Ellis County administers development and septic permitting through a genuine Department of Development at 109 S. Jackson Street in Waxahachie, and it runs the whole thing on MGO Connect — with a mobile app as well as a web portal. Applicants can apply online for development and septic applications, pay fees, print receipts and permits, view project status, and send and view comments on an application.
That is a substantially more capable setup than most Texas counties offer, and it reflects Ellis County’s position on the fast-growing southern edge of the metroplex around Waxahachie, Midlothian, and Ennis.
Two things sit outside the portal and catch people. Culvert-only applications are emailed to the department with the site plan rather than filed in MGO. And the OSSF Affidavit to the Public — required for new aerobic systems and existing conventional systems — is filed online with the County Clerk, where an incorrect address or legal description will be rejected outright.
Covers unincorporated Ellis County. Waxahachie, Midlothian, Ennis, Red Oak, Ferris, and Italy permit their own territory — confirm whether the parcel is inside a city limit or an extraterritorial jurisdiction before assuming county rules apply.
Verify the address and legal description before filing the OSSF affidavit. Ellis County files these online with the County Clerk’s Office, and an incorrect address or legal description on the affidavit will not be accepted. The county directs applicants to contact the Department of Development to verify first — a five-minute check that prevents a rejected filing.
What requires a county permit in Ellis County?
The question in unincorporated Ellis County is which development and septic records your project triggers through the Department of Development, and whether the parcel sits outside the city limits and ETJs of a fast-growing corridor.
The department’s own framing is broad: it invites contact from anyone planning to purchase property, build, expand or remodel, divide land, or install a septic system. That covers most of what a rural or fringe project involves.
County record required
- Development applications through the Department of Development
- On-site sewage facility permit and application
- OSSF Affidavit to the Public — new aerobic and existing conventional systems
- Culvert sizing application for driveway culvert work
- Subdivision platting when land is divided
- 911 address assignment for new structures
- Right-of-way and access permits onto county roads
Not a county building permit
- County residential building permit of the kind a city issues
- County building code compliance — none adopted
- County trade permits for electrical, plumbing, or mechanical
- County certificate of occupancy
Ellis County building department: who handles permitting
The Ellis County Department of Development handles development and septic permitting from 109 S. Jackson Street in Waxahachie, operating the MGO Connect portal for applications, fees, receipts, permits, project status, and comment exchange with staff.
Ellis County also maintains a dedicated permitting site at ellispermits.com, separate from the main county site, which carries the applications, handouts, and portal guidance. That is the practical starting point rather than the general county homepage.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Authority | Ellis County Department of Development |
| Office | 109 S. Jackson Street, Waxahachie, TX 75165 |
| Online portal | MGO Connect — mgoconnect.org, plus Apple and Android apps |
| Portal functions | Apply, pay fees, print receipts and permits, view status, exchange comments |
| Account setup | Select "New Account" in MGO to create a customer profile |
| MGO helpdesk | 1-866-957-3764, option 1, for new accounts and technical issues |
| Culvert-only applications | Email the application and site plan to dod@elliscountytx.gov |
| OSSF affidavits | Filed online with the Ellis County Clerk’s Office |
Bookmark mgoconnect.org and download the MGO app before the first filing. The county publishes a handout with detailed instructions, and technical questions on accounts go to the MGO helpdesk rather than to county staff.
Ellis County permits: record types and what each covers
Ellis County sits between the two common Texas county patterns. It issues no municipal-style building permit, but it runs a genuine Department of Development with an online portal covering development and septic applications, fee payment, permit printing, status, and comment exchange. The records below are what that department actually administers.
