San Patricio County has no building permit of the city kind, but any development on unincorporated land – a new home, manufactured home, shed, addition, septic system or large dirt work – needs a floodplain development permit from County Floodplain Management, 219 W. 5th Street, Building 7, Sinton (361-587-3567), by appointment. A home costs $175 plus $0.05 per square foot of enclosed area ($275 plus $0.05 in a flood zone). Portland, Ingleside, Aransas Pass, Sinton, Mathis, Taft and several smaller towns issue their own permits inside their limits.
What needs a county permit in unincorporated San Patricio County?
The county requires a floodplain development permit before work starts on any development in the unincorporated area, using FEMA’s definition: any man-made change to land, including buildings, filling, grading, paving, excavation and storage of equipment or materials.
Floodplain Management
- New homes, manufactured homes and tiny homes
- Additions and major renovations
- Sheds, barns, garages, well houses and covered patios
- Multi-family buildings, RV parks and manufactured home parks
- Commercial and industrial buildings
- Fill and grading, and moving large amounts of dirt
- Septic installation or replacement
- Electric connection approval
Other county offices
- Septic (OSSF) permits: Environmental Health
- Fire code plan review for public buildings, businesses and apartments of four or more units: County Fire Marshal
- 911 addresses: E911 Addressing
- Work in county right-of-way: Right-of-Way Coordinator
- Commercial plats and plans: County Engineer of Record; drainage studies: County Drainage District
Only one home is allowed on a property of 5 acres or less, and in a regulatory floodway no fill or construction is allowed unless a hydrologic and hydraulic analysis shows no rise in flood levels.
Who issues permits in each part of San Patricio County?
The U.S. Census lists 13 incorporated places in the county. The table shows what each one publishes about its permits; the county’s development permit covers only unincorporated land.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Place | Who issues building permits |
|---|---|
| Portland, county portion (20,833 residents) | City of Portland Development Services, 601 Moore Ave., 361-777-4550; applications in iWorQ, with new construction plans reviewed by Bureau Veritas |
| Ingleside, county portion (10,085) | City of Ingleside Development Services, 2665 San Angelo St., 361-776-3815 |
| Aransas Pass, county portion (7,969) | City of Aransas Pass Building Department, Building Official 361-758-3111, option 3; applications in OpenGov |
| Sinton (5,966) | City of Sinton, City Hall, 301 E. Market St., 361-364-2381; plans reviewed by a third-party agency |
| Mathis (4,312) | City of Mathis Permits Office, City Hall, 411 E. San Patricio, 361-547-3343, ext. 102 |
| Taft (2,939) | City of Taft, City Hall, 230 Green Avenue, 361-528-3512 |
| Odem (2,291) | City of Odem, whose fee schedule sets building, trade and contractor registration fees; City Hall 361-368-2831 |
| Ingleside on the Bay (604) | City of Ingleside on the Bay, 475 Starlight, 361-776-5451; it publishes building, trade, fence, pool and well permit forms and windstorm requirements |
| Lake City (488) | The city’s website posts its ordinances but no permit procedure; City Hall 361-547-3868 |
| Gregory (1,708) | City Hall, 310 Ayers Street, 361-643-6562, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the City’s Forms & Permits page posts no building permit, so ask City Hall |
| Lakeside (363), San Patricio (453) | The published official sources do not say; ask the city |
| Corpus Christi, county portion (5) | City of Corpus Christi Development Services, through its Dynamic Portal |
| Unincorporated county | San Patricio County Floodplain Management, 219 W. 5th Street, Building 7 (Fairgrounds Dome), Sinton; 361-587-3567 |
County permit fees
The county’s floodplain development and permitting fee schedule is posted as its 2026 fee schedule; the document itself is marked version 2021_0201. All fees, including minimums and maximums, double if work starts before the permit is issued, and county permit fees are non-refundable.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Permit | Flood zone (A, AE, V, VE) | Outside flood zone (X) |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family home, manufactured home, tiny home, or addition | $275 + $0.05 per sq ft of enclosed area | $175 + $0.05 per sq ft |
| Accessory building (shed, barn, garage, covered patio) | $30 per $10,000 of value, $90 minimum | $20 per $10,000 of value, $60 minimum |
| Multi-family | $250 + $30 per unit | $150 + $20 per unit |
| Septic only, residential | $50 + Environmental Health fee | $50 + Environmental Health fee |
| Single RV outside a park | $75 | $50 |
| Commercial or industrial | 0.5% of total project cost | 0.5% of total project cost |
| Fill and grading plan review (commercial) | $300 | $200 |
| Electric connection without a permit | $50 | $50 |
| Variance, single-family residential | $100 | $100 |
For example, a 2,000 sq ft home outside a flood zone pays $175 plus $100, or $275 in all. Permits are valid for one year; a one-year renewal costs 75% of the original fee and a six-month renewal 50%. Payment is by check, money order or cashier’s check made out to San Patricio County; credit cards are not accepted.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Environmental Health’s fees from November 1, 2026 are $300 for a residential septic permit and $400 for a commercial one, doubled to $600 and $800 for an illegal installation, plus $100 for each extra inspection needed for final approval. TCEQ lists the County as the septic agent for the entire county and has the County administering the septic programs of Portland, Ingleside and Odem (Aransas Pass’s jointly with Aransas County), so systems inside those cities also go to Environmental Health, 313 N. Rachal St., Sinton (361-587-3505).
