Fayette County does not issue building permits, zoning approvals or certificates of occupancy for the unincorporated county. What it does require, before any construction or site work outside a city, is a development permit from its Office of Floodplain Administration ($20 for land outside the mapped floodplain, $100 inside it), plus a septic permit from the County Inspector ($250 for a standard home system). La Grange, Schulenburg, Flatonia and the other towns run their own permit offices.
What needs a county permit in Fayette County?
The county’s development permit is broad. The application lists homes, barns, outbuildings, garages, fencing, septic systems, driveways, water wells, power and telephone poles, ponds, culverts, bridges, spillways and dams, and even brush clearing along creeks, as development that needs a permit in the unincorporated area.
County approvals
- Development permit: Class A (Zone X, outside the 1% annual chance floodplain) or Class B (Zones A, approximate A and AE)
- On-site sewage facility (septic) permit for new systems, repairs, alterations and tank replacements
- Driveway and culvert permit, signed by the commissioner of the precinct
- Plat approval when land is subdivided outside a city
- 9-1-1 address request
- Oil and gas development permits, mass gathering permits, RV park rules, temporary water lines and pipeline bores in county road right-of-way
Not issued by the county
- Building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits for rural homes and buildings
- Zoning: the county has no zoning authority over private property use
- Certificates or letters of occupancy
- Any permit inside an incorporated town
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who issues permits in each part of Fayette County?
All county permit offices are in Room 307 of the Courthouse, 151 N. Washington St., La Grange. Floodplain Manager Kelly Blackwell handles development permits (979-968-6469, fax 979-968-8621). County Inspector Amber Hielscher handles septic permits and inspections (979-968-1809); TCEQ lists the County as its septic agent for the unincorporated area and the City of La Grange, and names no local agent in the other towns, where its Region 11 office in Austin issues septic permits. Inside the seven incorporated places, the town is the permit office:
| Area | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| La Grange (county seat) | City Building Department: building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, gas and floodplain development permits; inspections 979-968-5805, applications to permits@cityoflg.com |
| Schulenburg | City of Schulenburg, City Hall at 210 East Avenue (Monday to Friday, 7:30 to 4:30); a City residential inspector, with commercial inspections by Bureau Veritas |
| Flatonia | City of Flatonia, 125 E. South Main (361-865-3548), whose website has its own building permit and inspections pages |
| Fayetteville | City office, paper permit forms with a $25 base fee per permit; office open weekdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Round Top | Town of Round Top, 202 N. Live Oak Street, through its iWorQ online permit portal |
| Carmine | City of Carmine, which says a permit is needed for all building work |
| Ellinger | An incorporated city (the County’s community page still calls it unincorporated) whose website posts no building permit process; its manufactured home ordinance (2023-02) makes the Mayor the issuing officer for manufactured home permits. City office, 101 West Shumacher, 979-404-9000 |
| Unincorporated county | No building permit; County development, septic and driveway permits apply |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →County permit fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Development permit, Class A (no floodplain on the development area) | $20 |
| Development permit, Class B (any part in the 1% annual chance floodplain) | $100 |
| New residential septic system, non-aerobic | $250 |
| New residential aerobic system | $350 |
| New commercial septic system, non-aerobic | $400 |
| New commercial aerobic system | $450 |
| Minor septic repair (enlarging tanks or drain field, spray area relocation, one tank replacement) | $100 |
| Major septic repair or replacement, or any repair to an unpermitted system | $200 residential, $400 commercial |
| Septic re-inspection after a failed inspection | $100 |
The septic fees are the County’s schedule in effect since January 1, 2017. Both offices take cash or a check made payable to Fayette County, and septic fees are not refundable.
How to get county approval to build outside a town
The property owner (not an agent) calls 979-968-6469 or emails the Floodplain office for a map of the parcel and the Permit Application for Proposed Development.
If the map shows no floodplain, complete Parts I and II; if any part of the parcel is in the floodplain, add Part III with plans, a surveyor’s latitude and longitude or an engineer’s Elevation Certificate as requested. A blank answer sends the form back unreviewed.
Take the property ID and legal description from the Fayette County Appraisal District, have the system planned, and mail or deliver the application and fee to Room 307.
Before cutting a driveway or laying a culvert onto a county road, obtain the signed permit of the commissioner for your precinct.
Display the development permit at the job site where it can be seen from the nearest road.
The County Inspector inspects and approves the system before it is used.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Floodplain building rules and county inspections
For a Class B permit, the lowest floor of a home, basement included, must sit at least 3 ft above the base flood elevation, and the same 3 ft rule applies to non-residential buildings and to utility lines, switches and equipment. Where no base flood elevation has been set, the owner pays a licensed professional engineer to establish one and submits a preliminary Elevation Certificate. An engineer must certify the floor elevation or flood-proofing, and water and sewer connections need automatic backflow devices. The County’s flood maps use a FIRM effective date of October 11, 2006.
The Floodplain Administrator may make scheduled and unscheduled inspections during business hours, and breaking the Flood Damage Prevention Regulations is a Class B misdemeanor. Driveway culverts must be corrugated galvanized metal pipe laid at a grade of at least 1/8 inch per foot, between 20 ft and 75 ft long, with safety end treatments on pipes over 30 inches; the precinct commissioner can inspect them and order changes.
Subdividing land in Fayette County
The Subdivision Regulations were last revised on June 25, 2026. Any division that creates 5 or more lots within 24 months must be platted, every lot (platted or exempt) needs a minimum width and depth of 170 ft, and each new lot needs at least 1 acre of buildable land outside the FEMA 1% annual chance flood zone. Utilities may not connect subdivided land until they have a written plat approval or a determination that no plat is needed.
Rather not deal with the Fayette County building department?
Get a free quote →Exceptions include land used for agriculture, ranching, wildlife management or timber, lots all larger than 10 acres with nothing dedicated to the public, and divisions into four or fewer parts for relatives, where each daughter tract needs its own access to a public road at least 30 ft wide (a shared family access must be at least 40 ft wide).
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 →Fayette County official resources
- Fayette County Floodplain Management
- Permit Application for Proposed Development (PDF)
- Flood Damage Prevention Regulations (PDF)
- Sewage and Wastewater / Subdivision Regulations Department
- Septic permit fees (PDF)
- Septic permit application instructions (PDF)
- Subdivision Regulations, revised June 2026 (PDF)
- Driveway Standards (PDF)
- Zoning and certificate of occupancy letter (PDF)
- County forms, permits and applications
- City of La Grange Building Permits and Inspections
- City of Schulenburg Building Permits and Inspections
- TCEQ on-site sewage facility permits
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
Fayette County permit FAQs
Do I need a building permit for a house in rural Fayette County?
No county building permit is issued, but the County requires a development permit before you build and a septic permit if the house uses a septic system.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a Fayette County development permit?
$20 when the development area is outside the floodplain and $100 when any part of it is inside.
How much is a septic permit in Fayette County?
$250 for a standard residential system and $350 for an aerobic one; commercial systems are $400 and $450.
Does Fayette County issue certificates of occupancy?
No. The County’s permitting office says it does not issue letters of occupancy and has no zoning authority over private property.
Who issues building permits in La Grange?
The City of La Grange Building Department, not the County. Inspections are booked on 979-968-5805.
Do I need a permit for a driveway onto a county road?
Yes. The commissioner of your precinct must sign a driveway permit before the driveway or culvert is built.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Fayette County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.