Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of The Hills, Texas

Village of The Hills’s own rules

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles placed in zones A1-30, AH, and AE on the community FIRM inside The Hills village limits.

  • The recreational vehicle must be on site fewer than 180 consecutive days, be fully licensed and ready for highway use, or meet the floodplain permit, elevation, and anchoring requirements for manufactured homes.

  maximum consecutive days on site: < 180 days (Alternative compliance is available when fully licensed and highway-ready or when floodplain permit, elevation, and anchoring requirements are met.)

  “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 180 consecutive days; (ii) Be fully licensed and ready for highway use; or (iii) Meet the permit requirements of section 4.02.004(c)(1), and the elevation and anchoring requirements for “manufactured homes” in subsection (4) of this section.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured homes placed or substantially improved in specified flood-hazard zones inside The Hills village limits.

  • Within Zone A, manufactured homes must be installed using methods and practices that minimize flood damage and must be elevated and anchored.
  • For sites outside a manufactured-home park or subdivision, in a new or expanded park/subdivision, or in an existing park/subdivision with a substantially flood-damaged home in Zones A1-30, AH, and AE, the lowest floor must be at or above base-flood elevation and the home must be securely anchored.

  “Require that all manufactured homes to be placed within zone A on a community’s FHBM or FIRM shall be installed using methods and practices which minimize flood damage. For the purposes of this requirement, manufactured homes must be elevated and anchored to resist flotation, collapse, or lateral movement.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  On-site waste disposal systems in areas of special flood hazard inside The Hills village limits.

  • Applies only in areas of special flood hazard within the Village's jurisdiction.
  • The system must be located to avoid impairment or contamination during flooding.

  “avoid impairment to them or contamination from them during flooding”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision, replatting, and plat amendment of land inside The Hills village limits.

  • An owner dividing a tract into two or more parts for a subdivision or lots must prepare and file a plat with the Village for approval.
  • The exception is a division into parts greater than five acres where each part has access and no public improvement is dedicated.
  • Amended plats and replats must be prepared and filed with the Village for approval.
  • The City Council is the municipal authority responsible for plat approval.

  large-parcel division exception: > 5 acres (Each part has access and no public improvement is being dedicated.)

  “must have a plat of the subdivision prepared and filed with the Village for approval pursuant to this ordinance.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in all areas of special flood hazard within The Hills village jurisdiction.

  • A floodplain development permit is required to conform with the article.
  • No structure or land may be located, altered, or have its use changed without full compliance with the article and other applicable regulations.
  • The Village manager or designee administers the floodplain program.
  • Where regulations overlap, the more stringent restriction prevails.

  “A floodplain development permit shall be required”

Rules another office applies inside Village of The Hills

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

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Hurst Creek MUD utility permits, taps, and new-home inspections within the MUD boundaries, which generally coincide with The Hills village.

  • The page directs users to the current rate order for more details and requirements.
  • All irrigation-system installations must be installed by a State of Texas licensed irrigation installer.
  • All backflow devices for irrigation, pool, or remodel permits must be tested by a State of Texas licensed tester; that cost is excluded.
  • The inspection deposit is refunded upon certificate-of-occupancy issuance less reinspection fees, outstanding utility fees, or water/sewer/drainage damage.

  new home construction inspections fee: 450 USD · inspections deposit: 750 USD (Refunded when home is issued Certificate of Occupancy, less stated deductions.) · sewer tap fee: 2000 USD

  “$2,000 - Sewer Tap $450 - New Home Construction Inspections Fee $750 - Inspections Deposit”

• Permit processPartial

  Published Hurst Creek MUD utility-permit and new-build materials within MUD boundaries generally coinciding with The Hills village.

  • The official page publishes a plumbing-permit form, a new-home-construction drainage fee agreement, backflow and customer-service inspection forms, a drainage-plan checklist, and the current rate order.
  • The page does not publish a complete Village general-building-permit process.

  “Hurst Creek Municipal Utility District (MUD) was created in 1979 to provide water, wastewater, drainage and irrigation service within its boundaries, which generally coincide with the Village of The Hills.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of The Hills or Travis County directly.

• Building permit — General residential construction inside The Hills village limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside The Hills village limits.
• Building code adopted — Buildings inside The Hills village limits.
• Inspections — General residential building inspections inside The Hills village limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — New homes inside The Hills village 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of The Hills means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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