Bolthole Index

Montague County, Texas

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Bowie, Texas

Bowie, Texas issues building permits for homes inside city limits and applies its own zoning districts.12 Montague County handles septic approval for Bowie properties using an on-site sewage facility.3 Bowie’s minimum dwelling sizes depend on the zoning district, so a tiny-home plan needs district-specific review.45

At a glance

Building permits
City building office issues residential building permits1
Zoning
City zoning districts apply inside Bowie2
Septic approval
Montague County Sewage Inspector3
Minimum dwelling size
SF-R: 1,000 square feet; A Agricultural: 1,500 square feet, excluding garages45
New-home building permit fee
$400; plan review and inspections cost extra6
RV placement
Special floodplain conditions apply; private-lot residential occupancy needs city confirmation72
Septic lot size
Current county process states 2 acres with public water or a private well per single-family residence8

Who to call

Building permits

Bowie Building Permits and Inspections Department

City building permits, construction inspections, plan review and certificates of occupancy

940-872-1114 Ext. 131

307 N. Mason St. Bowie, TX 76230

Zoning

Bowie Planning & Zoning

City zoning applications, site plans, rezoning and zoning or floodplain certification

940-872-1114 Ext. 131

307 N. Mason St. Bowie, TX 76230

Septic permits

Montague County Sewage Inspector

County on-site sewage facility program

940-531-2179

Septic permits

Montague County OSSF Permit Process

County septic application requirements, minimum lot size and construction approval

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

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Do you need a building permit in Bowie, TX?

Bowie’s Building Permits and Inspections Department issues residential building permits, reviews plans and conducts construction inspections inside the city.1 Bowie has adopted the 2018 International Residential Code, including the listed appendices.9 For a new home, Bowie’s published building permit fee is $400; when plan review is required, the plan-review fee equals the building permit fee and is charged in addition.6 Inspection fees are $25 each, and the certificate-of-occupancy inspection fee is $75.6 Ask the city building office to identify the required reviews and inspections for your proposed home before setting the construction budget.1

Who is the Bowie building department, and how do you reach it?

Contact Bowie’s Building Permits and Inspections Department at 940-872-1114 Ext. 131 or visit 307 N. Mason St. Bowie, TX 76230.1 The city department reviews building plans, issues building permits and certificate-of-occupancy permits, and works directly with the Planning and Zoning Commission.1 Bowie’s Planning & Zoning office uses the same city address and telephone contact for zoning matters.10 Septic approval remains a separate county task: contact the Montague County Sewage Inspector at 940-531-2179 for an on-site sewage facility.311 Bring the city your proposed use and home plans; ask the county sewage office about wastewater design if the property will use septic.112

Does Bowie have zoning, minimum lot sizes and home-size limits?

Bowie has city zoning districts, and the district assigned to a property controls the applicable dimensional rules.2 In Bowie’s SF-R Single Family Residential District, the minimum dwelling size is 1,000 square feet excluding garages, and maximum lot coverage by structures is 40%.413 In Bowie’s A Agricultural District, the minimum dwelling size is 1,500 square feet excluding garages.5 For public-sewer properties, the listed minimum lot areas are 6,500 square feet in SF-R and 2 acres in A Agricultural; properties using private sewer systems must meet applicable state private-sewer standards.1415 Ask Bowie Planning & Zoning to confirm the parcel’s district, setbacks and proposed use before choosing a house footprint.210

How do septic permits work inside Bowie?

Montague County handles on-site sewage facility approval for Bowie properties using septic.3 The county’s current OSSF permit process states a minimum lot size of 2 acres with public water or a private well per single-family residence.8 County applications require a site and soil evaluation, approved system design, and a plat or survey; conventional residential septic permits cost $410 and aerobic septic permits cost $510.12 Aerobic systems also require a licensed maintenance-provider service contract and a certified notarized affidavit filed with the County Clerk.12 Do not install any system parts before county approval, and arrange inspection after installation but before covering the system.816 Texas’s conditional 10-acre exemption is not automatic; ask the county sewage office whether the exemption applies under its local requirements.17

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Bowie?

Bowie’s SF-R minimum dwelling size of 1,000 square feet excluding garages and A Agricultural minimum of 1,500 square feet are direct constraints on a tiny home proposed in those districts.45 Ask Bowie Planning & Zoning whether the proposed dwelling and use fit the parcel’s district before buying a small home.2 For RVs placed in the flood-hazard zones covered by Bowie’s ordinance, the RV must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or satisfy the specified floodplain permit, elevation and anchoring requirements.7 That floodplain provision does not establish permission to live in an RV on an ordinary private lot; ask the city zoning office about residential RV occupancy at the specific address.710

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

  1. Confirm the parcel’s Bowie zoning district and whether the proposed home meets its use, lot-area and dwelling-size rules with city Planning & Zoning.2144
  2. Ask the city about floodplain review; in the flood-hazard areas covered by Bowie’s residential standard, the lowest floor, including basement, must be elevated 2 feet above base flood elevation.18
  3. If using septic, obtain the county’s site evaluation, design approval and construction authorization before installing system components.128
  4. Submit residential construction drawings, energy-compliance documentation and an engineer letter if applicable to Bowie’s building office for review and building permitting.191
  5. Arrange city construction inspections and the county septic inspection before coverup.116

What should you check before buying land in Bowie?

