San Jacinto County does not issue building permits or inspect home construction, but no house, barn, manufactured home or other enclosed structure over 100 sq ft may be built or moved onto land outside city limits without a county development permit from the Permit Department and 9-1-1 Addressing office in the courthouse at 1 State Hwy. 150, Room 3, Coldspring (936-653-3823). The permit costs $250, or $500 in a flood hazard area, takes 7 to 10 working days, and comes with the 911 address and utility release; a septic (OSSF) permit is needed as well. Shepherd runs its own building permits.
What needs a county permit in San Jacinto County?
The county’s application says any enclosed structure with three or more exterior walls larger than 10 x 10 ft (100 sq ft) must be permitted before it is added to a property. Its permit guidelines list building a house or barn, moving a house, placing a manufactured home and installing new electric or water service.
Permit Department
- Development permit (or exemption certificate outside flood hazard areas)
- Floodplain development permit and elevation certificates
- On-site sewage facility (septic) permits, repairs and inspections
- 911 physical addresses (only for property being developed)
- Utility (power or water) releases
- Pipeline permits for each bore, and cell tower maintenance
- Fill of more than 20 loads or 250 cubic yards per acre
Other county approvals
- Commercial plans: County Engineer and the precinct commissioner
- Fire code permit for commercial and public buildings
- Driveway culverts on county roads: precinct office
- Subdivision plats and replats under the county’s subdivision regulations
The county gives no 911 address to vacant land; the address and the utility permit are issued once the development permit is approved.
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Get a free quote →Who issues permits in each part of San Jacinto County?
The U.S. Census lists four incorporated places in the county. Outside them, the county’s Permit Department handles development, flood and address permits; the County Permit Officer is also the Floodplain Administrator. For septic systems TCEQ lists the County as its agent across the whole county, towns included, except around Lake Livingston: on the lake, its islands and land within 2,000 ft of the 131-ft msl contour, the Trinity River Authority’s Livingston office (936-365-2292) issues septic permits.
| Place | Who handles permits |
|---|---|
| Shepherd (1,942 residents) | City of Shepherd, 16 N. Liberty St., 936-628-3305: residential and commercial building permits, with plan review and inspections by Bureau Veritas |
| Coldspring (886) | City of Coldspring, 14211 State Highway 150 West, 936-653-3289. Its website lists sign, food truck, event and sewer service applications but no building permit; a Development Services Office for land development and subdivisions was created on August 3, 2026, and the City Fire Marshal reviews fire protection and life safety plans under the 2021 International Fire Code |
| Point Blank (734) | The published official sources do not say; ask the city |
| Cleveland, San Jacinto County part (no residents) | City of Cleveland Permits & Inspections Division, 832-599-5013, permits@cleveland.texas.gov |
| Unincorporated county | San Jacinto County Permit Department & 9-1-1 Addressing, 1 State Hwy. 150, Room 3, Coldspring; 936-653-3823; sjcpermits@san-jac.us |
The county office is open Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:30 p.m., and on Friday from 8:00 a.m. to noon; staff work in the field on Friday afternoons. The county development application asks whether the site is inside city limits.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →County permit fees
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Development, outside the floodplain | $250 |
| Development in the floodplain | $500 |
| Commercial development | $750 |
| Septic (OSSF), residential | $310 |
| Septic (OSSF), commercial | $410 |
| Septic repair | $100 |
| Utility release | $55 |
| 911 physical address | $25 |
| Pipeline permit | $2,500 per bore |
| Cell tower maintenance | $150 |
| Septic re-inspection after a failed cover inspection | $105 residential; $210 commercial |
Fees can be paid online through Certified Payments, but the office asks applicants to call for the correct amount first. Commercial payments are not accepted until the plans have been approved. The county’s 2021 guidelines still show $300 for a residential septic permit; the December 2023 price list sets it at $310.
How to get a development permit in unincorporated San Jacinto County
Staff check the county floodplain maps; a Flood Plain Verification form is available from the office.
