In unincorporated Caldwell County, Sanitation/Development Services at 1700 FM 2720, Lockhart (512-398-1803) issues the county’s development permits: a residential construction permit ($225) for a new home or a bedroom or bathroom addition, septic (OSSF) permits ($400 for a conventional and $450 for an engineered single-family system), commercial site construction permits, floodplain permits and permits for work in county right-of-way. These are site and development reviews under the Caldwell County Development Ordinance, not building code inspections. Lockhart, Luling, Martindale, Mustang Ridge, Niederwald, Uhland and San Marcos permit inside their own limits.
What needs a county permit in Caldwell County?
Residential construction permit
- Building or installing a home, including a manufactured home
- An addition that adds bedrooms or bathrooms
- Rebuilding a home damaged by fire or flood when the work costs more than 30% of its pre-damage value
- A home-based business at the owner’s residence, or a farm business, with 50 or fewer one-way vehicle trips a day: it is permitted under this residential permit instead of a commercial site permit
Exempt from that permit
- Enclosing an existing staircase or porch
- A carport for fewer than 10 cars
- A deck
- Roof replacement
- Remodeling an exterior facade
- Sidewalks
Separate county permits cover every septic system, any commercial site work (building, grading or adding impervious cover for a use other than a home), subdivision streets and drainage, construction that alters a floodplain, and driveways or other work in county right-of-way. Starting development or construction before approval doubles the fee.
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Get a free quote →Who issues permits in Caldwell County?
| Office | What it handles |
|---|---|
| Sanitation/Development Services, 1700 FM 2720, Lockhart, TX 78644; 512-398-1803 | Septic permits and inspections, residential and commercial site construction permits, floodplain management, by appointment |
| County Planner; 512-359-4624 | Subdivisions, platting, development and code enforcement |
| County Engineer | Review of construction plans for subdivisions, commercial sites, rental home communities, right-of-way work and floodplain changes |
Cities and towns in Caldwell County
Each city issues its own building permits inside its limits. Several of them also reach into neighboring counties.
- Lockhart: the City takes all building and planning permit requests online through My Government Online; 512-398-3461. It also publishes subdivision rules for its ETJ.
- Luling (partly in Caldwell County): the City’s Planning & Code Enforcement Departments review plans, issue permits, inspect and review floodplain development; 830-875-5131.
- Uhland (partly in Caldwell County): building permits through My Government Online, with inspection requests emailed to permits@uhlandtx.us by 3:00 p.m. for next-day scheduling; 512-398-7399.
- Martindale: Building & Planning at City Hall, 409 Main Street, issues building permits; 512-357-2639.
- Mustang Ridge (partly in Caldwell County): Planning & Permitting handles permits, zoning and annexation; 512-243-1775.
- Niederwald (partly in Caldwell County): the City issues building and site development permits; 512-398-6338.
- San Marcos: the City of San Marcos permits its own territory; its small Caldwell County portion has no residents in the Census count.
Inside a city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, county permits follow the interlocal agreement with that city. Where there is none, the Development Ordinance requires approval from both the city and the county, with the stricter rule applying.
Septic systems, site permits and county fees
Septic (OSSF) permits
TCEQ names Caldwell County as its septic (OSSF) agent for unincorporated land. Mustang Ridge, Niederwald, Uhland and San Marcos are separate TCEQ agents inside their own limits, and TCEQ’s Austin regional office (Region 11, 512-239-2929) lists Martindale among the cities it serves directly.
The Sanitation Department issues a septic permit after a site evaluation shows the soil type and the system the site can take. An engineer or registered sanitarian must design the system if the soil is Type 1a, the site is in the floodplain or the subdivision is restricted to engineered systems. With a complete submittal and no design changes, review takes five days. An approved permit is good for one year and is non-refundable.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Commercial site construction permits
Any development or alteration on a lot for a use other than a home needs a commercial site construction permit, with plans sealed by a Texas Professional Engineer. A pre-application conference, arranged through the precinct Commissioner, is mandatory. The County Engineer holds intake meetings to check completeness and returns non-compliant plans with comments within 10 calendar days; applicants are expected to answer within 7. Homes, duplexes, triplexes, interior alterations and fences that do not block drainage do not need a site plan.
