In a letter signed by the chairman of its Board of County Commissioners, Custer County states that it has no zoning and that no building permits are required in its unincorporated areas. Two county permits remain: a Floodplain Development Permit for work in a special flood hazard area, handled by the Emergency Management Director as floodplain administrator (580-323-4105), and a permit for any work in county road right-of-way. Weatherford and Clinton run their own building departments.
Who issues permits in Custer County?
The Custer County Commissioners’ letter on zoning says the county has no zoning or fire safety and health regulations beyond state statutes and city ordinances, and that no building permits are required outside the towns. The state’s code commission likewise lists Custer County as issuing no permits.
| Office | Handles |
|---|---|
| Emergency Management Director, floodplain administrator | Floodplain Development Permits; 580-323-4105; 675 West B Street, Arapaho |
| Board of County Commissioners | Road crossing, pipeline, utility and ingress/egress permits in county right-of-way; 580-323-4420; PO Box 300, Arapaho, OK 73620 |
Inside the towns, the answer depends on the town:
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Town | Building permits |
|---|---|
| Weatherford | City Permits and Inspections Department, 522 W. Rainey Ave., 580-772-7451; issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits |
| Clinton (partly in Washita County) | City of Clinton, on the State Fire Marshal’s list of jurisdictions doing their own plan review, permits and inspections; 580-323-0217 |
| Butler, Hammon | Listed by the state as not issuing permits |
| Arapaho | Town Clerk, under Code §150.03, which requires a separate permit for each building or structure; 580-323-4376 |
| Custer City, Thomas | Not on the State Fire Marshal list and not marked as non-issuing by the state; ask the town office: Custer City 580-593-2312, Thomas 580-661-3687 |
Trades, septic and commercial buildings
Rural Custer County has no county electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits. Trade contractors hold Oklahoma Construction Industries Board licences, and Weatherford and Clinton issue trade permits inside their limits.
Septic systems are permitted by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality: its 581 soil report sets the system type, DEQ issues the Authorization to Construct before installation, and DEQ or a certified installer inspects the system.
Commercial buildings outside a permitting city go to the State Fire Marshal for plan review, because Custer County is not on the State Fire Marshal’s list of counties with their own building program; submittals are made through the State Fire Marshal’s Accela Citizen Portal.
Custer County permit fees
The Custer County Floodplain Board sets its fees in its Forms and Fees Packet, capped at $500 for any one service:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Notice of intent | Up to $25 |
| Floodplain Development Permit application review | $100 |
| Floodplain Development Permit | $25 |
| Inspection (pre-inspection, during work, final) | $25 each, minimum of three |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →A permit with the minimum three inspections therefore costs at least $200: $100 review, $25 permit and $75 in inspections, plus any notice of intent fee. There is no county building permit fee. Work in county road right-of-way is charged under the fee schedule printed on the crossing permit form, paid by check to the Custer County Commissioners with the application:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Permanent line, bored or cut and trenched | $2,000 each |
| Temporary line through a culvert or bridge, temporary buried line, temporary pump or valve | $2,000 each |
| Temporary road crossing bridge; electric transmission crossing | $2,000 each |
| Domestic or livestock water line 3 in. or smaller | No charge |
A line or service entrance placed in county right-of-way without a permit can bring a fine of up to $10,000 plus court fees.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →What the county applications ask for
Floodplain packet
- Custer County Permit for Proposed Development in the Floodplains of Unincorporated Custer County
- Signed acknowledgement of the floodplain construction provisions
- Elevation or floodproofing certification from a licensed engineer, architect or land surveyor
- For oil and gas work, the oil and gas floodplain instructions; pipeline companies return a Certificate of Burial Depth when finished
Road crossing or access permit
- Owner and construction company details
- Type of line or entrance and how it will cross (boring, trenching, culvert)
- Quarter-section, township and range of the start and end points and the county road number
- An accurate map, such as Google Earth or a plat map
- Pipe, cable or culvert specifications
How to start a project in unincorporated Custer County
Inside Weatherford or Clinton, the city building department takes the application.
Use the FEMA Custer County flood plain viewer linked from the Emergency Management page.
Send it to the floodplain administrator with the $100 review fee and $25 permit fee.
File with the Commissioners at least 5 days before a board meeting, with the fee check.
Order DEQ’s soil report and Authorization to Construct.
File in the Accela Citizen Portal before building.
Rather not deal with the Custer County building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections
The county has no building inspections. A floodplain permit carries at least three floodplain inspections: one of the site before work, one during construction and a final one after completion. For a road crossing, the petitioner calls the Commissioners’ office when the crossing is finished so it can be inspected on site. DEQ or a certified installer inspects septic systems, and the State Fire Marshal inspects commercial buildings it permits.
Local Custer County rules
Floodplain elevation: under the county’s instructions, a home’s lowest floor, including any basement, must be elevated to the base flood elevation, and a non-residential building’s lowest floor must be 1 ft above it or floodproofed. Utility lines and equipment must be elevated, and water and sewer connections need automatic backflow devices.
County road right-of-way: crossings of blacktop roads must be bored; cutting may be allowed on caliche or dirt roads only with the board’s approval, and blasting is not allowed. Buried lines must sit at least 5 ft below the road centerline and 4 ft below the ditch bottom, overhead lines need at least 20 ft of clearance, and the board may require a performance bond. The county posts a register of approved crossing and entrance permits by year.
Oklahoma building code
Oklahoma sets statewide minimum codes (the 2024 editions since September 14, 2026) that cities enforce and may strengthen; most counties issue no building permits for unincorporated land, though a few do. Oklahoma rules
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Official Custer County permit resources
- Custer County Commissioners: zoning and building permit letter
- Custer County Emergency Management and floodplain administration
- Custer County Floodplain Board forms and fees packet
- Custer County road crossing and ingress/egress permit (revised October 2025)
- Custer County approved crossing permits
- City of Weatherford Permits and Inspections
- Oklahoma State Fire Marshal: jurisdictions that do their own permitting
- Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission: jurisdiction list
- Oklahoma DEQ: on-site sewage treatment
- Oklahoma Construction Industries Board
Custer County permit FAQs
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Do I need a building permit in rural Custer County?
No. The county commissioners’ letter says no building permits are required in unincorporated Custer County, and the county has no zoning.
When do I need a county permit?
For development in a special flood hazard area, and for any pipeline, utility line, road crossing or entrance in county road right-of-way.
How much is a Custer County floodplain permit?
A $100 review fee, a $25 permit fee and $25 for each inspection, with at least three inspections: $200 or more in total.
Who issues building permits in Weatherford and Clinton?
Each city. Weatherford’s Permits and Inspections Department is at 522 W. Rainey Ave. (580-772-7451); Clinton is on 580-323-0217.
Who approves a septic system in Custer County?
The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality issues the Authorization to Construct and inspects or certifies the installation.
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More Oklahoma permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Custer County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.