Bolthole Index

McLennan County, Texas

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in McGregor, Texas

McGregor, Texas has a city building-permit application process and adopted building codes; start with Community Development for a proposed home or remodel.12 McGregor also sets zoning inside city limits.3 For property in McLennan County, the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District administers the septic program for the county’s cities.4

At a glance

Building applications
City application and plans required for submittal1
Zoning
City zoning; standards depend on the parcel’s district3
Septic authority
Waco-McLennan County Public Health District serves cities in McLennan County4
Manufactured homes
HUD-Code manufactured homes restricted to the MH district5
Accessory dwellings
Accessory structures cannot be separate dwellings in residential and business districts6
Minimum home size
R-20 single-family dwellings need at least 2,000 square feet7

Who to call

Building permits

City of McGregor Community Development and Permitting

City building applications and planning/zoning inquiries

(254) 840-2806

[email protected]

302 S Madison St McGregor, Texas 76657

Septic permits

Waco-McLennan County Public Health District, OSSF Program

Septic applications, inspections and system questions for McLennan County and its cities

(254) 299-2473

401 Franklin Avenue - Mae Jackson Development Center - 1st Floor

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in McGregor, Texas?

McGregor publishes a building-permit application covering residential and commercial projects, with separate plan requirements for new houses, remodels and additions.1 McGregor has adopted the 2015 International Building Code and International Residential Code, subject to local amendments.2 Ask Community Development which building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical applications apply to the proposed work.8 We could not confirm a general McGregor owner-builder exemption or the complete inspection and certificate-of-occupancy requirements; ask city Permitting before scheduling construction or moving in.8

Who handles building applications and zoning questions in McGregor?

McGregor’s Community Development and Permitting office is the city contact for building applications and planning or zoning questions.8 Use the permitting email listed in the office contact card and ask for the current application and submission instructions.8 The published McGregor application says incomplete submissions will not be processed and requires a complete residential new-house plan set including a site plan, foundation plan and REScheck or third-party documentation.1 City building review and septic review have different contacts: the Health District administers the OSSF program for cities in McLennan County.4

Does McGregor have zoning, minimum lot sizes and setbacks?

McGregor has city zoning, so confirm the parcel’s district before choosing a house plan.3 McGregor’s R-10 district requires a minimum lot area of 10,000 square feet, while R-7.2 requires 7,200 square feet.910 The R-20 district requires a single-family dwelling floor area of at least 2,000 square feet.7 In R-6, the front setback is 25 feet and the main-building rear setback is 20 feet; the interior side yard also depends on lot width, and the street-side yard has a separate standard.11 These are district-specific examples, not citywide dimensions.3

How do septic permits work inside McGregor?

For McGregor property in McLennan County, contact the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District’s OSSF Program about septic approval; its program covers cities in the county.4 Texas generally requires a septic permit and approved plan before constructing, altering or operating an on-site sewage facility.12 The Health District says system suitability depends on soil, site features and intended use, so settle wastewater feasibility before committing to a house layout.4 McLennan County’s soil data rates only 4.4% of soils not limited for conventional drain fields; that countywide rating does not rule out septic on a particular lot, but supports getting a site evaluation.13

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in McGregor?

We could not confirm private-lot RV living or tiny-home occupancy in McGregor; ask Community Development about the proposed dwelling and the parcel’s zoning before buying or placing a unit.8 McGregor’s accessory-structure rule prohibits using accessory structures as dwellings in residential and business districts, so a backyard structure is not automatically a lawful separate home.6 HUD-Code manufactured homes must be in the MH district, where the minimum lot area is 7,500 square feet and minimum unit size is 1,200 square feet.5 McGregor’s overnight-camping restriction applies to city parks, with an exception for designated camping areas; it does not answer private-lot RV occupancy.14

What are the steps before building a home in McGregor?

  1. Ask McGregor Community Development to confirm the parcel’s zoning district and proposed use.3
  2. Prepare the city’s required application and residential plans, including site and foundation plans and energy-compliance documentation.1
  3. If the site needs septic, contact the Health District about the site evaluation, system design and septic application before installation.412
  4. Ask city Permitting for the required inspections and occupancy approvals; we could not confirm the complete schedule.8

For land outside McGregor city limits, use the McLennan County guide: the county’s residential-construction notice and inspection process applies to unincorporated land, rather than replacing McGregor’s city application process.151

Watch-outs

  • McGregor’s MH standards apply to manufactured housing in that district; do not treat those dimensions as the rules for every residential lot.5
  • We could not confirm McGregor’s floodplain-development, well-permit or general driveway requirements; ask Community Development which office must review the specific parcel.8
  • The Health District’s current fee schedule lists a single-family aerobic septic permit and inspection fee of $710; confirm the full application cost with the OSSF Program.4

