Bolthole Index

Medina County, Texas

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Devine, Texas

Devine, Texas requires building permits for construction, alterations and changes of occupancy inside city limits.1 Devine administers its own zoning and floodplain development permits; Medina County handles septic regulation.234 Home-size and lot-size requirements depend on the city zoning district, so identify the district before choosing a house plan.5678

At a glance

Building permits
Required for construction, alterations and occupancy changes1
Zoning
City zoning; requirements vary by district2
Septic
Medina County regulates on-site sewage facilities4
Minimum home size
Class A: 750 sq ft; Class B: 600 sq ft, excluding porches and garages56
Minimum lot size
Class A: 9,000 sq ft, with exceptions; Class B: 5,000 sq ft78
Manufactured homes
Placement restricted by zoning; permits and utility arrangements required9
Floodplain development
Separate city approval required before floodplain development3

Who to call

Building permits

City of Devine Code Compliance Department

City building permits, zoning and setback questions, subdivision procedures and city floodplain development permits.

830-346-2915

[email protected]

303 South Teel Drive Devine, Texas 78016

Online permits →

Septic permits

Medina County Environmental Health Department

County on-site sewage facility permit applications and inspection arrangements.

(830) 741-6195

1502 Avenue K 2nd Floor Hondo, Texas 78861

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

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Do you need a building permit in Devine, TX?

Devine requires a construction permit to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish a building, or change its occupancy; regulated electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing work also falls within the city permit requirement.1 Devine requires plans and supporting documents to be approved and applicable fees paid before issuing the construction permit.10 Building inspections are required, and the final inspection must pass before occupancy.11 We could not confirm a general owner-builder exemption in Devine; ask Code Compliance about your proposed work before assuming that doing the construction yourself removes the permit requirement.12

Who issues building permits and answers zoning questions in Devine?

The City of Devine Code Compliance Department issues residential and commercial construction permits and floodplain development permits, and answers questions about property zoning, permitted uses and setbacks.12 Contact Code Compliance at 830-346-2915 or [email protected], or use the city’s linked application portal in the office listing.12 City building approval does not replace Medina County’s septic approval: Medina County is the authorized agent for on-site sewage facilities.4 For an address outside Devine city limits, consult the Medina County guide; the city and county land-use controls have different geographic scopes.213

Does Devine have zoning, minimum lot sizes and setbacks?

Devine has municipal zoning, with use and dimensional requirements that depend on the district.2 In Devine’s Class A Single-Family Residence District, the minimum building plot area is 9,000 square feet, subject to exceptions for previously recorded lots and a separate mobile-home provision.7 In the Class B Single-Family Residence District, the minimum building plot area is 5,000 square feet.8 Ask Devine Code Compliance to identify the parcel’s district, conforming uses and setbacks before laying out the home, driveway and wastewater facilities.12 Devine also regulates subdivision and lot-line changes through its subdivision ordinance.14

How do septic permits work inside Devine?

Medina County is the authorized agent for licensing and regulating on-site sewage facilities in the county.4 Medina County requires septic systems to be permitted and designed and installed by licensed individuals; either the owner or the designer/installer can obtain the septic permit from Environmental Health.15 The county publishes a $200 conventional septic permit fee and a $400 aerobic septic permit fee.16 Ask Devine Code Compliance about municipal sewer availability and any required connection before commissioning a septic design; we could not confirm the city’s mandatory-connection threshold.12 Do not assume Texas’s acreage-based septic exemption overrides Medina County’s requirement that all on-site sewage systems be permitted.1715

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

We could not confirm a general rule allowing RV living or temporary camping on a private residential lot in Devine; ask Code Compliance about the parcel’s zoning and the proposed occupancy.12 Devine’s district home-size requirements still matter when considering a small house: Class A requires at least 750 square feet and Class B at least 600 square feet, excluding porches and garages.56 District K garden homes require at least 1,600 square feet of heated and air-conditioned living space.18 Manufactured-home placement has separate zoning, permit and utility requirements, with no more than 1 home per lot unless developed as a manufactured-home park.9

Building a home in Devine: what are the steps, in order?

  1. Ask Devine Code Compliance to confirm the parcel’s zoning, allowed use and setbacks; resolve any subdivision or lot-line changes before finalizing the layout.1214
  2. Resolve wastewater service with the city and, where septic is proposed, Medina County Environmental Health; the county requires licensed septic design and installation.1215
  3. Submit building plans and documents, obtain approval and pay applicable fees before the city issues the construction permit; obtain a separate city floodplain development permit where applicable.103
  4. Arrange construction inspections and Public Works inspections for driveways, curb cuts, culverts and city utility work; pass the final building inspection before occupancy.1119