How to get a county development permit
Check the county’s floodplains viewer and public data viewer, and contact the city if the lot is inside one.
Send house plans to the Floodplain Manager at least 2 weeks before review (3 weeks for commercial work); drainage studies go to the County Drainage District.
Submit the application with the deed and legal description, house and site plans, a total project value affidavit, and an elevation certificate showing 24 inches above the highest adjacent grade or base flood elevation.
Environmental Health approves the septic design; temporary power is released only after that and the development permit are in place.
After the initial review the office emails you to book an appointment, tells you the fee, and issues the permit. Work must start within 6 months.
Pass the final inspections on the septic and the building, file the final elevation certificate in flood zones A and V, and receive the county’s certificate of occupancy letter before moving in.
County inspections, power release and fire code
Permanent power is released only after the county has done the final inspection on both the septic system and the new construction, including manufactured homes. The electric provider needs the account owner’s details, the site address, the development permit number and date and, for AEP, the ESID number. If you fill out a development permit or temporary RV permit, no separate AEP power request form is needed.
Rather not deal with the San Patricio County building department?
Get a free quote →The San Patricio County Fire Code (revised November 7, 2022) applies in the unincorporated area to public buildings, commercial establishments and multi-family buildings of four or more units, using the 2018 International Fire Code with county amendments. The Fire Marshal (361-587-3558) charges $125 per plan review and $75 per re-inspection.
Local San Patricio County rules
Elevation: new homes and commercial buildings must show by elevation certificate that they sit 24 inches above the highest adjacent grade or base flood elevation, and a final elevation certificate is required in zones A and V.
Penalties: breaking the Flood Damage Prevention Order is a Class C misdemeanor, with fines of up to $500 for each violation and each day counted separately.
County roads: since August 19, 2019 operators whose development work damages a county road must provide a cash or surety bond.
Parks and subdivisions: RV parks, manufactured home parks and subdivisions have their own county permitting guides, and subdivision land plan review costs $200 to $500 depending on the number of 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 →Official San Patricio County permit resources
- San Patricio County Floodplain Development & Permits
- Floodplain development and permitting fee schedule (PDF)
- Residential development permitting guide, 2026 (PDF)
- Commercial and industrial permitting guide, 2026 (PDF)
- Flood Damage Prevention Order, revised June 2021 (PDF)
- County Fire Marshal fire code page
- Environmental Health service fees, November 2026 (PDF)
- City of Portland permits
- City of Sinton building permits
- City of Taft building permits
- City of Mathis permit applications
- City of Ingleside on the Bay building documents
- City of Aransas Pass Building Department
- City of Ingleside Development Services
San Patricio County permit FAQs
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Does San Patricio County issue building permits?
Not of the city kind. Any development on unincorporated land needs a county floodplain development permit from Floodplain Management in Sinton (361-587-3567), plus septic approval.
How much is a county permit for a new house?
$175 plus $0.05 per square foot of enclosed area outside a flood zone, or $275 plus $0.05 in one. A 2,000 sq ft home outside a flood zone pays $275.
How high must a new home be built?
24 inches above the highest adjacent grade or base flood elevation, shown on an elevation certificate.
When will the power company connect my new home?
Temporary power after the septic design is approved and the development permit is issued; permanent power after final inspections on the septic system and the building.
Who issues building permits in Portland, Sinton and Ingleside?
Each city: Portland Development Services (361-777-4550), Sinton City Hall (361-364-2381) and Ingleside Development Services (361-776-3815).
How much is a septic permit?
$300 for a residential system and $400 for a commercial one, from Environmental Health.
Can I pay by credit card?
No. County Floodplain Management takes checks, money orders and cashier’s checks.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about San Patricio County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.