Calhoun County, Texas Building Permit Guide

In unincorporated Calhoun County, the permit you need before building is a development permit from the county Floodplain Administration at 211 S. Ann Street, Suite 301, Port Lavaca (361-553-4455). It costs $60, can be filed through the county’s iWorQ portal, is reviewed in 2–3 business days and expires after 6 months. Septic systems are permitted by the Victoria County Public Health Department for Calhoun County ($80), and Port Lavaca, Seadrift and Point Comfort issue their own building permits.

What needs a county permit in Calhoun County?

The county’s development permit application covers residential, commercial and RV park projects, for new construction, repairs, additions, remodels and moving a building. It records the foundation and roof type, the square footage of living space, garage and porches, and how the site gets water and sewage.

Who issues the permits in Calhoun County?

The county does not run a building code or building inspection program for unincorporated land. The development permit enforces the Flood Damage Prevention Order, and the Floodplain Administrator must approve a building before the final utility connections are made.

Septic systems, wells and utilities

• Septic (OSSF): Calhoun County is a TCEQ authorized agent, and the Victoria County Public Health Department’s Environmental Services Division reviews applications, site evaluations and plans and inspects systems for it. A licensed site evaluator must assess the soil first. The Calhoun County permit fee is $80, the same for residential and commercial systems, and includes the state fee, permit and inspections; flood zone questions go to the Calhoun County Floodplain Administration.
• Water wells: the development permit form asks owners of new wells to contact the Groundwater Conservation District at 361-482-0357.
• Utility hook-ups: utilities may not make final connections until the Floodplain Administrator has approved the building.
• Electrical, plumbing and mechanical: the county issues no trade permits outside the cities; inside Port Lavaca, Seadrift and Point Comfort, ask the city.

Calhoun County fees and filing

• Development permit: $60. On the paper form, pay by check or money order to Calhoun County or exact cash; the form says cards are not accepted at the counter, while the iWorQ portal offers a credit card payment link.
• Septic permit: $80 through Victoria County Public Health.
• Culvert permit: no additional charge from the precinct Commissioner.

Plans are preferred electronically; paper plans may be no larger than 8½ by 11 inches. Development permits expire 6 months after they are issued.

What the development permit application needs

• Owner and contractor names and contact details
• Legal description (lot, block, property ID and subdivision) and street address
• Use, square footage, class of work, foundation and roof type
• Water and sewage source
• Flood zone and map panel (community number 480097), elevation at the site and first-floor elevation
• In zones AE or VE, a survey showing natural ground elevation, and an Elevation Certificate by an engineer or licensed surveyor before work starts
• The project cost and a copy of the plans

How to get a development permit in Calhoun County

Inspections and flood-zone rules

The county does not inspect buildings against a building code. Its checks are tied to the flood rules: the Floodplain Administrator approves the structure before final utility connections, and in zones AE and VE a Finished Construction Elevation Certificate is due within 60 days of completion. Septic systems are inspected by Victoria County’s designated representatives. Violating the Flood Damage Prevention Order is a Class C misdemeanor for each day.

• Zones AE and VE: living space, furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, appliances and electrical panels must be at or above the base flood elevation; space below it is limited to parking, storage and access.
• Zone AE: enclosed space below the base flood elevation needs flood openings of 1 square inch for every square foot of enclosure.
• Zone VE: buildings go on pilings or columns certified by an engineer or architect, with breakaway walls below; fill may not be used for structural support, mobile and manufactured homes are not allowed, and nothing may be built seaward of mean high tide. Fences must be open, no higher than 5 feet, and permitted.

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

Calhoun County permit search and official resources

• Calhoun County Flood Plain Administration
• Calhoun County iWorQ permit portal
• Application for Development Permit (2024)
• Calhoun County Flood Damage Prevention Order
• Calhoun County subdivision regulations
• Victoria County Public Health OSSF program (serves Calhoun County)
• OSSF fee schedule for Victoria, DeWitt and Calhoun counties
• City of Port Lavaca permits
• City of Seadrift building permits
• Texas Department of Insurance windstorm information
• TCEQ: Getting a Septic Permit

Calhoun County permit FAQ

Do I need a building permit in unincorporated Calhoun County?

There is no county building permit, but you need the county’s $60 development permit from the Floodplain Administration before building, adding on, repairing or moving a structure.

How long does a Calhoun County development permit take?

The county says online applications are reviewed within 2–3 business days. The permit then expires after 6 months.

Who issues septic permits in Calhoun County?

The Victoria County Public Health Department’s Environmental Services Division, under an agreement with Calhoun County. The permit fee is $80.

Can I put a manufactured home in a VE flood zone?

No. The county’s rules do not allow mobile or manufactured homes in VE zones.

Who issues building permits in Port Lavaca and Seadrift?

Each city issues its own: Port Lavaca through its permit portal and office, Seadrift through City Hall (361-785-2251) and its building inspector.

Simplify Calhoun County permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Texas. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Calhoun County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.