Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Reno, Texas

Reno’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within Reno city limits, Lamar County, Texas.

  • The amended ordinance became effective on posting and publication as required by law.

  “SECTION 3. The city adopts as its amended ordinance, the contents of Exhibit “A” in its entirety, to include punitive provision.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts within Reno city limits.

  • The code’s residential development standards identify R-1, R-2, R-3, MF-1, and PD-1.

  “(Residential Property R-1, R-2, R-3, MF-1 and PD-1)”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  All single-family housing and accessory dwelling units within Reno city limits.

  • The 22-foot width rule excludes porches and garages.
  • The mobile-home exception has a minimum width of eight feet.

  minimum dwelling width: >= 22 feet (Exclusive of porches and garages; mobile homes must be at least 8 feet wide.) · minimum livable floor area: >= 1000 square feet

  “The minimum width of a dwelling exclusive of porches and garages shall be 22 feet, except for a mobile home, which must be a minimum of 8 feet in width.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units for living or sleeping quarters in any zoning district within Reno city limits.

  • The unit may not be rented as a separate dwelling.
  • The unit may require an ordinance variance before issuance of its specific-use permit.
  • A specific-use permit must be obtained before construction or occupancy.
  • The unit cannot be separately transferred, bought, sold, or treated as a condominium, time share, or other interest severed from the primary lot.

  minimum living area: >= 1000 square feet (Exclusive of any porch or garage.)

  “Accessory building units (residential), or accessory dwelling units for living or sleeping quarters in any district, not including rental as a separate dwelling. An accessory dwelling unit may require an ordinance variance prior to the issuance of a Specific Use Permit.”

• Permit processPartial

  Specific-use-permit applications within Reno city limits.

  • This claim concerns specific-use and term-limited permits, not a general building-permit process.
  • The City Council may impose conditions concerning operation, location, arrangement, occupancy limits, and construction.

  notice radius: 200 feet (For property owners around the requested specific-use or term-limited permit.)

  “Every application for a Specific Use or Term Limited Permit (see Appendix 3) of any type shall be accompanied by the following minimum information:”

Rules another office applies inside Reno

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

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 residential district within Reno city limits.

  • Corner lots must treat both street exposures as front yards.

  front setback: >= 36 feet (Measured from back of curb.) · interior-side-and-rear setback: >= 5 feet

  “Front - Thirty-Six (36) feet from back of curb.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 residential district within Reno city limits.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 35 percent (Applies to lot area covered by a building in residential use.)

  “The maximum percent of the lot area which may be covered by a building in residential use, shall be as follows:”

• Building heightSpecified

  R-1 residential district within Reno city limits.

  • The cited rule also applies to R-2 and R-3 residential zones.

  maximum building height: <= 2.5 stories

  “No building in a residential zone (R-1, R-2, R-3) shall have a height in excess of two and one-half (2-1/2) stories.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential building construction within Reno city limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences within Reno city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building construction within Reno city limits.
• Inspections — Residential construction within Reno city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings within Reno city limits.

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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