Gray County does not publish a building permit or inspection program, so a house built outside Pampa, McLean or Lefors gets no county building permit. What the county does regulate is land division and its roads: the Commissioners Court approves residential subdivisions under rules in force since October 1, 2022 (a $1,000 application fee) and signs road crossing agreements for lines bored under county roads ($500 on-site inspection fee). Inside Pampa, the City’s Building Department permits new construction, repairs and remodels.
What needs county approval in Gray County?
County approvals
- A preliminary and final plat for any division outside a city that creates two or more lots of 10 acres or less meant for homes
- A Commissioners Court road crossing agreement before a pipeline, water line, flow line or cable goes under or along a county road right-of-way
- Court acceptance before the county takes over maintenance of a new road
- Court approval to amend, replat or vacate a recorded plat
Not a county permit
- Building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits for houses and businesses in the unincorporated county: the county publishes none
- Construction inside Pampa, which the City permits
- Divisions for agricultural, wildlife management or timber use, gifts or sales to a relative, or lots over 10 acres where no land is set aside for public use
- Lots sold through the Veterans Land Board, state-owned land, and transfers among owners who already held an undivided interest
Lots of 10 acres or less are presumed to be residential unless the plat and every deed restrict them to other uses. No lot may be sold until the preliminary plat is approved, and knowingly breaking the subdivision rules is a Class B misdemeanor.
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Get a free quote →Who issues permits in each part of Gray County?
The Census lists three incorporated places in Gray County: Pampa, the county seat (about 16,400 residents), McLean (about 630) and Lefors (about 430). Everything else is unincorporated and falls to the county offices below.
| Area | Who issues permits |
|---|---|
| City of Pampa | City Building Department (Public Works, Code Enforcement), City Hall, 200 W. Foster Ave., Room 204; 806-669-5740; Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4 p.m. It permits new construction and the repair or remodeling of existing buildings, and plumbing, electrical and mechanical work needs a state licence. Floodplain questions go to the Assistant Public Works Director (806-669-5750). |
| Lefors | The published sources do not say who issues building permits; ask City Hall. The state floodplain directory lists the City Secretary, 806-835-2200, as the town’s floodplain contact. |
| McLean | The published sources do not say who issues building permits in McLean; City Hall is on 806-779-2481. |
| Unincorporated county: plats, road crossings, road acceptance | Commissioners Court, through the County Judge’s office, Gray County Courthouse, 205 N. Russell, Pampa, TX 79065; 806-669-8008 |
| Septic systems | TCEQ Region 1, 5809 S. Western St., Suite 260, Amarillo, TX 79110; 806-353-9251 (TCEQ lists no local authorized agent for Gray County) |
| Unincorporated county: floodplain | Emergency Management Coordinator, 806-669-8007, listed as the county’s floodplain administrator in the Texas Water Development Board directory |
| Plat recording | County Clerk, P.O. Box 1902, Pampa, TX 79066; 806-669-8004 |
Inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Pampa, Lefors or McLean, the county may sign an interlocal agreement with that city deciding whether a new subdivision follows the city’s development rules or the county’s. Precinct commissioners can be reached directly: Precinct 1 806-662-6957, Precinct 2 806-773-4224, Precinct 3 806-662-6222 and Precinct 4 806-662-7331.
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Get a free quote →Gray County fees
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Application to create a subdivision (preliminary plat) | $1,000, covering county inspections and staff time |
| Plat filing and recording | Charged separately by the County Clerk |
| Road crossing agreement | $500 on-site inspection fee |
| Road crossing for agricultural use | No fee, if a majority of the Commissioners Court approves |
The subdivision rules refer amending plats, replats and plat vacations to the county’s adopted fee schedule, which is not posted on the county website. The court will not accept or review a plat from anyone who owes the county delinquent taxes or fees until they are paid or a payment arrangement is made.
How to get a subdivision plat approved in Gray County
Notify the County Judge or the commissioner for your precinct that you intend to create a subdivision.
The precinct commissioner sets up an informal meeting with county staff, hands over the rules and the application, which doubles as the preliminary plat checklist, and goes over the fee.
