Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Riesel, Texas

Riesel’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New residential and commercial construction inside Riesel city limits

  • Water/sewer availability must be confirmed and any required platting completed first.
  • Requirements may vary with location, project type, and city limits versus ETJ.

  “construction may not begin until the building permit has been reviewed, approved, and issued.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Riesel city

  • Edition of the adopted codes is not stated in the readable sources; Ordinance 2022-02 (building codes & inspections) PDF returned no readable text.

  “2015-01 international building code adoption 2015-02 international electric code adoption 2015-03 international residential code adoption”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Riesel city limits

  • Inspections are requested by the applicant on the city's inspection request forms.

  “required inspections must be scheduled as construction progresses.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings inside Riesel city limits

  • The page says 'when applicable'; the zoning ordinance title also provides for certificates of occupancy and compliance.

  “the building may not be occupied or placed into use until all required inspections have been completed and final approval or a certificate of occupancy has been issued, when applicable.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Riesel city limits (McLennan County, TX)

  • Ordinance 2026-04 repealed and replaced Ordinance 2026-02.
  • Administered by the city secretary as administrative official; city council acts as planning and zoning commission; board of adjustment hears appeals.

  “the city council finds that public health, safety, welfare, and aesthetic concerns create the need to enact zoning regulations applicable within the city;”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Riesel city limits

  • Recitals say thirteen districts; Section 3 says twelve. Districts named: AG, R-1, SF-TH, MH-1, MH-2, TF, MF-1, MF-2, C-1, C-2, CBRD, I-1, PD.
  • Zoning map is Exhibit B to the ordinance.

  “establishes regulations governing land use and development within thirteen distinct zoning districts identified therein as the agricultural district (ag), single family residential (r-1), single family residential - townhomes (sf-th), manufactured home district (mh-1), manufactured home park district (mh-2)”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  AG agricultural district inside Riesel city

  • Appendix 1 table columns are in order ag, r-1, sf-th, tf, mh-1, mh-2, mf-1, mf-2; AG is the first column.
  • Minimum lot width 75 ft, depth 120 ft.

  minimum lot area: >= 43560 sq ft

  “lot area (sq. feet) 43,560 8,800 12,000 7,200 (e) 6,000 5,000 43,560 32,670 min. lot width (feet) 75 55 100 55 50 50 100 100 min. lot depth (feet) 120 120 160 120 120 120 120 120”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 single-family residential district inside Riesel city

  • Interior side yard cell for R-1 is garbled in the extracted text ('(10)'); not stated here, flagged for review.
  • Corner-lot street side 15 ft.
  • Rear yard is subject to footnote (d).

  front yard setback: >= 25 ft · rear yard setback: >= 25 ft (footnote (d)) · corner lot street side setback: >= 15 ft

  “side yard setback, corner lot, street side (feet) 25 15 10 10 15 15 15 15 rear yard setback (feet) (d) 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 front yard setback (feet) 35 25 25 25 25 25 25 25”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — AG agricultural district inside Riesel city

    “rear yard setback (feet) (d) 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 front yard setback (feet) 35 25 25 25 25 25 25 25”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  AG agricultural district inside Riesel city

  • Section 36.008 separately limits accessory/agricultural buildings to 10% of gross tract area.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 40 percent

  “max. lot coverage (%) 40% 45% 60% 50% 60% 50% 40% 50%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single-family residential district inside Riesel city

    “max. lot coverage (%) 40% 45% 60% 50% 60% 50% 40% 50%”

• Building heightSpecified

  AG agricultural district inside Riesel city

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft

  “maximum height (feet) 35 35 35 35 35 35 45 45”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-1 single-family residential district inside Riesel city

    “maximum height (feet) 35 35 35 35 35 35 45 45”

• Living in an RVLimited

  RVs on residential lots (R-1) inside Riesel city

  • Only RV storage is permitted in R-1, and not as a second dwelling unit.
  • Section on RV parking/storage on private property: no utilities connected except temporary electrical for loading and unloading; no RV in front of the front setback or front façade; at least 5 ft from a side building line.
  • The development page links an item titled 'RV's prohibited as residence'; its PDF returned no readable text, so it is not cited.
  • Travel trailer/overnight camping parks are specific-use-permit uses in MH-2.

  “recreational vehicle storage is allowed when such vehicles are behind the front façade of the principal residential structure on a permanent concrete or asphalt surface and as long as the vehicle is not used as a second dwelling unit on said lot.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  HUD-code manufactured homes in the MH-1 manufactured home district inside Riesel city

  • MH-1 uses are those listed in Appendix 2 of the ordinance and some require a specific use permit under Sec. 36.025.
  • MH-1 requires two covered, enclosed parking spaces per unit behind the front yard line.
  • Separate city HUD-code manufactured home regulations (Ordinances 2013-01 and 2013-02) were not readable and are not cited.

  “manufactured housing design and construction will comply with construction and safety standards published by the department of housing and urban development pursuant to the requirements of the national mobile home and safety standards act of 1974 and all manufactured homes will be subject to”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land inside Riesel city limits that is unplatted or being divided, combined, or reconfigured

  • Plat application, plat drawing, fee and professional-services deposit are required, and an application is not complete until all are received.
  • The plat must be approved, and recorded when required, before a building permit can be issued.
  • The subdivision ordinance was amended and restated as Ordinance 2026-05.

  “property may need to be platted or replatted if it is currently unplatted or if lots are being divided, combined, or reconfigured.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Development and building permits inside Riesel city limits

  • Sequence: confirm water and sewer availability (hydraulic investigation, about three weeks residential, four weeks commercial), plat if required, building permit, inspections and final approval or certificate of occupancy, then water and sewer taps.
  • Applications go to the city secretary at citysecretary@cityofriesel.org, 254-896-6501 ext. 3.
  • City provides residential and commercial permit applications, guidelines and checklists.

  “once utility availability has been confirmed and all required platting has been completed, submit the appropriate residential or commercial building permit application.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built homes inside Riesel city
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Riesel city
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes inside Riesel city
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Riesel city
• Who permits septic — On-site sewage facilities inside Riesel city

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.