What Ellis County actually issues
| Record | What triggers it | Who administers it | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| OSSF permit to construct | Installing, altering, repairing, or extending an on-site sewage facility where no public sewer is available | Ellis County Department of Development | Required statewide; soil evaluation by a licensed site evaluator is part of the application |
| OSSF license to operate | Issued after the permit to construct requirements are met and the system passes inspection | Ellis County Department of Development | Also triggered on transfer of ownership of an existing system |
| Floodplain development permit | Placing fill, setting a structure, or developing in or near a mapped special flood hazard area | County floodplain administrator | Substantial improvement and substantial damage rules attach to existing structures |
| Subdivision plat | Dividing land in the unincorporated county | Commissioners Court and county engineering | Road, drainage, and access standards apply |
| 911 address assignment | New structures and new access points needing an address | County addressing / emergency management | Usually a prerequisite for utility service |
| Right-of-way and driveway culvert | New or modified access onto a county road | County road and bridge / precinct | Culvert sizing set by drainage conditions |
| Water well registration | Drilling a water well | the applicable groundwater conservation district | Groundwater districts operate independently of the county |
| OSSF Affidavit to the Public | New aerobic systems and existing conventional systems | Filed online with the Ellis County Clerk | An incorrect address or legal description will not be accepted — verify with the DoD office |
| Culvert sizing application | Driveway culvert work | Department of Development | Culvert-only applications are emailed rather than filed in MGO |
| Ch. 233 commercial / multifamily | New commercial, public-accessible, or multifamily buildings, and substantial improvements, where the county has adopted the authority | Commissioners Court | Scope is set by county order; confirm adoption before assuming it applies |
County reaches this
- On-site sewage facilities, everywhere in the state
- Floodplain development and substantial improvement
- Subdivision of land and county road access
- Addressing, and fire code where separately adopted
County generally does not
- Issue residential building permits in unincorporated areas
- Conduct residential construction inspections
- Issue a residential certificate of occupancy
- Enforce a residential building code absent a county order adopting one
Solar permits in Ellis County
In unincorporated Ellis County there is generally no county building permit for a residential rooftop or ground-mount photovoltaic system, because the county does not regulate residential construction. That is a jurisdictional fact rather than a green light: the electrical work still has to be performed by a TDLR-licensed electrician to code, and the utility still governs interconnection.
Utility interconnection is the real gate. The interconnecting utility — the wires company in deregulated territory, or the electric cooperative serving the parcel in much of rural East Texas — runs its own application, engineering review, and Permission to Operate process, and it is not waived by the absence of a county permit.
Under Tex. Prop. Code §202.010 a property owners' association cannot prohibit a solar energy device outright, and any dedicatory provision that does is void — but the statute preserves the association's right to require prior architectural approval and to impose placement and appearance conditions. Approval cannot be unreasonably withheld.
Inside Waxahachie city limits the picture changes completely: the city permits solar like any other municipality. The jurisdiction question is the first question.
Roofing permits in Ellis County
A residential roof covering replacement in unincorporated Ellis County generally does not require a county permit, for the same reason: Texas counties have no general authority over residential construction outside city limits.
Two things still apply. If the structure sits in a mapped special flood hazard area, the county floodplain ordinance can reach the work through substantial improvement rules — and cumulative improvement value is what triggers them, so a reroof after other recent work can cross the threshold on its own. And commercial or multifamily buildings can fall under the county's Ch. 233 authority where it has been adopted.
Texas has no statewide product approval system and no central listing to check a roofing product against. Hail is the governing risk across East Texas, and impact-resistant Class 3 and Class 4 shingles carry insurance premium credits from most carriers. Under Tex. Prop. Code §202.011 a property owners' association cannot prohibit wind or hail resistant shingles, or shingles that improve energy efficiency.
Ellis County sits on the southern edge of the metroplex in the North Texas hail belt, roughly 105 mph ultimate design wind speed under the codes regional cities adopt, far from the designated catastrophe area and outside any TDI windstorm requirement. Hail governs, and spring storm cells concentrate demand across the corridor at once.
Texas has no statewide building code and no statewide general contractor license. In the unincorporated county the practical compliance surface is the trades — TDLR for electrical and mechanical, the TSBPE for plumbing — plus the county's environmental and floodplain records, rather than a building department.
Ellis County permit cost and fees
Ellis County charges development and septic permit fees per its schedule, payable in MGO Connect where receipts and permits can also be printed. There is no valuation-based building permit fee of the municipal kind.
The larger costs on a rural build are the licensed septic design and, where an aerobic system is required, the continuing maintenance obligation that follows the affidavit. Budget both before siting the house.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit | No county residential building permit of the municipal kind |
| Development application | County fee, paid through MGO Connect |
| OSSF permit | County fee plus licensed site evaluation and system design |
| OSSF affidavit | Filed with the County Clerk; recording applies |
| Culvert sizing | Application emailed to the department with a site plan |
| Subdivision plat | Filing and review fees, plus survey and engineering |
Planning a build in unincorporated Ellis County? Send us the parcel and scope and we’ll confirm jurisdiction and map the development and septic records with realistic lead times.
