Morris County, Texas Building Permit Guide

Outside city limits, Morris County has no published building permit, building code or construction inspection. The County’s published development rule is its subdivision and plat regulations, adopted by Commissioners Court on July 14, 2014, which require a recorded plat before residential lots are sold. Inside Daingerfield, the City’s Planning & Inspections Department enforces the 2015 International Building Code and schedules building inspections.

What needs county approval in Morris County?

• Dividing land: an owner outside city limits who splits a tract into two or more residential lots of at least one acre must have a plat approved by Commissioners Court and recorded with the County Clerk before any lot is sold. Each lot may hold no more than one single-family detached home, and the plat must show how every lot gets water.
• Roads and drainage in new subdivisions: the developer meets the precinct commissioner at least 30 days before submitting the plat to plan culverts and drainage, and again on the cost of building the subdivision roads.
• Septic systems: a permit is required before an on-site sewage facility is built, altered, extended or repaired; outside the cities, and in Daingerfield and Lone Star, it comes from the County’s septic program.
• A house on an existing rural lot: the County publishes no building permit, so there is no county application or inspection for the house itself.

Who actually issues the permits?

Commissioners Court approves plats, and the County Judge’s office at the courthouse is the general contact. Each city decides what needs a permit inside its limits:

Trade permit coordination

Rural trade work has no county permit either. Daingerfield’s code requires a City permit to install, change, alter or repair electrical wiring, other than routine repairs such as replacing fuses and lamps; the applicant shows the electrical plans first, and the permit lasts six months.

Septic work is different. TCEQ lists Morris County as its authorized agent for on-site sewage systems in the unincorporated county and inside Daingerfield and Lone Star, with the permit office at the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District, 4180 FM 250 S, Hughes Springs (903-639-7538, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Inside Naples, TCEQ’s Region 5 office in Tyler (903-535-5100) issues septic permits; TCEQ’s listings name no agent for Omaha. A decision is due within 30 days of a complete application.

Fees, filing routes and review timelines

The 2014 subdivision regulations set a cash fee of $10 per proposed lot, paid by the subdivision developer to cover inspection. Plats are recorded with the County Clerk after Commissioners Court approval. New subdivisions must show a water supply: a written agreement with a retail public utility able to serve the development for 30 years, or a new utility with a state certificate and, for groundwater, an availability study. The regulations follow the Texas Water Development Board’s model subdivision rules.

Inspections and project closeout

Rural houses in Morris County are not inspected by the County and receive no county occupancy certificate. Septic systems are inspected by whichever authority issues the OSSF permit. In Daingerfield, the Planning & Inspections Department schedules and conducts the building inspections for permitted work, under a building official appointed by the city council.

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

Morris County permit search and official resources

• Morris County Subdivision & Plat Regulations page
• 2014 Morris County Subdivision and Plat Regulations
• Morris County Judge
• Morris County courthouse contact numbers and hours
• Morris County Clerk
• City of Daingerfield Planning & Inspections
• Daingerfield Code, Chapter 8: Buildings and Building Regulations
• TCEQ septic (OSSF) permit information
• TCEQ authorized agent lookup by county

Morris County permit FAQ

Is a building permit required for a house outside Morris County’s cities?

Not from the County, which has no published building permit. Plan on a septic permit from the County’s program, run from the Northeast Texas Municipal Water District office in Hughes Springs, if the house will not be on a sewer line.

Do I need county approval to split my land?

Yes, if the split creates two or more residential lots of at least one acre outside city limits: the plat must be approved by Commissioners Court and recorded before any lot is sold.

How much does it cost to plat a subdivision in Morris County?

The subdivision regulations charge a cash fee of $10 per proposed lot, paid by the developer.

Who issues building permits in Daingerfield?

The City of Daingerfield’s Planning & Inspections Department, which enforces the 2015 International Building Code adopted in the city code.

How many homes can go on one lot in a Morris County subdivision?

One single-family detached home per lot, and the restriction must appear on the plat and in the deeds.

Simplify Morris 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.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Morris County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.