Bolthole Index

Martin County, Texas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Stanton, Texas

Stanton, Texas, in Martin County, has its own zoning ordinance for land inside city limits1, and the City of Stanton publishes permit fees and applications through City Hall2. Septic permits for Martin County come from the county's on-site sewage program3, and we could not confirm who covers addresses inside the city. Outside city limits, Martin County has no zoning ordinance4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, the city has a zoning ordinance for land inside city limits1
Building permit
The city publishes permit fees and applications; call City Hall for what your project needs2
RV living
Only in a mobile home park or recreational vehicle park5
Septic
Martin County runs the on-site sewage permit program; confirm coverage inside the city3
Water service
Residences inside city limits must use the city water system6
Driveways
No charge for concrete work such as driveways, per the city2
Owner-builder
State exemptions cover owner-performed electrical work on a home the owner lives in7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Stanton (City Hall)

City permit fees, permit and variance applications, and zoning amendment requests for land inside Stanton city limits

432-756-3301

[email protected]

P O Box 370, Stanton TX 79782-0370

Septic permits

Martin County OSSF

Martin County on-site sewage facility (septic) permits and Authorizations to Construct

[email protected]

P.O. Box 1330, Stanton, TX 79782-1330

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

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Stanton, Texas have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and lot rules?

Yes. The City of Stanton has adopted a zoning ordinance, Article 9.04 of its code, that applies to land inside city limits1. The city is divided into seven zoning districts, each shown on the Zoning District Map that is part of the article8.

Dimensional rules depend on the district. In the Single-Family-1 district, a main building may not exceed two and one-half stories or 35 feet, and back-yard accessory buildings built after the ordinance are limited to 12 feet to the roof peak9. We could not confirm a minimum dwelling size or a numeric lot-coverage limit8.

RVs are the sharp edge. Under Stanton's code, a unit other than a mobile home may be occupied on private property only in a mobile home park or recreational vehicle park5. A camping or vacation trailer used as regular sleeping or living quarters inside the city must be designated as a mobile home10. We could not confirm any rule on tiny homes, so ask City Hall before planning one2.

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

The City of Stanton, not Martin County, is the office to call for building work inside city limits. The city's site says it now charges permit fees and variance fees, and it offers downloadable permit, contractor and variance applications2. The same page says the city charges nothing for concrete work such as curbs and driveways2.

The zoning article directs the building inspector to make the inspections needed to confirm compliance with the zoning article11. We could not confirm a general residential building-permit rule or a certificate-of-occupancy procedure in the city code, so ask City Hall which permits your project needs before you pour a slab or order a house2. Zoning-related fee amounts are not listed in the code, which refers to a fee established by the city12.

Projects in a mapped floodplain add another step: floodplain development permit applications go to the floodplain administrator on city-supplied forms13. Owner-builders should know that Texas exempts an owner from state electrician licensing for work on a dwelling the owner owns and lives in, but that is a licensing exemption, not a waiver of local permits or inspections14.

How do septic permits work in Stanton, Texas?

Martin County runs the on-site sewage facility program as a TCEQ-authorized agent, and the application is a county document3. A septic permit is required for new, modified, residential, commercial, mobile-home, multifamily and RV-park installations covered by that application, and construction can begin only after the Authorization to Construct is issued15. The county lists a $200 fee for new residential installations16, and the installation must be inspected before it is covered17.

We could not confirm whether the county program handles addresses inside Stanton city limits or whether the city has its own sewer service or septic rules. Call the Martin County OSSF office and City Hall before you buy182.

On a tract of at least 10 acres, Texas can exempt a single-family system from permitting if every TCEQ condition is met, including a site evaluation and a 100-foot distance from the property line19. A city lot will not qualify.

What water service do you need in Stanton?

Residences, businesses and other entities inside Stanton city limits are required to use the city's water system, and every connection except fire hydrants must be metered by a city-approved, city-installed meter6. We could not confirm a rule on private wells inside the city, so a private well on a city lot should be cleared with City Hall first2.

Outside the city, the Permian Basin Underground Water Conservation District requires a well registration for an exempt water well, and the district charges a $200 application fee under its January 1, 2025 rules20.

Building a home in Stanton: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot is inside Stanton city limits, then check its zoning district on the Zoning District Map8.
  2. Call City Hall at 432-756-3301 for the permit application and fees, and ask about a certificate of occupancy2.
  3. If the lot does not fit the district's rules, ask about a variance application, which the city offers2.
  4. Plan for one off-street parking space per dwelling, connected to a street or alley by an all-weather driveway21.
  5. Arrange city water service, since the city requires connection to its system6.
  6. Ask City Hall and the Martin County OSSF office how wastewater is handled at your address18.
  7. Check whether the lot is in a floodplain before you design the foundation13.

What stays with Martin County, and what to check before you buy

Land outside Stanton city limits is a different case. Unincorporated Martin County has adopted no county zoning ordinance, so no county rule sets minimum lot size, setbacks or RV occupancy there4. Our Martin County page covers that land.

A driveway onto a Martin County road needs a county access permit through the Commissioners' Court or County Judge, and the county charges no fee for it2223. A driveway onto a state highway needs a TxDOT permit on Form 105824.

