Building permits, zoning and land rules in Potter County, Texas

No general building permit is required for an ordinary home in unincorporated Potter County¹. The county's subdivision, floodplain, and sanitation rules can still affect a project even without a county building permit^1,8. Inside Amarillo city limits, most construction requires a city permit, and the city enforces adopted building codes that took effect in 2024^2,3. Amarillo development must complete applicable final inspections, and a new residential or commercial building receives a certificate of occupancy when its permit is completed^10,11. Inside Amarillo, a homeowner can apply for a residence permit through the city if the address is the applicant’s homestead with the Potter/Randall Appraisal District, and that route does not remove the permit requirement³. Before buying or designing, confirm whether the parcel is inside Amarillo city limits; the city's permit, code, inspection, and occupancy rules do not establish those requirements for unincorporated Potter County^3,11.

Potter County has no county building-permit office for homes on unincorporated land¹. Inside Amarillo, the City of Amarillo Building Safety Department issues building permits and inspections; its office is at 808 S Buchanan St, Amarillo, TX 79101, and its phone number is 806-378-3041¹². Septic permits are different: the Amarillo Area Public Health District’s Environmental Health Department issues them for every address in Potter County, inside or outside Amarillo; its office is at 808 S Buchanan St, Suite 275, Amarillo, TX 79101, and its phone number is 806-378-9472⁵. The Potter County Commissioners Court approves qualifying subdivision plats outside incorporated city limits; call (806) 379-2246^8,13. For county-road driveway or culvert questions, contact Potter County Road & Bridge at (806) 383-2273 before designing the driveway¹⁴.

Unincorporated Potter County has no county zoning ordinance¹. County rules therefore do not set a minimum dwelling size, general minimum lot size, lot coverage, building height, or zoning districts, and they do not restrict RV, tiny-home, manufactured-home, accessory-dwelling, or temporary-camping occupancy through zoning⁷. Amarillo is different: municipal zoning regulates land use, setbacks, parking, and related development questions⁴. A manufactured home inside Amarillo may need zoning review and a Specific Use Permit if that use is not allowed in the parcel's zone³. Unincorporated land is not rule-free. Dividing a tract into two or more parts generally triggers Potter County platting rules, subject to statutory exceptions, and a subdivision inside a city's extraterritorial jurisdiction needs city approval before final county approval⁸. Subdivision plats must also show vehicle ingress and egress, while certain intersection lots have a 30-foot structure setback⁸.

Installing, repairing, replacing, or altering an OSSF in Potter County requires a permit from the Amarillo Area Public Health District's Environmental Health Department⁵. Submit the application and required documents first; an approved Authorization to Construct is required before an inspection can be scheduled⁵. A private-well property generally needs a 1-acre lot, while a public-water property generally needs a 1/2-acre lot, with possible exceptions for property platted before 1988⁵. A homeowner may install or repair the system serving the homeowner's single-family residence, but rental, leased, and commercial properties require a licensed installer⁵. An approved Authorization to Construct is valid for one calendar year, and the system must pass inspection within that period or a new permit is needed⁵. The residential fee is $800, the commercial fee is $900, and an existing-system inspection costs half the permit fee⁶. Only 43.7% of Potter County soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so complete the site evaluation before fixing the house location⁹. A narrow statewide 10-acre exemption may apply when every listed condition is met, including a licensed evaluation and 100-foot property-line separation¹⁵.

Potter County does not use zoning to restrict RV, tiny-home, manufactured-home, accessory-dwelling, or temporary-camping occupancy on unincorporated land, and county zoning sets no minimum dwelling size⁷. That answer is limited to county zoning: a septic system serving the dwelling still needs AAPHD approval unless a state exemption applies^5,15. Potter County's subdivision rules also still govern a qualifying land division, access shown on the plat, drainage, and other improvements⁸. Inside Amarillo, municipal zoning and building rules replace the unincorporated-county answer^3,4. In particular, Amarillo requires a zoning check before placing a manufactured home and may require a Specific Use Permit when the home is not allowed in that zone³.

1. Confirm whether the parcel is inside Amarillo city limits; city permits, codes, inspections, and occupancy approval apply there^2,3,10,11.

1. For unincorporated land divided into two or more parts, confirm that any required plat was approved and recorded before conveyance⁸.

1. Settle access early: subdivision plats must show ingress and egress, and state-highway access requires Form 1058 plus 24-hour notice before construction^8,16.

1. Order the septic site evaluation, submit the AAPHD application, and obtain Authorization to Construct before scheduling inspection⁵.

1. Account for the $800 residential OSSF fee and verify whether the narrow 10-acre state exemption actually applies^6,15.

1. On an unincorporated ordinary-home project, no general county building permit is required¹.

Water deserves an early budget: severe drought affected about 40.2% of years, and annual precipitation is about 18.7 inches⁹. Only 43.7% of Potter County soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so do not assume a standard septic layout will fit the planned homesite⁹. Confirm city-limit status because Amarillo zoning, permits, adopted codes, inspections, and occupancy approval apply inside the city^3,4,10,11. For recently divided unincorporated land, verify the approved recorded plat, legal access, planned driveway points, drainage, and whether the county accepted any roads for maintenance⁸. A state-highway driveway requires a separate TxDOT permit¹⁶. Typical property tax is about 1.5%, with a median annual bill near $2,028⁹.