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

An ordinary home or outbuilding on unincorporated Sherman County land does not go through a general county building-permit program¹. Texas gives counties only limited building authority, including fire-code authority for qualifying counties and covered commercial, public and larger multifamily buildings; Sherman County's population is about 2,678^9,10. The county's official directory does not list a building department, so the County Judge's office is the practical county contact for a parcel-specific question^1,11. A site inside Stratford is different: municipal rules can apply even though the county does not issue a general permit for unincorporated construction⁷. We could not confirm a building-inspection program or certificate-of-occupancy requirement for unincorporated construction, so ask the County Judge's office before relying on either assumption^1,11.

Sherman County does not list a building department or general county permit office for unincorporated construction¹. For unresolved county questions, contact the Sherman County Judge's office at the courthouse in Stratford¹¹. Septic is handled separately: TCEQ Region 1 is the default permitting authority where no local OSSF program has been authorized^4,5. Because we could not confirm Sherman County's current local-authority listing, ask Region 1 to verify the proper recipient before submitting an OSSF application^4,5. Water-well registration and permits go to NPGCD rather than the county courthouse⁶. A driveway connecting to a state highway goes through TxDOT rather than Sherman County¹².

Unincorporated Sherman County has no county zoning, and Texas has not granted Sherman County the special geographic zoning authority available in limited parts of the state^1,2. That means county zoning sets no minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setback, lot-coverage limit or building-height limit on unincorporated land². County zoning also does not restrict accessory dwellings, manufactured homes, tiny homes, RV occupancy or temporary camping there². Those answers do not erase deed restrictions, utility requirements, septic law or municipal rules. The City of Stratford publishes a zoning ordinance, so property inside Stratford needs a city-level zoning check⁷. An older county plan reported municipal zoning in Stratford but not Texhoma; because that plan does not establish current conditions, ask the applicable city about a parcel inside either municipality¹³.

A permit and approved plan are generally required before an OSSF in Sherman County is constructed, altered, repaired, extended or operated³. TCEQ Region 1 is the default office only where no local OSSF jurisdiction has been authorized, so ask Region 1 to confirm the current permitting authority for the property^4,5. The installer must notify the permitting authority at least 5 working days before the system will be ready, and the authority conducts a construction inspection⁴. A narrow exemption can apply to a single-family dwelling on at least 10 acres after a licensed site evaluation, provided every part of the OSSF remains at least 100 feet from the property line and every other state condition is met³. Countywide, 48.9% of soils lack severe limits for a conventional drain field, but the parcel's site evaluation controls the design⁹.

County zoning does not restrict RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy, manufactured-home occupancy or temporary camping on unincorporated Sherman County land². That zoning answer is not a waiver of sanitation rules: an OSSF or holding tank generally needs a permit and approved plan unless every condition of a state exception is satisfied³. Stratford has municipal zoning, so a parcel inside the city requires a separate city-level check⁷. Private deed restrictions may also be more restrictive than county zoning. We could not confirm a certificate-of-occupancy rule for unincorporated structures, so ask the County Judge's office about the exact parcel and proposed setup^1,11. If the plan includes a private well, NPGCD requires registration or the applicable permit before drilling⁶.

1. Confirm whether the parcel is inside a municipality; Stratford publishes municipal zoning, while unincorporated Sherman County has no county zoning^2,7.

1. Ask the County Judge's office about parcel-specific county matters, including any unresolved inspection, occupancy, floodplain or county-road-access question^1,11.

1. Register an exempt well with NPGCD or obtain the applicable permit before drilling a non-exempt well⁶.

1. Confirm the current OSSF authority with TCEQ Region 1, submit the required septic plan and permit application, and schedule the construction inspection^3,4,5.

1. If access connects to a state highway, submit TxDOT Form 1058 and wait for an executed permit before beginning work in the right of way¹².

1. Proceed with construction without a general Sherman County building permit for an ordinary home on unincorporated land¹.

Water deserves early due diligence: Sherman County averages 17.6 inches of precipitation a year, and severe drought occurs in 40.5% of years⁹. NPGCD covers Sherman County; domestic and livestock wells incapable of producing over 17.5 gallons per minute must be registered, while other wells require the applicable district permit before drilling⁶. For septic, 48.9% of county soils lack severe limits for a conventional drain field, but a licensed site evaluation is still needed for the state's acreage-based permit exception^3,9. The land is notably flat and open: 99.3% is at a slope of 15% or less, while the wooded share is 0%⁹. Also verify legal access, flood exposure, easements, deed restrictions and whether a recent land division required a plat or qualified for the agricultural exception¹⁴. The effective property-tax rate is about 2%, with a median annual bill near $2,450⁹.