Outside its four towns, Lavaca County has no building permit for houses; what it requires before any construction is a development (floodplain) permit from the county’s Permit, Inspection and Floodplain office in the Hallettsville courthouse (361-798-2301), which costs $20 for a home or business. A new septic system also needs a county permit, starting at $250, filed by a TCEQ-licensed installer.
What needs a county permit in Lavaca County?
For land outside the incorporated cities, the county regulates construction through its Flood Damage Prevention Order, its on-site sewage facility order and its subdivision regulations. It does not review building plans or inspect framing, wiring or plumbing on rural homes.
County permits
- Development permit (floodplain determination) before any construction, including placing a manufactured home or making substantial improvements
- Septic (OSSF) permit to install, replace or repair a system, on every parcel that needs one
- Subdivision plat, or a Certificate of Exemption, before any lot or tract is sold
- Driveway and culvert permit on a county road
- Pipeline crossings, temporary waterlines and oil and gas well or platform sites
Not a county permit
- Building, electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits for homes in the unincorporated county
- Building permits inside Hallettsville, Moulton, Shiner and Yoakum, which the cities handle
- Septic systems inside incorporated cities, which the county’s septic order does not cover
Who issues permits in Lavaca County?
One office at the courthouse, 109 N. LaGrange Street (P.O. Box 243), Hallettsville, TX 77964, handles development permits, floodplain determinations, subdivision plats and county road permits. Nailene Ruppert is the Flood Plain Administrator. Septic applications go to the county’s OSSF Designated Representative, who works by appointment at the courthouse.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Permit, Inspection and Floodplain Administration | 361-798-2301 (county forms also list 361-798-5310); nailener@co.lavaca.tx.us |
| OSSF Designated Representative | 361-772-4296; ndean@co.lavaca.tx.us; appointment needed to drop off an application packet |
| Driveways on county roads | The County Commissioner for the road’s precinct signs the permit |
| Area | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated Lavaca County | No county building permit; county development, septic, plat and road permits apply |
| Hallettsville | City of Hallettsville Permits, online in VertexPlans; 361-798-3681, permits@cityofhallettsville.org |
| Shiner | City of Shiner, City Hall at 802 N Avenue E; 361-594-3362 |
| Yoakum (partly in DeWitt County) | City of Yoakum, City Hall at 808 Hwy 77-A South; 361-293-6321. The City requires permits for building and development, plumbing and gas, electrical and mechanical work |
| Moulton | City of Moulton, whose Chapter 3 Building Regulations cover homes and commercial buildings in town; City Hall at 102 S. Main Street, 361-596-4621 |
County permit fees and septic rules
Lavaca County is TCEQ’s authorized agent for septic systems outside the incorporated cities. A homeowner may not install or maintain a system; a licensed site evaluator or engineer assesses the soil, a licensed designer draws the system, and the installer you choose applies on your behalf. The county holds a septic application until a development permit for the property has been issued.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Development permit, residential or commercial | $20 |
| Pipeline development permit | $20 application plus $100 for each flood zone crossed |
| Oil and gas well or platform site | $20 per well or rig |
| Septic, standard residential system | $250 |
| Septic, residential aerobic system | $275, including a $25 maintenance contract fee |
| Septic, commercial system | $300 ($325 aerobic) |
| Subdivision plat, no designated floodplain | $2,000 plus $10 per lot |
| Subdivision plat in a designated floodplain | $2,500 plus $10 per lot |
| Final plat | $250 |
The county’s septic page says the Designated Representative approves or denies an application within 30 days, while its program sheet says complete applications are reviewed within 5 business days. No work on the system may start until the installer has the Approval to Construct.
What goes in the application packets
The floodplain determination application asks for the owner’s details, the legal description and physical location (with the 911 address if known), and an aerial map showing the building site when the tract is larger than 2 acres. You tick whether it is a possible purchase, new construction, a manufactured home or a substantial improvement, and give the improvement’s estimated cost.
