Potter County does not issue building permits. Its own storm water program says the county has no authority to require building permits or site plans from builders who are not subdividing land. Outside Amarillo, county approval is needed to subdivide (through Road & Bridge, 806-383-2273), and septic systems are permitted by the Amarillo Area Public Health District, at $800 for a home system.
What needs approval in unincorporated Potter County?
A house, barn or shop built on an existing tract outside city limits needs no county building permit and gets no county inspection. Three approvals can still apply:
Required
- Septic (on-site sewage facility) permit from the Amarillo Area Public Health District for any new, repaired, replaced or altered system
- A plat approved by Commissioners Court before any part of a divided tract is sold, unless a state-law exception applies
- A 9-1-1 address for any property with a septic system
No county permit
- Building permits and building code inspections
- Site plans for homes or commercial buildings on unsubdivided land
- Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits
- Certificates of occupancy
The county adopted floodplain regulations in 2003, according to its storm water program, but the regulations are not posted on the county website.
Who issues permits in Potter County?
Only two incorporated places lie in Potter County. About 15,700 of its 114,453 residents live outside them.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Area | Who issues permits |
|---|---|
| Amarillo, Potter County part (pop. 98,509) | City of Amarillo Building Safety Department, which issues all permits and contractor licences electronically through MGO Connect. 808 S. Buchanan St., Suite 104; 806-378-3041. |
| Bishop Hills (pop. 195) | The published sources do not say who issues building permits; ask town hall. The Health District’s septic checklist lists Bishop Hills in its service area. |
| Unincorporated county | No building permit. Plats through county Road & Bridge and Commissioners Court; septic permits from the Amarillo Area Public Health District. |
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | 2419 Willow Creek, Amarillo, TX 79107 |
| Phone | 806-383-2273 |
| rbdwr@co.potter.tx.us | |
| Hours | Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. |
| Handles | Plat review, county roads and drainage ditches, utility work in county right-of-way |
Inside Amarillo’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), the county and the City have an interlocal agreement under which subdivisions must meet the City’s plat, construction and storm water standards.
Septic permits in Potter County
By county order, the Amarillo Area Public Health District, run by the City of Amarillo’s Environmental Health Department, permits and inspects septic systems in Potter County. Fees follow the schedule in effect since September 1, 2025:
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential septic permit | $800 |
| Commercial septic permit | $900 |
| Inspection of an existing permitted system | Half the permit cost |
| Each extra inspection trip | $150 |
| Variance application | $100 |
| Work begun without an Authorization to Construct | $350 plus the permit fee (first offense); $700 plus the permit fee (second) |
The minimum lot is 1 acre with a private well and half an acre on a public water supply, though lots platted before 1988 may qualify for exceptions. An owner may install the system for their own single-family home; rentals, leased homes and commercial sites need a licensed installer. An engineer or registered sanitarian must design systems for duplexes and other multi-unit homes, RV or mobile home parks with more than two units, and food businesses and other high-strength wastewater, and only an engineer may design one in a flood zone or floodway.
There are no county electrical, plumbing or mechanical permits. In Amarillo, Building Safety issues them.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →How to build on rural Potter County land
Inside city limits, Building Safety handles the permit in MGO Connect, where contractors must first hold a City licence.
The Health District requires one for tracts under 5.01 acres in Amarillo’s ETJ or under 10.01 acres elsewhere before it permits a septic system.
Building Safety assigns addresses in Amarillo and its one-mile ETJ; beyond that, apply to the Potter-Randall 9-1-1 Emergency Communications District (806-374-9800, ext. 109).
A licensed site evaluator prepares the site evaluation report that goes with the septic application.
Send it with a scaled site plan and floor plan by email to ehealthOSSF@amarillo.gov, in person at 808 S. Buchanan St. or by mail to PO Box 1971; the fee is due at submission. Tracts over 5 acres also need a vicinity map.
The Authorization to Construct lasts one calendar year, and the system must pass inspection before it is backfilled.
Septic inspections and subdivision rules
Booking a septic inspection: you need an approved Authorization to Construct first. Book through the Health District’s online scheduler, or call 806-378-9472 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on the weekday before, giving the address, permit number and whether the installer will attend. After the system passes, the operating permit does not expire as long as the system is used as approved, and permit records for Potter County are searchable on eBridge.
Plats: the county’s subdivision regulations, revised by Commissioners Court on December 11, 2023, require a surveyor-drawn plat before any part of a divided rural tract is conveyed. Road & Bridge reviews it first, then the County Attorney’s office puts it on a Commissioners Court agenda. Sheets are 18 by 24 or 24 by 36 inches, with a Mylar duplicate original and an 8.5 by 14 inch recordable copy. The package also includes:
Rather not deal with the Potter County building department?
Get a free quote →- An expert’s drainage plan that marks any 100-year floodplain and recommends minimum foundation elevations for lots still at risk
- Certification that enough groundwater is available
- A sewage plan approved by the Health District and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
- Letters from each utility provider, paid-up tax certificates, and hydrant locations approved by Potter County Fire & Rescue
- City approval first for any part of the subdivision inside an ETJ
Roads and lots: main roads need a 60-foot right-of-way, and buildings on corner lots must stand at least 30 feet back from where the road edges meet. Culverts may be no longer than 32 feet and not plastic. Utilities in county right-of-way are buried at least 36 inches (5 feet for power and gas), with the county inspecting before backfill. The county takes over road maintenance only after the owner has kept the roads up for 2 years and homes stand on at least half the lots.
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 →Potter County official resources
- Potter County Road and Bridge Department
- Potter County Subdivision Regulations (revised December 2023)
- Potter County Storm Water Management Program
- Amarillo Area Public Health District on-site sewage facilities
- Septic (OSSF) permit application for Potter or Randall County
- OSSF application checklist
- Environmental Health fee schedule (September 2025)
- City of Amarillo Building Safety
Potter County permit FAQ
Do I need a building permit in unincorporated Potter County?
No. The county has said it lacks authority to require building permits or site plans from builders who are not subdividing land.
How much is a septic permit in Potter County?
$800 for a residential system and $900 for a commercial one, paid to the Amarillo Area Public Health District when you apply.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Can I install my own septic system?
Yes, for your own single-family home, with a permit. Rental, leased and commercial properties need a licensed installer.
How big must my lot be for a septic system?
At least 1 acre with a private well, or half an acre with public water; lots platted before 1988 may have exceptions.
Who approves a rural subdivision plat?
Potter County Commissioners Court, after review by the Road & Bridge Superintendent. Inside Amarillo’s ETJ the City reviews it first.
Who issues building permits in Amarillo?
The City of Amarillo Building Safety Department (806-378-3041), through MGO Connect.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Potter County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.