Bowie County runs no building permit office. Its own permits are for septic systems, issued by its Health Inspections Department ($325 for a home) everywhere in the county except Texarkana, which TCEQ lists as a separate septic agent; floodplain matters go to the Emergency Management Coordinator, who is also the county’s Floodplain Administrator. Texarkana, Nash, De Kalb, New Boston, Redwater, Maud and Hooks publish their own building permit processes or forms. Bowie County is not the City of Bowie, which is in Montague County.
What needs a county permit in Bowie County?
County permit or review
- On-site sewage (septic) systems, residential and commercial
- Floodplain questions for unincorporated land, through the Floodplain Administrator
- Food establishment permits ($175)
Not listed by the county
- A building permit for homes or outbuildings outside city limits
- Electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits outside city limits
Inside a city, building and trade work goes to that city, as the table below shows town by town.
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Get a free quote →Who handles permits in Bowie County?
| Area or work | Who issues permits |
|---|---|
| Texarkana | City of Texarkana Inspections and Code Enforcement (construction permits and contractor registration) |
| Nash | City of Nash: construction and commercial building permits, contractor registration, land clearing; 903-838-0751 |
| De Kalb | City of De Kalb: enforces the International Building Code; contractors register with the City |
| New Boston | City of New Boston Code Enforcement: building permits priced on a project-value table ($5 up to $1,000 of value, $236.50 at $99,001–$100,000), plus plumbing and electrical inspection fees of $375 for new construction and $250 for a remodel, and HVAC $250 new and $125 remodel; City Hall, 301 E. North Front St., 903-628-5596 |
| Redwater | City of Redwater: building, moving and electrical permit applications and a fee schedule on its Permits page; remodel and other non-new residential permits last 120 days; City Hall, 120 Redwater Blvd. W., 903-671-2775 |
| Maud | City of Maud: building permit fee schedule effective May 21, 2019 (new home $0.15 per sq ft, $50 minimum; plan review $125; electrical, plumbing and mechanical $0.04 per sq ft); City Hall, 135 Main St., 903-585-2294 |
| Hooks | City of Hooks: permit applications are posted on its Permits and Applications page, and the City Secretary’s office answers questions on forms and fees; 903-547-2261 |
| Leary, Red Lick | The published sources do not say; ask city hall |
| Wake Village | The published sources do not say; ask City Hall, 624 Burma Road, 903-838-0515 |
| Septic systems everywhere except Texarkana | Bowie County Health Inspections Department, 903-628-6778 (septic line 903-628-6791) |
| Septic systems inside Texarkana | City of Texarkana, TCEQ’s authorized agent for the city limits, 903-798-3870 |
| Floodplain, unincorporated county | Emergency Management Coordinator / Floodplain Administrator, 903-628-6776 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →The county offices are in the Bowie County Courthouse, 710 James Bowie Drive, New Boston, TX 75570 (main line 903-628-6700).
Septic permits and trade work
Septic: TCEQ names Bowie County as its septic (OSSF) agent for the whole county except Texarkana. TCEQ’s Tyler regional office also lists New Boston among the cities it serves where no interlocal agreement exists, so New Boston owners should confirm with the County first. The Health Inspections Department takes the on-site sewage application, which is posted on its page. The fee is $325 for a residential system and $425 for a commercial one, rates in place since October 13, 2020.
Trades: the county lists no electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit. In the cities, trade work follows the city’s rules: Texarkana adopted the 2024 International Building, Residential and Energy Conservation Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code on April 13, 2026, and De Kalb and Nash both require contractors to register with the City.
Floodplain: the Emergency Management Coordinator is the county’s Floodplain Administrator (903-628-6776); talk to that office before siting a building in or near a mapped flood zone.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →How to prepare and file in Bowie County
Find out whether the lot is in Texarkana, New Boston, Nash, De Kalb or another of the county’s ten cities; city lots follow city permit rules.
For rural land, call the Floodplain Administrator at 903-628-6776 before siting a building.
Submit the on-site sewage application and fee to the Health Inspections Department at the courthouse in New Boston.
Inside a city that issues permits, such as Texarkana, Nash, De Kalb or New Boston, register the contractors where required and apply for the building permit there.
Book the septic inspection with the county and building inspections with the city; De Kalb asks for 24 hours’ notice.
Inspections in Bowie County
The county inspects septic systems it permits. It publishes no building inspection program for unincorporated land. In De Kalb, rough-in plumbing and electrical must be inspected before walls are covered, and inspections need 24 hours’ notice. De Kalb also lists jobs that need no permit there: painting and similar finishes, fences under 7 feet, sheds under 120 sq ft and reshingling a house roof (decking repair does need one).
Rather not deal with the Bowie County building department?
Get a free quote →Texas building code
Texas has no single statewide building code: state law makes the International Residential Code the base code for homes in cities and the International Building Code the base for commercial buildings, with each city choosing the edition and its own amendments, while the National Electrical Code and the energy code apply statewide. Outside city limits most counties issue no building permits for homes. Texas building code rules
Bowie County official permitting resources
County, city and state pages:
- Bowie County Health Inspections (septic permits)
- Bowie County Office of Emergency Management / Floodplain Administrator
- City of Texarkana building codes
- City of Nash permitting information
- City of De Kalb permits, zoning and building codes
- TCEQ on-site sewage permits
- Texas floodplain administrator directory
- City of New Boston Code Enforcement
- City of Redwater building and moving permits
- City of Maud building permit fee schedule (PDF)
- TCEQ septic authorized agent search
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Bowie County building permit FAQ
Does Bowie County issue building permits?
Not for homes outside city limits: the county lists no building permit. It issues septic permits everywhere except Texarkana and handles floodplain questions.
How much is a septic permit in Bowie County?
$325 for a residential system and $425 for a commercial system, through the Health Inspections Department (903-628-6778).
Who is the floodplain administrator?
The county’s Emergency Management Coordinator, at the courthouse in New Boston, 903-628-6776.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Who issues permits in Texarkana, Texas?
The City of Texarkana’s Inspections and Code Enforcement department, not the county.
Is the City of Bowie the permitting office for Bowie County?
No. The City of Bowie is in Montague County and has nothing to do with Bowie County permits.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Bowie County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.