Fannin County has no general building permit for houses outside the cities. Its Development Services and Environmental Development offices in Bonham handle septic permits ($375 for a home), floodplain permits ($30), plats, and the building permit required for new structures over 1,000 sq ft within 5,000 ft of Bois d’Arc Lake or Lake Ralph Hall, with applications filed online in MGO Connect. Bonham also permits new homes and commercial buildings in its ETJ.
What needs a county permit in Fannin County?
County permits
- A septic system (on-site sewage facility): new, commercial or repair
- Any construction in the floodplain (floodplain development permit)
- New structures over 1,000 sq ft within 5,000 ft of Bois d’Arc Lake or Lake Ralph Hall (Lake Area Development permit)
- Commercial buildings, public buildings and apartment buildings of 4 or more units (fire code permit)
- Driveway culverts, road bores and utility work in county right-of-way
- Plats for rural subdivisions, unless every new tract is over 10 acres and no streets are laid out
- Manufactured home rental communities, RV parks and junkyards
No county building permit
- Single-family homes outside the lake zones and the Bonham ETJ
- Remodels and expansions of existing homes, even in the lake zones
- Agricultural buildings such as barns, and accessory buildings on lake-zone lots of 2 acres or more
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work
Rural 9-1-1 addresses are issued online by the Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG), and a TCOG address letter is required for every septic application.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who issues permits in Fannin County?
| Area or work | Who issues permits |
|---|---|
| Bonham, and new homes and commercial buildings in the Bonham ETJ | City of Bonham, under its ETJ interlocal agreement with the county; 903-583-7555 ext. 113, permits@cityofbonham.org |
| Leonard | The City; applications at City Hall or permits@cityofleonard.net, inspections by SAFEbuilt, processing 7–10 business days |
| Honey Grove | The City, with its own building permit application and fee schedule; 903-378-3033 |
| Ladonia | City Hall, 903-367-7011 |
| Savoy | The City, under its own permit fee schedule |
| Trenton (Fannin County part) | The City, on its residential and commercial permit application, with contractor registration; City Hall, 216 Hamilton St., 903-989-2237 |
| Whitewright (Fannin County part) | The Town, which posts residential and commercial permit applications and a contractor registration form; 903-364-2000 |
| Windom | The Town’s permits page posts its permit fees, contractor registration and residential and commercial applications; City Hall, 406 Main St., 903-623-3425 |
| Bailey, Dodd City, Ector, Ravenna and the Fannin County part of Pecan Gap | The published sources do not say; ask city hall (Bailey 903-583-6111, Dodd City 903-583-7710, Ector 903-961-2495) |
| Septic systems, unincorporated county and the City of Bonham | Environmental Development, East Annex, 1203 E. Sam Rayburn Drive, Bonham; 903-583-7495, septicpermits@fanninco.net |
| Septic systems inside the other towns | TCEQ lists no local agent there, so its Region 4 office is the permitting authority |
| Plats, lake-zone building permits, right-of-way and culverts | Development Services, 1203 E. Sam Rayburn Drive, Bonham; 903-449-4220, development@fanninco.net |
| Floodplain permits and fire code permits | Floodplain Administrator and Fire Marshal, 2375 Silo Road, Bonham; 903-640-8484 |
The county posts ETJ interlocal agreements with Bonham, Dodd City, Honey Grove, Ladonia, Leonard, Savoy and Trenton. Under Savoy’s agreement, for example, the City has exclusive authority over subdivision plats in its ETJ.
County permits, fees and documents
Septic (on-site sewage) permits: applications need the owner-signed form (the owner’s full name even if the land is held by an LLC or trust), a site and soil evaluation and design by a registered sanitarian or professional engineer, the recorded deed, a notarized affidavit filed with the County Clerk, the TCOG address letter, a two-year maintenance contract, and the floodplain or building permit where one applies. A permit expires one year after the Authorization to Construct.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Permit or review | Fee |
|---|---|
| Septic permit, residential / commercial | $375 / $550 |
| Septic repair | $150 |
| Septic re-inspection | $100 |
| Paper septic application | $50 extra |
| Septic variance | $1,500 |
| Floodplain development permit | $30 |
| Fire code permit, commercial or public building | $100 per 1,000 sq ft |
| Preliminary plat | $500 + $50 per lot, plus engineering ($600 for 1–20 lots) |
| Final plat | $250 + $50 per lot, plus engineering |
| Civil plan review | $3,000 |
| Flood study review | $2,000 |
| Subdivision construction inspection | $1,000 or 2% of street and drainage cost |
Floodplain permits: upload to MGO the county application, a FEMA flood map showing the property, buildings and septic system, a base flood elevation certificate by a registered architect, engineer or land surveyor, and topographic information. Incomplete applications are not evaluated, and an application expires one year after purchase.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Fire code permits: the county’s 2024 International Fire Code, adopted July 7, 2026, applies to new commercial establishments, public buildings and apartment buildings of 4 or more units in the unincorporated area. Applications go to the Fire Marshal by email as PDFs, and the Fire Marshal must issue or deny the permit within 30 days.