Ask for a place on a Commissioners Court agenda and present the plat, the application and the $1,000 fee. The plat shows every lot’s size, the roads, easements, contours, a drainage plan and any housing size limits in the deeds.
Once the plat passes the completeness check the court must act within 30 days, or the plat is deemed approved; where groundwater certification is needed the 30 days start when it is filed. A denial comes within 10 days with a list of deficiencies.
Preliminary approval lasts 2 years, with one 1-year extension. The final plat adds the water and wastewater arrangements, utility providers’ written agreement and road names and 9-1-1 numbers set with the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission. A developer can instead skip the preliminary stage by posting a bond for the roads and drainage.
Give the court 5 copies; once approved, the final plat on 4 mil mylar, signed by every utility provider, is recorded with the County Clerk. It lapses after 2 years if construction has not started.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Road, water and septic rules in the county
Water and septic: a subdivision needs a 30-year water supply, either from a utility or from groundwater certified by a licensed engineer or hydrologist. Lots with their own well and septic system must meet Panhandle Groundwater Conservation District and state requirements, wells must be drilled by a Texas-licensed driller and septic systems installed by a Texas-licensed installer. Pit privies and portable toilets are not accepted on platted lots. No local authorized agent runs septic permitting in Gray County, so permits for individual systems come from the TCEQ Region 1 office in Amarillo.
Floodplain: development in a special flood hazard area is not allowed on a subdivision plat, and the county may set flood standards stricter than FEMA’s minimum.
Rather not deal with the Gray County building department?
Get a free quote →Roads: new county roads need at least 80 ft of right-of-way and a 24-ft roadbed with 6 inches of compacted caliche and a 3% crown, culverts of at least 24 inches, and cul-de-sacs no longer than 600 ft with a 40-ft turnaround radius. Lots with 90 ft or more of frontage may have two driveways at least 20 ft apart; narrower lots get one. The court does not have to accept a road for maintenance and may have it inspected by an engineer at the developer’s cost.
Setbacks and easements: where there is no adopted fire code and no water lines sized for firefighting, buildings sit at least 10 ft from roads and 5 ft from adjacent property lines, and utility easements are at least 15 ft wide.
Road crossings: under the agreement approved April 15, 2024, lines are bored under the full width of the road and cased from one right-of-way line to the other, at least 36 inches below the ditch, never within 50 ft of a bridge end or 20 ft of a culvert. Give the County Judge’s office and the commissioner at least 2 days’ notice before work starts, backfill the top 24 inches with crushed lime rock, add a copper tracer wire to non-metallic pipe and mark each crossing above ground; every crossing must appear on the county road map.
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 →Gray County official resources
- Gray County regulations: subdivision rules and road crossing form
- Gray County Subdivision Rules, effective October 1, 2022 (Word)
- Gray County Road Crossing Agreement, April 2024 (PDF)
- County Judge
- Commissioners Court
- County Clerk
- Texas Water Development Board floodplain administrator directory
- City of Pampa Building Department
- TCEQ authorized agent search
- TCEQ regional offices
Gray County permit FAQs
Do I need a county building permit to build a house in rural Gray County?
No. The county publishes no building permit or inspection program for the unincorporated area. A new lot of 10 acres or less still has to be on an approved plat, and a subdivision’s lots need a 30-year water supply and a licensed septic installation or a sewer connection.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Who issues building permits in Pampa?
The City of Pampa Building Department at City Hall, 200 W. Foster Ave., Room 204 (806-669-5740), for new construction, repairs and remodels inside the city.
How much does a subdivision plat cost in Gray County?
The application fee is $1,000, plus the County Clerk’s recording fees.
How long does plat approval take?
The Commissioners Court must act within 30 days of a complete plat being presented, or it is deemed approved.
Do I need permission to run a line under a county road?
Yes. Sign the county road crossing agreement and pay the $500 on-site inspection fee; agricultural crossings can be exempted from the fee by court vote.
Who is the floodplain contact for unincorporated Gray County?
The county Emergency Management Coordinator, 806-669-8007, according to the state floodplain administrator directory.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Gray County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.