Watch-outs

  • Devine’s floodplain development permit is independent of other required approvals and must be issued before development begins in the floodplain.3
  • Devine requires a separate excavation permit for digging over 16 inches deep, including work for fences, mailboxes and trees; the permit is free and requires a notification-center confirmation number.12
  • We could not confirm whether Devine allows a private well or off-grid sanitation at a particular city address; ask Code Compliance and Medina County Environmental Health before buying equipment.1216

Sources

  1. Code Compliance – City of Devine, Texas (Devine), quoted and re-checked
  2. Class B Single-Family Residence District, use regulation (Devine), quoted and re-checked
  3. Code Compliance – Floodplain Management (Devine), quoted and re-checked
  4. Medina County Subdivision Rules and Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  5. Class A Single-Family Residence District, area regulations (Devine), quoted and re-checked
  6. Class B Single-Family Residence District, area regulations (Devine), quoted and re-checked
  7. Class A Single-Family Residence District, area regulations (Devine), quoted and re-checked
  8. Class B Single-Family Residence District, area regulations (Devine), quoted and re-checked
  9. Requirements for Placement of Manufactured Homes (Devine), quoted and re-checked
  10. Code Compliance – City of Devine, Texas (Devine), quoted and re-checked
  11. Adopted Codes and Building Requirements (Devine), quoted and re-checked
  12. City of Devine Code Compliance Department (cityofdevine.org)
  13. Medina County Hazard Mitigation Action Plan, quoted and re-checked
  14. Devine Citizens Guide A-Z, Subdivisions (Devine), quoted and re-checked
  15. What Type of Permits Are Required In Medina County?, quoted and re-checked
  16. Medina County Environmental Health Department (medinatx.gov)
  17. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. District K Garden Home Residential District, area regulations (Devine), quoted and re-checked
  19. Adopted Codes and Building Requirements (Devine), 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 Devine

Devine’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, occupancy changes, and regulated building systems inside Devine city limits.

    • Plans and material statements must be submitted to the building inspector; permit fees apply; work must comply with city ordinances and state law.
    “Construction Permits are required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted building construction inside Devine city limits.

    • Inspection requests received by 5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday are performed the next business day; building construction inspections are called to Bureau Veritas; final inspection must precede permanent power release and occupancy; permits and approved plans must be on site.
    “The final inspection must be passed prior to occupancy of building.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Devine city limits; the adopted code contains municipal zoning districts and use regulations.

    • District-specific use and dimensional regulations apply.
    “The City of Devine has established zoning regulations”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Class A Single-Family Residence District.

    • The minimum excludes porches and garages.

    minimum dwelling size: >= 750 square feet (Excludes porches and garages)

    “No house shall be constructed containing less than 750 square feet exclusive of porches and garages.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Class A Single-Family Residence District.

    • Pre-existing approved and recorded lots before January 13, 1959 may be used notwithstanding the area minimum; mobile-home placement has a separate 7,500-square-foot minimum.

    minimum building plot area: >= 9000 square feet (Pre-existing recorded lots and separate mobile-home rule in Sec. 3(4)(b))

    “The minimum building plot area shall contain 9,000 square feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured-home placement inside Devine city limits.

    • The site must be zoned B Single Family Residence District or greater; no more than one manufactured home is allowed per lot; multiple homes require a manufactured-home park; lot size and setbacks depend on zoning; permits, fees, taps, and utility deposits are required; skirting is required within 60 days.

    manufactured homes per lot: <= 1 home (Multiple manufactured homes require development as a Manufactured Home Park) · skirting deadline: 60 days (After placement within the zoning jurisdiction)

    “No more than one (1) manufactured home shall be permitted on one (1) lot.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision, platting, lot-line relocation, and lot-layout changes inside Devine city limits; the same ordinance also applies within one-half mile in the ETJ.

    • Contact the City Code Compliance Department for subdivision information.

    ETJ extension: 0.5 mile (Outside city limits in the ETJ)

    “The Subdivision Ordinance of the City of Devine applies to all land within the city limits or within ½ mile of the city limits”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Driveways, curb cuts, and culverts associated with construction or improvements inside Devine city limits.

    • Public Works inspections are required for driveways, curb cuts, culverts, streets, sidewalks, and utilities dedicated to the City; the reviewed material does not establish a universal driveway-width rule.
    “Inspections for driveways, curb cuts, culverts”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Any development in the floodplain inside Devine city limits.

    • The permit is independent of other required permits; development includes any man-made change to real property, including construction, excavation, and storage of material.
    “The City requires a Floodplain Development Permit to be issued prior to beginning any “development.””
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    City permit and inspection process inside Devine city limits.

    • Applications and forms are published online; plans and documents must be approved and applicable fees paid before permit issuance; contractor licensure is required where applicable; inspections are required before occupancy.
    “all plans and documents related to the permit application must be approved by the Building Department and all applicable fees paid”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions from Devine building-permit or inspection requirements.
  • Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Devine city limits.
  • Building height — Building height inside Devine city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Devine city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Devine city limits.
8 more unanswered
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • 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 Devine publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Medina County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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