Start with the sewer arrangement: Bowie’s public-sewer lot-area schedule and the county’s septic lot-size requirement answer different questions, so a small city lot should not be assumed suitable for a septic-served home.148 We could not confirm Bowie’s mandatory water or sewer connection rule, private-well requirements, or a city owner-builder exemption; ask the city building office to identify the requirements for your address.1 For property outside Bowie city limits, use the Montague County guide for the county’s unincorporated-area answer; Bowie’s zoning rules apply inside the city.202 If a purchase involves dividing city land, Bowie’s final-plat process requires Planning Commission approval and filing with the Montague County Clerk.21

Watch-outs

  • Bowie’s floodplain RV placement provision does not confirm general permission for residential RV occupancy on private land; ask Bowie Planning & Zoning about the proposed address.710
  • The county’s current septic process requires 2 acres with either public water or a private well per single-family residence; confirm septic feasibility before buying a smaller Bowie lot.8
  • We could not confirm a Bowie accessory-dwelling rule or agricultural building-permit exemption; ask the city building and zoning offices before planning those uses.110

Sources

  1. Bowie Building Permits and Inspections Department (cityofbowietx.com)
  2. City Council (Bowie), quoted and re-checked
  3. Montague County Texas — Sewage Inspector (2026 county census)
  4. Section 22: Schedule of District Regulations Adopted (Bowie), quoted and re-checked
  5. Section 22: Schedule of District Regulations Adopted (Bowie), quoted and re-checked
  6. Permit Fees (Bowie), quoted and re-checked
  7. Section 3.1118: Recreational Vehicles (Bowie), quoted and re-checked
  8. Montague County OSSF Permit Process (co.montague.tx.us)
  9. Codes Adopted (Bowie), quoted and re-checked
  10. Bowie Planning & Zoning (cityofbowietx.com)
  11. Montague County Sewage Inspector (co.montague.tx.us)
  12. OSSF Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
  13. Section 22: Schedule of District Regulations Adopted (Bowie), quoted and re-checked
  14. Section 22: Schedule of District Regulations Adopted (Bowie), quoted and re-checked
  15. Section 22: Schedule of District Regulations Adopted (Bowie), quoted and re-checked
  16. OSSF Permit Process, quoted and re-checked
  17. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Section 3.1118: Specific Standards (Bowie), quoted and re-checked
  19. Application for Residential Plan Review (Bowie), quoted and re-checked
  20. Montague County Sewage Inspector (2026 county census)
  21. Procedures and Submittal Requirements for Preliminary, Final, Vacation Plats and Replats (Bowie), 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 Bowie

Bowie’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Building construction inside Bowie city limits.

    • The city page lists the current adopted codes.
    • The code section identifies adoption ordinances, including Ordinance No. 2020-01 adopted January 28, 2020.
    “2018 International Residential Code including appendix A, B, C, D, E, G, H, I, J, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Bowie city limits; city zoning districts and zoning administration.

    • The official city website states that the City Council adopts zoning and planning rules.
    • The code contains district regulations and a schedule of district regulations.
    “The following table is hereby adopted and shall be considered as part of each applicable zoning district regulation as previously described in this ordinance:”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    SF-R Single Family Residential District inside Bowie city limits.

    • The schedule lists a 1,000-square-foot minimum dwelling size excluding garages.
    • The schedule's footnote states minimum lot areas apply only to properties served by public sewer; private-sewer properties must meet state private-sewer standards.

    minimum dwelling size: 1000 square feet excluding garages

    “SF-R (o) 6,500 75 75 20 25 10 25 3- 40% 1,000”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    A Agricultural District inside Bowie city limits.

    • The schedule lists a 2-acre minimum lot area.
    • The schedule footnote conditions minimum lot areas on public sewer service and otherwise requires state private-sewer standards.

    minimum lot area: 2 acres (Private-sewer properties subject to state private-sewer standards)

    “A 2 acre 200 200 30 30 25 25 30 30% 1,500”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — SF-R Single Family Residential District inside Bowie city limits.
      “The minimum lot areas only apply to those properties served by public sewer systems. For those properties served by private sewer systems, compliance with minimum standards established by the state for private sewer systems is required.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    A Agricultural District inside Bowie city limits.

