Building permits, zoning and land rules in Llano County, Texas

Llano County's materials do not establish a general county building-code permit for every residential structure⁷. Development in a special flood-hazard area does require a floodplain development permit from the Llano County Floodplain Administrator before construction or other development begins, filed in duplicate on county forms with a site plan and base flood elevation information¹¹. Subdivision compliance may also apply to tract divisions outside municipal limits³. Development Services reviews proposed work against orders adopted by the Commissioners Court, and another local, county, state or federal approval may be needed before the county issues its permit¹. The City of Llano has adopted building codes, but those municipal codes do not establish a code requirement for unincorporated county land⁵. Send the parcel location and project details to Development Services before construction so the office can identify the development, floodplain, septic, plat or road-access approvals that apply^1,3.

Llano County Development Services is the first stop for development, floodplain, county-jurisdiction OSSF, road-cut, plat, RV park and addressing applications¹. The office is at 100 W Sandstone Street, Ste 200A, Llano, Texas 78643, and its phone number is 325-247-2039¹. Applications are available through the county's iWorQ citizen portal¹. The county asks applicants to allow 7-10 business days for a non-floodplain determination and says floodplain development, septic permits and commercial projects may take longer¹. We could not confirm a general structural building-inspection program or certificate-of-occupancy rule for unincorporated Llano County; ask Development Services what inspections and closeout documents apply to the project¹.

Unincorporated Llano County has no county zoning ordinance². As a result, county zoning does not set a minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setback, lot-coverage cap or building-height limit on unincorporated land⁸. County zoning also does not restrict accessory dwellings, RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy, manufactured-home occupancy or temporary camping there⁸. Other rules still matter: tract divisions are regulated, septic systems within county jurisdiction require approval, and special-flood-hazard development requires a permit^3,4,7. A narrow plat exception covers certain qualifying agricultural, farm, ranch, wildlife-management or timber-production land divisions, but it does not waive other county rules and platting applies if the qualifying use ends³. Land inside a municipality may face city rules: the City of Llano has adopted building codes, and the City of Horseshoe Bay administers its own zoning ordinance, including variances, for its part of Llano County^5,6. Septic permits for a city address can still come from the county where the city contracts with Llano County³.

Llano County is the OSSF authority outside incorporated cities except where an existing rule applies, and it also serves cities or towns that contract with the county⁴. Within that jurisdiction, an owner or agent must obtain authorization before construction, and the system requires a construction inspection¹². The county order says it permits and inspects systems regardless of tract size, so do not assume the state 10-acre exemption avoids county review⁴. LCRA instead inspects and permits systems within its jurisdiction near the Highland Lakes, so call its OSSF Program at 512-578-3216 when authority is unclear^4,13. Only 2.9% of Llano County soils lack severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so arrange a site evaluation early¹⁰. The published standard trench-and-tank fee is $225, but the dated schedule says fees can change; confirm the total before applying¹⁴.

County zoning does not restrict RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy, manufactured-home occupancy or temporary camping on unincorporated Llano County land⁸. County zoning also sets no minimum dwelling size for a tiny home there⁸. Still, the structure, site and wastewater plan may trigger separate development, floodplain or septic requirements^4,7. Development Services accepts applications for RV parks and manufactured-home rental communities, which are different from using a single RV or home on one parcel¹. Utilities may not serve a covered manufactured-home rental community until Development Services issues its certificate of compliance³. Before moving an RV or ordering a tiny home, give Development Services the parcel location, flood zone and wastewater proposal, and ask LCRA about OSSF jurisdiction near the Highland Lakes^1,13.

1. Ask Llano County Development Services which development approvals apply and whether the site is in a special flood-hazard area⁷.

1. Confirm whether Llano County or LCRA has OSSF jurisdiction, then arrange the required site evaluation and design^4,13.

1. Submit county applications through iWorQ and allow 7-10 business days for a non-floodplain determination, with more time for floodplain, septic or commercial review¹.

1. If the project divides land outside municipal limits, resolve platting and any agricultural exception before development³.

1. Obtain written county-commissioner permission before installing a driveway, curb cut, culvert or utility line on county right-of-way³. For state-highway access, submit Form 1058 to TxDOT and wait for the executed permit and required notice¹⁵.

1. Confirm any separate approvals because another local, county, state or federal review may be required¹.

Start with floodplain status, legal access, subdivision history and the correct septic authority because each can change the build plan before house design begins^3,4,7. Order septic feasibility work during the contract period: only 2.9% of county soils lack severe limitations for a conventional drain field¹⁰. Texas law lets a groundwater conservation district require a well permit, and whether a given well is exempt depends on that district's rules¹⁶. We could not confirm a county well-permit rule or countywide utility-connection requirement; ask Development Services and the parcel's water or groundwater authority before relying on an off-grid water plan³. Water reliability also deserves due diligence because annual precipitation is about 29.7 inches and severe drought occurs in 35.7% of years¹⁰. The published fee schedule lists $200 for a standard residential floodplain permit and warns that starting without the correct permit can double the fee; confirm current amounts with Development Services¹⁴.