Gaines County government has no building permit or building inspection office, so houses in the unincorporated county are not permitted or inspected by the county. The Commissioners Court regulates land division under its February 2025 subdivision rules ($750 plus $25 per lot), approves utility bores under county roads ($100 per crossing for local applicants), and requires septic systems to meet South Plains Public Health District rules. Inside Seminole and Seagraves, the city issues building, plumbing and electrical permits.
What needs county approval in Gaines County?
County approvals
- A plat approved by the Commissioners Court before land outside a city is divided into lots
- An infrastructure plan for a manufactured home rental community, approved before construction starts or utilities are connected
- A Commissioners Court order before boring or laying a line under a county road
- An approved sewer connection or septic (OSSF) system for every building people will live in
- A 9-1-1 rural address when a house, mobile home or portable building is built or moved onto a site
Not a county permit
- Building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits for homes and businesses outside the cities: the county publishes no such permit
- Construction inside Seminole, Seagraves or Denver City, which the cities handle
A plat is not required where every lot is more than 10 acres and nothing is dedicated to public use, where the land stays in agricultural use, or where four or fewer lots go to close relatives. An owner using one of these exceptions can register the division with the County Clerk by filing the recorded deed with its metes and bounds, a survey of the lots and an acknowledgement that every lot stays subject to the septic rules.
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Get a free quote →Who issues permits in each part of Gaines County?
The Census lists two cities in Gaines County, Seminole (the county seat, about 7,700 residents) and Seagraves (about 2,400), plus an unpopulated sliver of Denver City, which lies almost entirely in Yoakum County.
| Area | Who issues permits |
|---|---|
| City of Seminole | City Code Enforcement/Permits, 409 N.W. Avenue F, 432-758-3705: building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits and inspections, applied for online through the City’s iWorQ portal |
| City of Seagraves | City of Seagraves, (806) 387-2593: building, plumbing and electrical permits on the City’s own application form |
| Denver City (Gaines County part) | City Hall, 102 W. 3rd St., Denver City, 806-592-5426 |
| Unincorporated county: plats, rental communities, road crossings | County Judge and Commissioners Court, Gaines County Courthouse, 101 South Main Street, Room 201, Seminole; 432-758-4058 |
| Septic systems, whole county including the cities | Gaines County is TCEQ’s authorized agent for the entire county, and South Plains Public Health District runs the program for it |
| 9-1-1 rural addresses | Gaines County Law Enforcement Center, 305 E. Ave A, Seminole; (432) 758-4023, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. weekdays |
Within a city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, a plat can be filed only with the authorization of both the city and the county, and where their rules differ the stricter one applies. The courthouse main line is 432-758-5411 and the County Clerk, who records approved plats, is on 432-758-4003.
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Get a free quote →County fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Subdivision plat or rental-community plan | $750 base fee plus $25 per lot, space or divided part, plus County Clerk recording fees |
| Variance request | $100 (no fee for a septic repair or upgrade) |
| South Plains Public Health District subdivision septic review | $10 per lot, paid to the District |
| Road crossing or bore, Gaines County resident or business | $100 per crossing |
| Road crossing or bore, out-of-county applicant | $500 per crossing |
County fees are paid in full by cashier’s check or money order, made out to Gaines County and delivered to the County Judge’s office with the application; partial payments are refused and an application without its fee is incomplete. The health district charges its own permit fees for individual septic systems, which the county does not publish.
How to get a plat approved in Gaines County
The county recommends meeting the County Judge or the commissioner for your precinct at least 14 days before you apply.
If lots will use septic systems, send South Plains Public Health District the site map, topographic map, FEMA floodplain map, soil survey, well locations, drainage plan and $10 per lot; it answers within 45 days of a complete package.
Ask the electric and gas providers for a service letter, and if the lots will rely on groundwater, have a Texas-licensed engineer or geoscientist certify that enough is available.
Hand the notarised plat application, the plat drawn by a Texas registered surveyor, the checklist items and the fee to the County Judge’s office by noon on the Wednesday before the court meeting.
The County Judge’s office has 10 business days to list anything missing, and the court must act within 30 days of a complete application unless you agree to an extension of up to 30 days.
After approval, the three signed mylar originals go to the developer, the County Clerk and the appraisal district. No septic system may be installed on a subdivision lot until the plat is recorded.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Lot, septic, floodplain and road rules
Lot size and setbacks: a lot without community water or sewer must be at least 1 acre; with community water but a septic system, at least half an acre. Buildings sit at least 25 ft from the road right-of-way and 10 ft from the back line (5 ft on lots under half an acre).
Septic sizing: every home, including manufactured homes, guest houses and tiny homes, needs an approved sewer or septic system. A dwelling of up to 1,500 sq ft with two bedrooms or fewer still needs a system designed for at least 180 gallons a day. The health district considers smaller-lot variances only for lots that existed before September 1, 1989.
Floodplain: plats and rental-community plans must show any floodplain, flood zone and floodway, and a building inside the floodplain needs a finished floor at least 1 ft above the base flood elevation.
Rather not deal with the Gaines County building department?
Get a free quote →Road crossings: talk to your commissioner first, then file the petition (approved April 9, 2025) by the Wednesday before court. Approved bores run at least 48 inches below the bottom of the ditch, work is allowed Monday to Thursday only and never on county holidays, and a copy of the court’s order must be on site.
Rental communities: tenants may not move into a manufactured home rental community until the Commissioners Court has approved all the construction in its infrastructure plan.
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 →Gaines County official resources
- Commissioners Court: subdivision rules and road crossing permits
- Subdivision and Manufactured Home Rental Community Regulations, February 2025 (PDF)
- Road crossing petition form, April 2025 (PDF)
- 9-1-1 rural addressing
- County offices phone directory
- City of Seminole Code Enforcement/Permits
- City of Seminole online permit portal
- City of Seagraves permit application (PDF)
- Denver City building permits
- TCEQ authorized agent search
Gaines County permit FAQs
Do I need a county building permit to build a house outside Seminole or Seagraves?
No. Gaines County publishes no building permit, but the house needs an approved septic system or sewer connection, a 9-1-1 address, and a lot that was platted or falls under a plat exception.
Who issues building permits in Seminole?
The City of Seminole’s Code Enforcement/Permits office at 409 N.W. Avenue F (432-758-3705) issues building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits and inspects the work.
How much does it cost to plat a subdivision in Gaines County?
$750 plus $25 per lot, plus recording fees, and $10 per lot to South Plains Public Health District if septic systems will be used.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How long does plat approval take?
The Commissioners Court must decide within 30 days of a complete application, extendable by up to 30 days if you agree in writing.
How do I get permission to bore under a county road?
Contact your precinct commissioner, then file the road crossing petition with the County Judge’s office by the Wednesday before court. The fee is $100 per crossing for county residents and $500 for out-of-county applicants.
Can I do my own plumbing or wiring in Seagraves?
The City’s permit form allows an owner who lives in the house to do their own plumbing and electrical work, with inspections. Anyone else, including on rental houses and businesses, must be or employ a Texas-licensed plumber or electrician.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Gaines County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.