    • Section 8.1.B separately states accessory buildings and structures are limited to 50 percent of gross land area.

    maximum lot coverage by structures: 30 percent (Section 8.1.B accessory-building limitation is separately stated as 50 percent of gross land area)

    “Accessory buildings and structures clearly incidental to the above operations, including but not limited to, barns, stables, equipment sheds, granaries, private garages, pump houses, and servants quarters not for rent, provided that accessory buildings and structures shall be limited to fifty (50) percent of the gross land area.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    A Agricultural District inside Bowie city limits.

    maximum structure height: 30 feet (The fetched schedule table contains the value 30 in the A row.)

    “A 2 acre 200 200 30 30 25 25 30 30% 1,500”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Recreational vehicles placed on sites in Zones A1-30, AH, and AE inside Bowie city limits.

    • The RV must either be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or meet floodplain permit, elevation, and anchoring requirements.
    • The ready-for-highway-use definition requires wheels or jacking system, quick-disconnect utilities and security devices, and no permanently attached additions.

    maximum temporary stay: < 180 consecutive days

    “Recreational vehicles - Require that recreational vehicles placed on sites within Zones A1—30, AH, and AE on the community's FIRM either (i) be on the site for fewer than one hundred eighty (180) consecutive days, or (ii) be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or (iii) meet the permit requirements of subsection 3.1115 (a), and the elevation and anchoring requirements for "manufactured homes" in paragraph (4) of this section.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Preliminary plats, final plats, replats, and vacated plats inside Bowie city limits.

    • Applications require signatures, fees, multiple paper copies, an as-built survey, a PDF plat, and sealed tax certificates.
    • Final plats require Planning Commission approval and filing with the Montague County Clerk.
    • Vacation of a plat has no fee, but the replacement plat is treated as a replat for fee calculation.
    “No fee required for vacation of a plat. The new plat that will replace the vacated plat will be considered as a replat for fee calculation.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Ingress and egress shown on specific-use site plans inside Bowie city limits.

    • The specific-use application process requires the means of ingress and egress to public streets to be shown on the site plan.
    • The opened sources did not establish a universal residential driveway permit or dimensional standard.
    “The means of ingress and egress to public streets.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    New construction, substantial improvements, manufactured homes, recreational vehicles, and subdivision proposals in designated flood-hazard areas inside Bowie city limits.

    • Residential structures must have the lowest floor, including basement, elevated two feet above base flood elevation where applicable.
    • Nonresidential structures must meet elevation or floodproofing requirements.
    • Floodplain development permits and subdivision-specific requirements apply.
    • RV, manufactured-home, enclosure, drainage, and utility conditions are specified in the cited code sections.

    residential elevation above base flood elevation: 2 feet

    “Residential Construction - New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure shall have the lowest floor (including basement), elevated to two (feet) above the base flood elevation.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    City building, inspection, zoning, subdivision, and related permits inside Bowie city limits.

    • Residential fees include $400 for new residential construction, $75 for alterations/additions/remodels, $35 for residential accessory structures, and $45 for roofing.
    • Plan review fees equal the building permit fee when plan review is required and are in addition to the permit fee.
    • Inspection fees are $25 each; certificate-of-occupancy inspection fee is $75.
    • Zoning fees include temporary use $25, specific use $50, site-plan first review $100, and rezoning fees listed by acreage.

    new residential construction permit: 400 USD · residential accessory structure permit: 35 USD · inspection fee: per 25 USD per inspection · certificate of occupancy inspection fee: 75 USD · specific use permit: 50 USD

    “New Residential construction permits shall be $400.00”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Residential and commercial building-permit, plan-review, zoning, and subdivision processes inside Bowie city limits.

    • Residential submissions require construction drawings, energy compliance documentation, and an engineer letter if applicable.
    • Commercial submissions require construction documents and may require sealed structural or architectural drawings depending on project size and cost.
    • Specific-use applications require a scaled site plan and neighborhood notice within 200 feet at least 10 days before consideration.
    • Subdivision applications require documents submitted to Building Inspections and Planning Commission review.

    specific-use notice distance: 200 feet · specific-use notice period: >= 10 days

    “City of Bowie staff will notify property owners within 200 feet of the site at least ten (10) days prior to considering application.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from city building requirements inside Bowie city limits.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Bowie city limits.
  • Well permit — Private water wells inside Bowie city limits.
  • Mandatory utility hookup — Whether a new home inside Bowie city limits must connect to public water or sewer when available.
  • Agricultural exemption — Agricultural buildings and uses inside Bowie city limits.
1 more unanswered
  • 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 Bowie publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Montague County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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