Sources

  1. Community Development: Planning, Zoning & Building Permits (McGregor), quoted and re-checked
  2. § 12-72 International building codes adopted; amendments (McGregor), quoted and re-checked
  3. Ordinance No. O-11-2023 (McGregor), quoted and re-checked
  4. Waco-McLennan County Public Health District, OSSF Program (waco-texas.com)
  5. § 3.10 MH Hud-Code Manufactured Housing (McGregor), quoted and re-checked
  6. § 4.6 Accessory structures and uses regulations (McGregor), quoted and re-checked
  7. § 3.4 R-20 Single-Family Residential (McGregor), quoted and re-checked
  8. City of McGregor Community Development and Permitting (cityofmcgregor.com)
  9. library.municode.com (McGregor), quoted and re-checked
  10. library.municode.com (McGregor), quoted and re-checked
  11. § 3.7 R-6 Single Family Residential (McGregor), quoted and re-checked
  12. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. 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
  14. § 38-82 Overnight camping (McGregor), quoted and re-checked
  15. Residential Building Requirements, quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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 McGregor

McGregor’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction, alteration, removal, demolition, equipment use, occupancy, location, and maintenance of buildings and structures inside McGregor city limits.

    • The adopted code is subject to the listed local amendments and deletions.

    IBC edition: 2015 (local amendments apply) · IRC edition: 2015 (local amendments apply)

    “There are hereby adopted for the purpose of establishing rules and regulations for the construction, alteration, removal, demolition, equipment use and occupancy”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside McGregor city limits.

    • The city maintains a zoning ordinance and zoning districts; district-specific controls apply by parcel.
    “The City Council hereby amends Article 3, Section 3.2 of the Zoning Ordinance of the City of McGregor”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside McGregor city limits.

    • The opened code publishes district-specific standards for R-20, R-10, R-7.2, R-6, MD, and MH districts; the complete district map and all zoning districts were not exhaustively reviewed.
    “The purpose of the "R-10" Single Family Residential District is to provide for compatible land, building, and structure uses”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwellings in the R-20 district.

    minimum floor area: >= 2000 sq. ft.

    “Height (Max.) 35 feet Floor Area (Min.) 2,000 sq. ft.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Lots in the R-10 district.

    minimum lot area: >= 10000 sq. ft.

    “Lot Area (Min.) 10,000 sq. ft Lot Width (Min.) 80 feet Lot Depth (Min.) 125 feet”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Lots in the R-7.2 district.
      “Lot Area (Min.) 7,200 sq. ft Lot Width (Min.) 60 feet Lot Depth (Min.) 100 feet”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwellings in the R-6 district.

    front setback: >= 25 feet · side setback: >= 5 feet (interior side yard is 10% of lot width; street lot line is 15 feet) · rear setback: >= 20 feet (main building; accessory building is 5 feet)

    “Front Yard Setback (Min.) 25 feet Side Yard Setback (Min.) 5 feet [...] Rear Yard Setback (Min.) Main Building 20 feet”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Accessory structures in McGregor zoning districts.

    • The limit is stated for the area of the rear yard, not as a total-lot impervious or building-coverage limit.

    maximum accessory-structure coverage of rear yard: <= 30 percent

    “Not cover more than thirty (30) percent of the area of the rear yard.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Buildings in the R-10 district.

    maximum height: <= 35 feet

    “Height (Max.) 35 feet Floor Area (Min.) 1,600 sq. ft.”
  • Camping on your landProhibited

    Overnight camping in McGregor city parks.

    • Camping is allowed only in an area designated by the parks and recreation department as an overnight camping area.
    “It shall be unlawful for any person to camp overnight in any park except in an area designated by the parks and recreation department”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    HUD-Code manufactured homes inside McGregor city limits.

    • A HUD-Code manufactured home must be located on a parcel or lot within the MH District.
    • MH District development standards include 7,500-square-foot minimum lot size, 25-foot front yard, 8-foot interior side yard, 25-foot rear yard, 35-foot maximum height, and 1,200-square-foot minimum unit size.

    MH minimum lot size: >= 7500 sq. ft. · MH maximum height: <= 35 feet · MH minimum unit size: >= 1200 sq. ft.

    “No HUD-Code manufactured home shall be allowed on any parcel or lot except on parcels or lots within the "MH" District.”
  • Accessory dwellingsProhibited

    Accessory structures used as separate dwellings in McGregor residential and business zoning districts.

    • The cited rule concerns accessory structures and uses; other principal dwelling classifications may be governed separately.
    “Not be used for dwelling, business, or commercial purposes.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building-permit applications inside McGregor city limits.

    • Applications must contain all required information.
    • Permit and inspection requests must be emailed to [email protected].
    • Residential new-house submissions require one complete plan set including site plan, foundation plan, and REScheck or third party.
    • Commercial new-building submissions require three complete sets and one digital set.
    “ALL information is required for submittal (Incomplete application WILL NOT be processed)”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions from McGregor building-permit or contractor requirements.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside McGregor city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside McGregor city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside McGregor city limits.
  • Who permits septic — On-site sewage systems inside McGregor city limits.
7 more unanswered
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 McGregor publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. McLennan County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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