Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Garrison, Texas

Garrison’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Tiny-home builders inside Garrison city limits.

  • The application must include the applicant's identity and contact information, location/legal property description/block/lot, dimensions, materials, a plat or blueprints showing city-service connections, and photographs.
  • The City Council or designated building inspector issues the permit after review and determining compliance with the ordinance and other applicable laws, codes, regulations, and zoning ordinances.
  • A denied applicant may request a written rehearing within 10 days.

  “Application Requirements for a Permit: All tiny home builders must complete an application for build. Including but not limited to the following:”

• InspectionsRequired

  Tiny Houses inside Garrison city limits.

  • The inspection is by the Building Official or applies under subsequent structural standards adopted by the city.
  • The City Council or designated building inspector reserves the right to approve reasonable exceptions to listed requirements.

  “The Tiny House must pass the inspection of the Building Official, or any subsequent structural standards which may be adopted by the City of Garrison.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Tiny Houses within Garrison city limits, Nacogdoches County, Texas.

  • The ordinance concerns Tiny Houses and does not publish a citywide zoning map or general district schedule.
  • The ordinance was passed and approved October 27, 2025, and states that it is effective immediately upon passage, approval, and publication.

  “WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Garrison has determined to develop zoning requirements for Tiny Houses; and”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Tiny Houses inside Garrison city limits.

  • The City Council or designated building inspector reserves the right to approve reasonable exceptions to listed requirements.

  clearance around tiny house: 20 feet (Applies all around the home.)

  “Each Tiny House must have 20 feet all around the home.”

• Tiny homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Tiny Houses inside Garrison city limits.

  • A permit application and city review are required.
  • The home must meet the ordinance's foundation, tie-down, setback, driveway, access-route, address, utility, survey, and inspection requirements.
  • The City Council or designated building inspector may approve reasonable exceptions to listed requirements.

  maximum tiny-house living space: < 1200 square feet (Living space excludes porches, garages, and other space not heated or cooled by any means.)

  “Tiny Houses: Residential structures with less than 1200 square feet total living space. Living space shall exclude porches, garages, and other space not heated or cooled by any means.”

• Off-grid sanitationProhibited

  Composting-toilet sanitation for Tiny Houses inside Garrison city limits.

  • The tiny house must be connected to city water and sewer services.
  • The City Council or designated building inspector reserves the right to approve reasonable exceptions to listed requirements.

  “Sewer service is essential to dispose of all human waste. No composting toilets will be permitted.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  Tiny Houses inside Garrison city limits.

  • Each tiny house must have its own water meter.
  • Sewer service is required to dispose of human waste.
  • The City Council or designated building inspector reserves the right to approve reasonable exceptions to listed requirements.

  “The Tiny House must be connected to City utilities, which is water and sewer services. Each house must have it’s own water meter.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Tiny Houses inside Garrison city limits.

  • The tiny house must also be located on a Common Access Route/Internal Street and have an assigned address.
  • The City Council or designated building inspector reserves the right to approve reasonable exceptions to listed requirements.

  “A Tiny House must have an independent driveway.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Published city building-permit fee schedule for construction inside Garrison city limits.

  • Rates are effective July 21, 2025.
  • The official page also lists commercial new-construction fees of $100.00 plus $0.25 per square foot, commercial addition/remodel fees of $50.00 plus $0.25 per square foot, residential fence permits of $25.00, retaining-wall permits of $25.00, and demolition permits of $25.00.

  residential new-construction fee: 100 USD · residential storage-building fee: 25 USD · residential addition/remodel fee: 50 USD

  “Building Permits - Residential * New Construction - $100.00 * Storage Buildings - $25.00 * Addition/Remodel - $ 50.00”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Tiny-house placement and construction permit process inside Garrison city limits.

  • The application must include applicant information, property location/legal description/block/lot, tiny-house dimensions and materials, city-service connection documents, and photographs.
  • The City Council or designated building inspector reviews compliance before issuance.
  • A denied applicant may request a written rehearing within 10 days.

  rehearing request deadline: <= 10 days (Runs from denial of the permit application.)

  “After review of the application and determining the application and the proposed home complies with this Ordinance and other applicable laws, codes regulations and zoning ordinances, the permit shall be issued.”

Rules another office applies inside Garrison

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

• Septic permitRequired

  An on-site sewage facility, including a septic system or holding tank, inside Garrison city limits when an OSSF is proposed.

  • Local permitting programs can be more stringent than state minimums.
  • An OSSF may be exempt under the 10-acre rule if it meets every state-listed condition, including a site evaluation, a single-family dwelling on a tract of at least 10 acres, no nuisance or groundwater pollution, all OSSF parts at least 100 feet from the property line, on-property effluent disposal, and no other dwelling on the tract.
  • Emergency repairs do not require a permit but must be reported in writing to the permitting authority within 72 hours after repairs begin.
  • The TCEQ regional office is the permitting authority where a local jurisdiction has not been authorized.

  minimum tract under 10-acre-rule exemption: >= 10 acres (Only if all other state exemption conditions are met.) · property-line distance under 10-acre-rule exemption: >= 100 feet (All OSSF parts must meet this distance.)

  “A permit is required to construct, install, alter, extend, or repair an OSSF. Always check with your local permitting authority. Local permitting programs can be more stringent than State minimums.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Residential construction by an owner-builder inside Garrison city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Garrison city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Garrison city limits.
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Garrison city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Residential dwellings inside Garrison city limits.

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.