The septic packet, usually assembled by the installer, contains:
- OSSF application
- Site and soil evaluation by a licensed evaluator or professional engineer
- Scaled design and system specifications
- Recorded, signed affidavit for required maintenance
- Warranty deed
- Map to the location
- Signed maintenance contract, where the system needs one
- The permit fee, payable to Lavaca County
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →How to permit a rural home site in Lavaca County
If the lot is inside Hallettsville, Moulton, Shiner or Yoakum, apply to that city; otherwise the county process below applies.
Send the determination application and $20 fee to the courthouse office before any work. Outside the flood hazard area, the county releases the other permits once fees are paid.
In a Special Flood Hazard Area, file a floodplain development permit application with an elevation certificate from a licensed surveyor; floodway sites have further requirements.
Book an appointment with the Designated Representative to hand in the packet, then wait for the Approval to Construct.
For access onto a county road, complete the driveway and culvert permit and call the precinct Commissioner at least 24 hours before work starts. The permit lasts 90 days.
Once installed, the system is inspected; if nothing needs correcting, the county issues a Notice of Approval to Operate.
Inspections in the unincorporated county
The only county construction inspection is on the septic system: call the Designated Representative at 361-772-4296 to schedule it. If the installation and drawing are correct, the county issues a Notice of Approval to Operate and records the inspection date as the system’s start-up date for maintenance. There is no county building final or certificate of occupancy for a house.
Inside the cities, the city’s own inspections apply. Shiner’s permit application, for example, states that every permit requires a final inspection and lapses if work has not started within 180 days.
Rather not deal with the Lavaca County building department?
Get a free quote →Subdivisions, roads and oil field traffic
Splitting land: dividing a tract outside city limits into 2 or more lots needs a plat unless state law or the Commissioners Court exempts it. The county decides exemptions itself, so you must file the application with a surveyed plat even if you think you qualify; approved exemptions get a Certificate of Exemption in Commissioners Court. Approval of a plat does not mean the county will maintain the subdivision’s streets.
Driveways: the property owner pays for the driveway and culvert, locates buried lines before digging, and lists the pipe’s diameter, length and material and the base material on the permit.
Heavy traffic: since May 1, 2025 the county no longer accepts the Special Road Use Agreement. Oil and gas companies running overweight vehicles on county roads must post a $250,000 Road Bond Agreement.
City rules: Hallettsville’s sign ordinance applies in its extraterritorial jurisdiction as well as in town, and the city has its own floodplain and manufactured home ordinances. Moulton requires a commercial development permit application for any commercial development in town.
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
Lavaca County official resources
Lavaca County forms and the four cities’ permit pages:
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →- Lavaca County Permits and Applications
- Lavaca County Floodplain Management
- Development Permit Requirements for the unincorporated areas
- Lavaca County Floodplain Determination Application
- Lavaca County On-Site Sewage Facility information
- Lavaca County OSSF Program Information
- Lavaca County OSSF application
- Lavaca County driveway (culvert) permit
- TCEQ on-site sewage facility permits
- City of Hallettsville Permits
- City of Shiner Permit Forms
- City of Yoakum Permits
- City of Moulton Permits
Lavaca County permit FAQ
Do I need a building permit to build a house in rural Lavaca County?
No county building permit exists outside the cities. You do need the county development (floodplain) permit before construction starts, and a septic permit if the house will not be on a public sewer.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a development permit in Lavaca County?
$20 for a residential or commercial project. In a mapped flood hazard area you also need an elevation certificate prepared by a licensed surveyor.
How much does a septic permit cost?
$250 for a standard home system and $275 for an aerobic one. Commercial systems are $300, or $325 if aerobic.
Can I install my own septic system?
No. The county does not let homeowners install or maintain their own system; a TCEQ-licensed installer files the application and does the work.
Who issues building permits in Hallettsville, Shiner, Yoakum and Moulton?
Each city issues its own. Hallettsville takes applications online through VertexPlans; Shiner, Yoakum and Moulton take them at City Hall.
Can I sell part of my land without a plat?
Not until the county approves it. File a subdivision application with a surveyed plat; if the split qualifies for an exemption, the Commissioners Court issues a Certificate of Exemption.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Lavaca County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.