How to get county approvals for a rural build
Check whether the land is inside a city, in the Bonham ETJ, or within 5,000 ft of Bois d’Arc Lake or Lake Ralph Hall.
The septic application needs TCOG’s address letter.
If any construction is in the floodplain, get a base flood elevation certificate and apply for the $30 floodplain permit.
Have a registered sanitarian or professional engineer do the soil evaluation and design, then file the septic application with the deed, affidavit and maintenance contract.
New structures over 1,000 sq ft in a lake zone need a Lake Area Development (Building) Permit, decided within 30 business days.
Create one account and submit the county applications and payments online.
Lake zones, inspections and permit life
Lake Area Development (Building) Permit: within 5,000 ft of the shoreline of Bois d’Arc Lake or Lake Ralph Hall, every new structure over 1,000 sq ft needs this permit before construction starts. Barns and other agricultural buildings, remodels or expansions of existing homes, and accessory buildings on lots of 2 acres or more are exempt. Submit three complete copies with maps and plans, one application per building. If the county does not act within 30 business days, the application is treated as approved. The permit lasts six months, can be renewed twice for six months each, and work not finished within 18 months needs a new permit. The Bois d’Arc Lake Zoning Commission normally meets on the first Thursday of each month.
Rather not deal with the Fannin County building department?
Get a free quote →Fire code inspections: the Fire Marshal must begin an inspection within five business days of a written request.
The county does not inspect homes outside the lake zones; trade inspections happen only where a city issues permits.
Local Fannin County details
Lot sizes: since January 20, 2026, land can be divided without a plat only when every new tract is more than 10 acres and no streets are laid out. Subdivision lots on septic must be at least 1 acre, or 2 acres with both a water well and a septic system.
Right-of-way: driveway culverts, road bores and utility lines in a county road right-of-way need a permit to work in the public right-of-way before any digging; the Commissioners Court sets the fee each year.
Burning: call Sheriff’s Office dispatch at 903-583-2143 before any outdoor burn to check whether it is a burn day and register the burn.
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 →Fannin County official permit resources
- Fannin County Development Services
- Environmental Development (septic permits)
- Septic permit checklist and fees (May 2026)
- Emergency Management and Floodplain Management
- How to obtain a floodplain development permit
- Fannin County Subdivision Regulations
- Bois d’Arc Lake Zoning Regulations
- Lake Ralph Hall Zoning Regulations
- Fannin County Fire Code order (2024 IFC)
- City of Bonham building permits
- City of Leonard permit applications
Fannin County permit FAQ
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Do I need a building permit to build a house in rural Fannin County?
Not from the county in most places. You do need one if the house is over 1,000 sq ft and within 5,000 ft of Bois d’Arc Lake or Lake Ralph Hall, or from the City of Bonham if it is in Bonham’s ETJ. A septic permit is required either way if the house uses one.
How much is a septic permit in Fannin County?
$375 for a home and $550 for a commercial system; repairs cost $150 and re-inspections $100.
How do I get a floodplain permit?
Apply in MGO Connect with the county floodplain application, a FEMA flood map and a base flood elevation certificate. The permit costs $30, and the Floodplain Administrator is at 903-640-8484.
Can I split my land without a plat?
Only if every new tract is more than 10 acres and you do not lay out any streets or other public areas.
Who issues building permits in Bonham and Leonard?
Each city issues its own. Bonham’s permit office is at 903-583-7555 ext. 113, and Leonard takes applications at permits@cityofleonard.net.
Simplify Fannin 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.
Ready to break ground in Fannin County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Fannin County permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Fannin County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.