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential construction permit | $225 |
| Septic permit, conventional system (single-family) | $400 |
| Septic permit, engineered system (single-family) | $450 |
| Septic tank replacement / drain field rework | $100 / $200 |
| Site construction, cost under $10,000 | $500 |
| Site construction, $10,000–$1 million | $500 plus $15 per $1,000 above $10,000 |
| Site construction, over $1 million | $15,350 plus $7.50 per $1,000 above $1 million |
| Floodplain permit or revision | $750 plus consultant costs |
| Right-of-way permit, driveway | $50 |
| Right-of-way permit, road cut or other | $125 |
| Preliminary or final plat | $750 plus $150 per lot |
For example, a commercial site project costing $210,000 pays $500 plus 200 × $15, or $3,500. Every fee doubles if work starts before the approval.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →What the residential construction permit needs
- The recorded final plat, or for an acreage tract the metes and bounds description and a surveyor’s sketch
- The deed or other recorded proof of ownership
- Tax certificates showing county, city and school taxes are paid
- A sketch showing existing buildings, driveways, approximate distances to property lines, floodplain, easements, water wells and the septic tank, pumps and drain field
- Proof of drinking water: a paid water tap or impact fee receipt, a water bill, a well driller’s log or an engineered rainwater system
- The approved county septic permit, if the home uses one
- Within 300 feet of a floodplain: an Elevation Certificate, the lowest existing floor elevation from an engineer or surveyor and the proposed elevation
The lot must be an original tract, a lot legally platted through Commissioners Court or exempt from platting. Foundations should sit at least 12 inches above the surrounding ground, and near a floodplain the first finished floor must be at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation. The ordinance makes residential permits valid for two years or until construction is complete; the older application form still says one year, so ask the office which date applies to yours. The permit must be posted on the property where it can be seen from the nearest major road.
Rather not deal with the Caldwell County building department?
Get a free quote →How to get a county permit in Caldwell County
If the land is inside a city, apply to that city; in an ETJ, the city’s interlocal agreement or joint approval applies.
The septic packet requires an approved 911 address before a permit is issued.
A licensed site evaluator, sanitarian or engineer evaluates the soil and, where required, designs the system.
Call Sanitation/Development Services to file the septic application with the deed, tax statement and evaluation, then the residential construction permit with its attachments.
Hold the pre-development meeting first; it stays valid for four months, and the intake meeting must follow within that time.
Post the permit on site and give 24 hours’ notice for the septic inspection.
Inspections in Caldwell County
For a septic system, call the Sanitation Department at 512-398-1803 at least 24 hours before you need the inspection; the installer or an installer apprentice must be on site during construction and the inspection. By applying for a residential construction permit, the owner allows the county to enter the property to check compliance with county regulations. Commercial site and subdivision construction is inspected under the Development Ordinance’s construction inspection procedures. The county does not inspect the house itself against a building code; inside the cities, the city building inspectors do that.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Caldwell County official permit resources
- Caldwell County Sanitation/Development Services
- Caldwell County Development Ordinance
- Residential construction permit application
- Subdivision and development fee schedule
- Septic permit application packet
- Floodplain and right-of-way application
- Pre-meeting and intake application
- Caldwell County ordinances
- City of Lockhart permit downloads
- City of Luling Planning & Code Enforcement
- TCEQ on-site sewage facilities
- TCEQ septic authorized agent search
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
Caldwell County permit FAQ
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Do I need a permit to build a house in unincorporated Caldwell County?
Yes. A new home, including a manufactured home, needs a $225 residential construction permit from Sanitation/Development Services, plus a septic permit if it is not on a sewer system.
How much is a septic permit in Caldwell County?
$400 for a conventional single-family system and $450 for an engineered one. Tank replacement is $100 and drain field rework $200.
Do I need a county permit for a deck, carport or new roof?
No. Decks, carports for fewer than 10 cars, roof replacement, porch enclosures, facade remodeling and sidewalks are exempt from the residential construction permit.
Does the county inspect new homes?
The county inspects septic systems and checks permit compliance on the site, but it does not carry out building code inspections. Cities inspect within their own limits.
Who issues building permits in Lockhart and Luling?
The cities themselves: Lockhart through My Government Online (512-398-3461) and Luling through its Planning & Code Enforcement Departments (830-875-5131).
What happens if I start work without a county permit?
The fee schedule doubles the fee for any development or construction started before approval.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Caldwell County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.