For context, Martin County's effective property tax rate is about 0.9%25, and the typical home value is about $265,11526. Annual precipitation is about 15.8 inches, so water supply and drought deserve a look27.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm a general residential building-permit rule, certificate-of-occupancy procedure or owner-builder exemption inside Stanton city limits; call City Hall at 432-756-3301 before you start work2.
  • RV living on a private lot in Stanton is limited to mobile home parks and recreational vehicle parks, so do not assume you can park an RV on a vacant lot5.
  • We could not confirm who issues septic permits for addresses inside Stanton city limits; ask the Martin County OSSF office and City Hall182.
  • Martin County's rules on zoning, subdivision platting and driveways apply to land outside city limits, not to a Stanton city lot4.

Sources

  1. ARTICLE 9.04: ZONING - City of Stanton, TX (Stanton), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Stanton (City Hall) (cityofstantontx.com)
  3. Martin County On-Site Sewage Facility Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
  4. Texas law on county zoning and building authority
  5. ARTICLE 9.04: ZONING - City of Stanton, TX (Stanton), quoted and re-checked
  6. ARTICLE 12.05: WATER SERVICE - City of Stanton, TX (Stanton), quoted and re-checked
  7. Exemptions to Electrician Licensing (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. ARTICLE 9.04: ZONING - City of Stanton, TX (Stanton), quoted and re-checked
  9. ARTICLE 9.04: ZONING - City of Stanton, TX (Stanton), quoted and re-checked
  10. ARTICLE 9.04: ZONING - City of Stanton, TX (Stanton), quoted and re-checked
  11. ARTICLE 9.04: ZONING - City of Stanton, TX (Stanton), quoted and re-checked
  12. ARTICLE 9.04: ZONING - City of Stanton, TX (Stanton), quoted and re-checked
  13. ARTICLE 4.05: FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION - City of Stanton, TX (Stanton), quoted and re-checked
  14. Exemptions to Electrician Licensing (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Martin County On-Site Sewage Facility Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
  16. Martin County On-Site Sewage Facility Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
  17. Martin County On-Site Sewage Facility Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
  18. Martin County OSSF (martincountytx.com)
  19. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Well Permitting & Completion, quoted and re-checked
  21. ecode360.com (Stanton), quoted and re-checked
  22. Policy for Installation on County Rights-of-Way: Residential Access Driveways, quoted and re-checked
  23. Policy for Installation on County Rights-of-Way: Residential Access Driveways, quoted and re-checked
  24. Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  26. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  27. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data

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 Stanton

Stanton’s own rules

  • InspectionsLimited

    Compliance with Stanton's zoning article inside city limits.

    • The provision is limited to inspections needed to determine compliance with Article 9.04.
    “The building inspector or other authorized representative shall make the necessary inspections to determine compliance with this article.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Stanton city limits.

    • Uses and buildings placed in use after adoption must conform to Article 9.04.
    “Editor's note–This article consists of the zoning ordinance of the city”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Stanton city limits.

    • District boundaries are on the Zoning District Map, which is part of Article 9.04.

    zoning districts: SF-1; SF-2; MF; LR; GC; I; PL

    “The City of Stanton, Texas shall be divided into seven (7) zoning districts.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational-vehicle living or sleeping use inside Stanton city limits.

    • A unit other than a mobile home may be occupied on private property only in a mobile-home park or recreational-vehicle park.
    • parameters not applicable
    “on any private property within the city other than a mobile home park or recreational vehicle park.”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Camping or vacation trailers used as living quarters inside Stanton city limits.

    • The code defines a camping or vacation trailer as temporary quarters while occupants are on a trip or vacation; regular city sleeping or living use must be designated as a mobile home.
    “If such a trailer is used within the city as regular sleeping or living quarters, it must be designated as a mobile home.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater (with conditions)

    All residences, commercial businesses, and other entities inside Stanton city limits.

    • Every connection, except fire hydrants, must be metered by a city-approved and city-installed meter.
    “All residences, commercial businesses, and all other entities located within the city limits are required to use the city's water system facility.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Zoning-related fees under Stanton's zoning ordinance.

    • The code publication replaced enumerated fee amounts with the phrase quoted below; no current fee schedule was retrieved.
    “At the direction of the city, fee amounts have been replaced by the language "a fee as established by the city".”
  • Permit processPartial

    Floodplain development inside Stanton city limits.

    • Applications are on forms supplied by the floodplain administrator and may require duplicate-scale plans and specified elevation, floodproofing, engineering, and drainage information.
    “Application for a development permit shall be presented to the floodplain administrator on forms furnished by him/her”

Rules another office applies inside Stanton

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

  • Building heightSpecified

    Single-Family-1 District inside Stanton city limits.

    • Back-yard accessory buildings constructed after the ordinance are limited to 12 feet overall height to roof peak.

    main-building maximum height: <= 35 feet (Also limited to two and one-half stories.)

    “No main building shall exceed two and one-half (2-1/2) stories or thirty-five (35) feet in height.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Required off-street parking serving dwellings in the SF-1 district.

    • Each dwelling unit requires at least one off-street parking space; the code definition requires an all-weather-surface driveway connecting the parking space to a public street or alley.
    “There shall be a minimum of one (1) off-street parking space for each dwelling unit.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — General residential construction inside Stanton city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside Stanton city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of structures inside Stanton city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential districts inside Stanton city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Residential zoning districts inside Stanton city limits.
8 more unanswered
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Stanton publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Martin County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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