Ellis County trade permits
There is no county trade permit program in unincorporated Ellis County. Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work is neither permitted nor inspected by the county. On-site sewage is the exception, and it carries the deed-recorded affidavit obligation.
Electrical
No county permit or inspection. A TDLR-licensed electrician remains the standard, and TDLR retains enforcement authority in unincorporated areas.
Plumbing
No county permit for interior plumbing. The septic system is permitted through the Department of Development with a licensed design behind it.
Mechanical / HVAC
No county permit or inspection. TDLR licensure applies to the contractor regardless of whether a permit exists.
Inside a city limit
Waxahachie, Midlothian, Ennis, and Red Oak permit and inspect trades normally. Jurisdiction determines everything.
Ellis County permit application: how to apply step by step
Check against Waxahachie, Midlothian, Ennis, Red Oak, Ferris, and Italy, and against their ETJs. The southern metroplex edge has grown quickly.
Create a customer profile at mgoconnect.org or through the mobile app. Technical issues go to the MGO helpdesk at 1-866-957-3764.
Soil results determine system type and constrain house siting. Aerobic systems bring the affidavit and maintenance obligations.
Apply online, pay fees, and use the portal to exchange comments with staff and track status.
For a culvert-only application, email the application and site plan to dod@elliscountytx.gov. All others attach with the permit in MGO.
Verify the address and legal description with the department, then file online with the County Clerk. An incorrect affidavit will not be accepted.
Inspections in Ellis County
Ellis County does not run the trade-by-trade construction inspection sequence a municipal building department does. Its inspection activity centres on on-site sewage facilities as part of the permitting process.
Aerobic systems carry continuing maintenance obligations under state rules after the permit issues, documented through the Affidavit to the Public filed in the county deed records.
Private third-party inspection is worth considering on a new build. In a county that performs no building inspection, it is the only independent construction record a lender, insurer, or future buyer will have.
Ellis County permit search and official resources
- Ellis County permits — ellispermits.com
- Ellis County — permits and applications
- Ellis County — Department of Development applications
- TCEQ — on-site sewage facilities for homeowners
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
Frequently asked questions
Who issues building permits in Ellis County?
No one, for general residential construction in unincorporated areas — Ellis County has no adopted residential building code and no building inspection program. The records that do apply are administered separately: on-site sewage through Ellis County Department of Development, floodplain development through the county floodplain administrator, plats through Commissioners Court, and road access through the precincts. Inside Waxahachie city limits, the city permits normally.
How do I get a permit in Ellis County?
Start by confirming the parcel is actually unincorporated, because that single question changes everything and a mailing address will not answer it. If it is, work the records the county does issue rather than looking for a building permit: septic first, since it constrains siting and carries the longest lead time, then floodplain, plat, addressing, and road access as the project triggers them.
What codes apply in Ellis County?
Texas has no statewide building code, and Ellis County has not adopted one for unincorporated areas, so no building code is enforced there. State rules still govern on-site sewage facilities, and the county’s floodplain ordinance governs development in mapped flood hazard areas. Trade work remains subject to state licensing through TDLR and the TSBPE. Inside city limits, the municipality’s adopted codes apply in full.
Does Ellis County issue building permits?
Permits are issued through the Ellis County Department of Development at 109 S. Jackson Street in Waxahachie, but they are development and septic permits rather than municipal-style building permits with plan review and trade inspections. The department covers purchasing property, building, expanding or remodelling, dividing land, and installing septic systems. Inside Waxahachie, Midlothian, Ennis, or Red Oak, the city permits normally.
What is the OSSF Affidavit to the Public in Ellis County?
It is a deed record required for new aerobic septic systems and existing conventional systems, filed online with the Ellis County Clerk’s Office. The county warns that an incorrect address and legal description on the affidavit will not be accepted, and directs applicants to contact the Department of Development to verify first. Because it records against the property and runs with it, an error is a title issue rather than a paperwork one.