Bring a recorded deed or a recent county tax statement, your survey, and a notarised statement from the owner if the land is not in your name. Divided land needs the new survey.
Near Lake Livingston, apply to the Trinity River Authority instead of the County. Get a site evaluation and, for an alternative system, a professional design; apply 2 to 3 weeks before installation. An existing system needs a current inspection report from a licensed sanitarian.
In a flood hazard area add an elevation certificate dated within the last 6 months; commercial projects add plans approved by the County Engineer and the precinct commissioner.
Allow 7 to 10 working days; the 911 address, utility permit and permit numbers are issued with the approval.
In a flood zone, submit a second elevation certificate after construction; the septic system must pass its cover inspection before use.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Flood rules and county inspections
Under the county’s Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (Appendix 3 of its subdivision and development regulations), new or substantially improved homes in a special flood hazard area must have the lowest floor at least 2 ft above the base flood elevation. Commercial and other non-residential buildings must be raised 2 ft above it or floodproofed to an engineer’s certified design. Substantial damage or improvement means work equal to 50% or more of the structure’s market value.
Buildings of 5,000 sq ft or more, and any commercial building, need plans submitted to the local drainage district, or a site study by a Texas professional engineer sent to the County Engineer. The county applies a fire code to commercial and public buildings (its regulations page lists the 2009 International Fire Code), and a fire code permit is required before construction.
The septic system is the one part of a home the county inspects: the system must stay open for its cover inspection, and only after approval can it be covered and used.
Rather not deal with the San Jacinto County building department?
Get a free quote →Driveways, fill and city rules
Driveway culverts: on county roads, apply at your precinct office. The county installs residential culverts for a minimum of $200 for the first 24 ft, using TxDOT-approved pipe (not concrete) that you supply, 20 to 40 ft long and up to 24 inches across; installation can take a week to ten days. Commercial driveways and any culvert on a state or FM highway go through private contractors and TxDOT permits.
Fill: outside the floodplain, up to 20 loads or 250 cubic yards of fill per acre needs no permit if it is spread evenly; more requires a permit from the Floodplain Administrator and a certified drainage analysis.
Shepherd: the city’s July 2019 fee ordinance charges new homes by total covered area, covering foundation, rough framing, rough energy and final inspections; a home of 2,000 to 2,499 sq ft pays $1,374 including plan review. Trade permits cost $50 plus $75 per inspection. Bureau Veritas reviews plans and takes inspection requests at 817-335-8111, and requests made by 5:00 p.m. on weekdays are inspected the next business day.
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 →Official San Jacinto County permit resources
- San Jacinto County Permit Department & 9-1-1 Addressing
- Permit pricing, revised December 2023 (PDF)
- Development permit application and checklist (PDF)
- Guidelines for obtaining permits (PDF)
- On-site sewage facility permit application (PDF)
- Flood plain verification form (PDF)
- Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance (PDF)
- County regulations for subdivisions and development
- Road and Bridge culvert and driveway policy (PDF)
- City of Shepherd permits
- City of Coldspring permit applications
- City of Cleveland building inspections
- Trinity River Authority Lake Livingston permits, including septic
San Jacinto County permit FAQs
Does San Jacinto County issue building permits?
No county building permit or building inspection is published. Instead, anything built or moved onto land outside city limits needs a county development permit, plus a septic permit where one is required.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a development permit?
$250 outside the floodplain, $500 in the floodplain and $750 for commercial development.
Do I need a permit for a shed?
Yes, if it is an enclosed structure with three or more walls larger than 10 x 10 ft.
How long does a county permit take?
7 to 10 working days. Septic paperwork should go in 2 to 3 weeks before installation.
How high must a house be built in a flood zone?
The lowest floor must be at least 2 ft above the base flood elevation, shown by elevation certificates before and after construction.
Who issues building permits in Shepherd?
The City of Shepherd (936-628-3305), with plan review and inspections by Bureau Veritas.
Can I get a 911 address for vacant land?
No. The county issues addresses only to property being developed, with the development permit.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about San Jacinto County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.