Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Martin County, Texas

Unincorporated Martin County appears not to require a general residential building permit; the available county information describes no county building-permit program¹. Inside Stanton, all construction must meet the city's adopted 2006 International Building Code, and a certificate of occupancy is required before moving in^4,5. Those city rules are not evidence of a county rule for unincorporated land⁴. Before relying on the rural answer for a particular tract, give the Martin County Judge's office the parcel location and ask whether any county approval applies⁸. Texas separately regulates covered industrialized housing and modules, but that program is not a general county inspection of every site-built rural home¹².

Martin County does not list a dedicated building or zoning department, so the County Judge's office is the practical first call for parcel-specific questions on unincorporated land⁸. Inside Stanton, the city sets building-code, occupancy and zoning rules, while septic permits stay with Martin County OSSF^4,5. Septic applications go to Martin County OSSF⁶. County-road access applications go to Commissioners' Court or the County Judge, while Martin County Road & Bridge handles county-road and right-of-way questions^7,8,13. The access permit has no fee, though the permit holder remains responsible for costs required under the policy⁷.

Martin County has adopted no county zoning ordinance for unincorporated land^2,9. The City of Stanton is different: its code divides the city into seven zoning districts, and changes go through the city's Planning and Zoning Commission^3,14. For unincorporated land, Martin County therefore sets no zoning-based minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setback, building-height limit, or lot-coverage rule; county zoning also does not restrict accessory dwellings, RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy, manufactured-home occupancy, or temporary camping⁹. That answer is limited to county zoning: deed restrictions, city jurisdiction, wastewater rules, road access, and floodplain requirements are separate. Agricultural or open-space appraisal is not a blanket exemption from every county rule; the relevant statutory protection concerns a narrow county-power provision with conditions that do not describe a general Martin County permit exemption¹⁵.

Martin County is the permitting authority for on-site sewage facilities, including new and modified residential, commercial, mobile-home, multifamily, and RV-park systems⁶. Submit the application, technical sheet, site evaluation, installer drawing, planning materials, directions, and fee; proprietary and non-standard systems require professional design⁶. A new residential permit costs $200, fees are non-refundable, and each re-inspection costs half the permit amount⁶. Wait for the Authorization to Construct before starting; it remains valid for one year⁶. Martin County requires an installation inspection before the system is covered; contact the office at least 24 hours ahead, and expect a Notice of Approval after a successful inspection⁶. A qualifying single-family tract of at least 10 acres may use the state permit exemption only when all stated siting and use conditions are met¹⁶. Private wells inside the Permian Basin Underground Water Conservation District need a registration for an exempt well rather than a drilling permit, at $200 per application under the District's 2025 rules; confirm whether your tract lies in the District¹¹. About 75.1% of county soils lack severe conventional drain-field limitations, but each site still needs evaluation^6,17.

Martin County zoning does not restrict RV, tiny-home, manufactured-home, or temporary-camping occupancy on your own unincorporated land⁹. That is not permission to dispose of wastewater without approval. An off-grid OSSF still requires a county permit and Authorization to Construct, site evaluation and planning materials, disclosure of wells and required separation distances, and inspection before the system is covered⁶. The county material does not confirm that every alternative sanitation method is allowed, so ask Martin County OSSF about any composting toilet, holding tank, graywater plan, or other setup that is not the permitted OSSF described in its application⁶.

1. Establish whether the tract is inside Stanton; city construction must meet the 2006 International Building Code and receive a certificate of occupancy before move-in^4,5.
2. For unincorporated land, ask the County Judge's office whether any parcel-specific county approval applies^1,8.
3. Plan wastewater with Martin County OSSF; submit the required application materials and site evaluation, and budget $200 for a new residential permit⁶.
4. Wait for the Authorization to Construct before septic work begins⁶.
5. Arrange the septic inspection at least 24 hours in advance and leave the system uncovered until it passes⁶.
6. For a county-road driveway, obtain the no-fee access permit through Commissioners' Court or the County Judge, then give 48 hours' notice before work^7,8.
7. For state-highway access, file TxDOT Form 1058 and wait for the executed permit before construction¹⁰.

Soils: about 75.1% of Martin County soils lack severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, but the county still requires a site evaluation^6,17. Terrain: 100% of county land is at a slope of 15% or less¹⁷. Water: severe drought occurs in about 36.7% of years, so verify well yield and water availability rather than assuming a rural tract can support irrigation or livestock¹⁷. Access: a county-road driveway needs a no-fee county permit, while state-highway access uses TxDOT Form 1058^7,10. Location: the nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 22 miles from the county center, and county density is about 5.7 people per square mile¹⁷. Taxes: the effective rate is about 0.9%, with a median annual bill near $1,434¹⁷.