How do I apply online in Ellis County?
Through MGO Connect at mgoconnect.org, which the county recommends bookmarking, or the MGO Connect app on Apple or Android devices. Select "New Account" to set up a customer profile, or "Login" to access an existing account and view projects. You can apply for development and septic applications, pay fees, print receipts and permits, view project status, and send and view comments on an application. For new accounts and technical issues, contact the MGO helpdesk at 1-866-957-3764 and select option 1.
Do I need a permit to install solar panels in Ellis County?
Yes. Photovoltaic installations in Ellis County are permitted under a dedicated solar record type reviewed on both a structural and an electrical track. Solar thermal — passive water and pool heating — is a separate record. Under Tex. Prop. Code §202.010 a homeowners' association cannot ban a solar energy device outright, but it may still require prior architectural approval and impose reasonable placement conditions, so run the HOA submittal alongside the permit. Since September 1, 2025, Tex. Local Gov't Code §247.0025 (SB 1202) also permits third-party plan review and inspection of home backup power installations — generators and energy storage for one- and two-family dwellings at 600 volts or less — in place of jurisdiction review. Utility interconnection and Permission to Operate still run in parallel.
Does a roof replacement require a permit in Ellis County?
Yes, in most cases. A roof covering replacement requires a permit in most Texas municipalities including Ellis County, though minor repairs can fall below the local threshold. Texas has no statewide product approval system and no central product listing, so compliance runs against the locally adopted code edition and its local amendments. Hail rather than wind is the governing risk inland, and Tex. Prop. Code §202.011 bars an HOA from prohibiting wind or hail resistant shingles.
What is the difference between a residential and a commercial permit in Ellis County?
In a Texas county it is the difference between no county jurisdiction and possible county jurisdiction. Residential construction in unincorporated Ellis County is largely outside county authority. New commercial, public-accessible, and multifamily buildings, plus substantial improvements, are the categories Local Government Code ch. 233 lets a county reach — but only where Commissioners Court has adopted that authority, so confirm it rather than assuming.
Do trade permits need to be pulled separately in Ellis County?
Not in unincorporated Ellis County — there is no county trade permit program and no county trade inspection. Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work should still be performed by contractors licensed through TDLR and the TSBPE, and the septic connection is permitted and inspected separately. Inside city limits, trade permits work normally.
What happens if I file under the wrong permit type in Ellis County?
Because Ellis County does not run a building permit program, the more common failure is filing nothing at all — assuming that no building permit means no requirements, and missing the septic, floodplain, plat, or addressing record the project actually triggered. Those are enforced, and unwinding them after construction is materially harder than filing them in order.
Can I apply for all Ellis County permit types online?
Yes, and more completely than most Texas counties. MGO Connect handles development and septic applications, fee payment, receipt and permit printing, project status, and comment exchange, with both a web portal and a mobile app. Two exceptions sit outside it: culvert-only applications go by email to dod@elliscountytx.gov with the site plan, and OSSF affidavits are filed online with the County Clerk.
Simplify Ellis County permitting with Alliance Permitting
A real Department of Development with a portal and a mobile app, a deed-recorded septic affidavit where an address error is a title problem, and culvert applications that bypass the portal entirely — Ellis County is well organised and specific. Alliance Permitting is a permit expediter for Ellis County: we file in the right channel and verify the affidavit details before recording.
Trusted by leading builders and brands — including Dream Finders Homes, Tesla, Verizon, Hyatt, and Sunnova.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Ellis County because we deliver:
- Local expertise — we know the MGO Connect workflow and which Ellis County records sit outside it.
- Complete oversight — track every permit and approval across all your jobs in one place.
- Error-free submissions — AI pre-checks plus expert review catch issues before they become correction cycles.
Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company: we prepare your paperwork, file it correctly, and coordinate with the authority having jurisdiction through issuance. We are not a contractor and do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your team and the jurisdiction.
Ready to break ground in Ellis County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Ellis County permits while you stay focused on building. Get a free, no-obligation quote today.
More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general informational purposes and reflects publicly available information believed accurate as of July 2026. Permit requirements, fees, and processes change; always confirm current details with Ellis County Department of Development before filing. This is not legal advice.