shall be erected, reconstructed or structurally altered to exceed a height or bulk limit or setback requirement herein established for the district in which such building or structure is located.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Boerne city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Residential zoning districts inside Boerne city limits.
  • Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Boerne city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Boerne city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Boerne city limits.
11 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain

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 Boerne publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Kendall County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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