In Val Verde County the permit office is the Health Department / Risk Management at 207 E. Losoya Street, Del Rio (830-774-7569 or 830-774-7570). It issues building and sign permits only for property inside the Amistad Land Use and Zoning Order area, for a $100 fee; elsewhere in the unincorporated county there is no county building permit. The same office is the floodplain administrator, permits septic systems for the whole county ($250 for a home) and issues the $50 Certificate of Compliance that electric companies require before connecting service. Inside Del Rio, the City’s Development Services issues building permits.
What needs a county permit in Val Verde County?
County permit or certificate
- Building or placing a structure, including a home, inside the Amistad Land Use and Zoning Order area
- Signs inside the Amistad land use area
- New construction or a substantial improvement in a mapped flood hazard area (floodplain development permit)
- Any septic system, including inside Del Rio
- A Certificate of Compliance, or a Letter of Non-Applicability, before AEP or Rio Grande Electric will connect power
- Subdividing land: plats go through county plat review and Commissioners Court
No county building permit
- Houses and other buildings in the unincorporated county outside the Amistad area
- Buildings inside Del Rio city limits, which the City permits instead
The county’s building permit form is titled a zoning application for determination of compliance and permit to use or build. It states that it is not an approval for a water well or septic system; those are obtained separately.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Who issues permits in Val Verde County?
| Office | What it handles |
|---|---|
| Health Department / Risk Management, 207 E. Losoya Street, Del Rio, TX 78840; 830-774-7569 or 830-774-7570; fax 830-774-7642. Open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. | Amistad-area building and sign permits, floodplain administration, septic permits, Certificates of Compliance and Letters of Non-Applicability, plat review, food establishment permits, health nuisance enforcement |
| Val Verde County, 400 Pecan Street, Del Rio; 830-774-7501 | General county offices; Commissioners Court approves plats, which are filed with the County Clerk |
| City of Del Rio Development Services, 114 W. Martin Street, Del Rio; 830-774-8526 | Building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and sign permits inside city limits; plumbing permits in the City’s ETJ |
Del Rio and its ETJ
Del Rio is the county’s only incorporated city. Its Development Services department reviews plans, issues building and trade permits and inspects work inside city limits. In the extraterritorial jurisdiction and the rest of the county, the City’s FAQ says it issues no building permit and sends owners to the County Health Department, but plumbing work in the ETJ still needs a City plumbing permit. A home outside city limits that will connect to City water and sewer needs a licensed plumber to pull a City plumbing permit and a Certificate of Compliance from the City Planner.
Val Verde County permit fees
| Permit or service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Building permit, Amistad Land Use and Zoning Order area | $100, check or money order only |
| Septic (OSSF) permit, residential | $250, check or money order |
| Septic (OSSF) permit, commercial | $400, check or money order |
| Certificate of Compliance or Letter of Non-Applicability | $50, check or money order only |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →What to bring for an Amistad-area building permit
- A survey, if the tract is 5 acres or smaller
- A complete set of building plans
- A plot design showing every structure, including the spray area of an aerobic septic system
- The legal description and proof that you are the legal owner
- The 100-year flood plain line, if the property has one
- The $100 fee
Staff fill in the application with you, and both the homeowner and the contractor sign it. The plot plan goes on legal-size paper, drawn to a stated scale with dimensions in feet to the nearest half foot, and shows lot lines, flood hazard boundaries, the center lines of ravines and drainage courses, all buildings, any well, the septic tank and drain field, parking and driveways, with the distances between them.
Before the permit is issued, staff check the survey pins, the batter boards and the plot design on site, and a permit is issued only once every document is in.
Septic systems and utility certificates
Septic: the county is the state’s authorized agent for septic systems across the entire county, and the TCEQ lists the City of Del Rio’s program as administered by Val Verde County. Applications are filed by installers, on the county’s installer form, with a plot design showing the whole lot, the locations of the septic system and the drinking-water source, and a complete site evaluation and system design.
Certificate of Compliance: AEP and Rio Grande Electric require it before connecting electric service. Bring the legal description, proof of ownership and, for AEP, the ESI number; a county field technician visits the property. The request must include the deed or other document showing your interest and a copy of the plat filed with the County Clerk with its Commissioners Court approval date, or it is denied. The Letter of Non-Applicability request, whose form has boxes for commercial, agricultural and 10-acre-or-larger tracts, needs the same documents. The forms state that the department has no authority to approve or deny these requests by law.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →How to get a Val Verde County permit
Find out whether it is inside Del Rio, the Del Rio ETJ, the Amistad Land Use and Zoning Order area or elsewhere in the county.
If any part of the site is in the 100-year flood plain, plan for a floodplain development permit and show the flood line on your plot design.
The installer submits the septic application, site evaluation, design and fee to the Health Department.
Bring the survey, plans, plot design, deed and $100 to 207 E. Losoya Street; staff complete the form for owner and contractor to sign.
Have survey pins and batter boards in place so staff can verify them before the permit is issued.
Get the $50 Certificate of Compliance for the electric company, and have a new or placed residence in the Amistad area inspected before anyone moves in.
Rather not deal with the Val Verde County building department?
Get a free quote →Floodplain rules and platting
Floodplain: Commissioners Court passed Flood Damage Prevention Order 09-1076 on August 10, 2009 and named the Health Inspector/Risk Management Department as Floodplain Administrator. A floodplain development permit application goes to that office with plans in duplicate, drawn to scale, showing proposed landscape changes and existing and proposed structures, including manufactured homes, in relation to the flood hazard area, plus the elevation of the lowest floor. A new or substantially improved home must have its lowest floor at or above the base flood elevation, certified by an engineer, architect or land surveyor; a substantial improvement is work costing 50% or more of the building’s market value.
Plats and replats: the Health Department reviews plats and advises on subdividing land, and the county posts notices of plat and replat applications on its Re-Plat Applications page. A recorded, court-approved plat is what the Certificate of Compliance relies on.
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 →Val Verde County official permit resources
- Val Verde County Health Department / Risk Management
- Val Verde County building requirements (Amistad area)
- County building permit application (permit to use or build)
- Septic (OSSF) requirements for installers
- Certificate of Compliance application
- Letter of Non-Applicability application
- Flood Damage Prevention Order 09-1076
- Notices of plat and replat applications
- City of Del Rio Development Services
- TCEQ on-site sewage facility permits
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
Val Verde County permit FAQ
Do I need a county building permit in Val Verde County?
Only inside the Amistad Land Use and Zoning Order area, where the Health Department issues building and sign permits for $100. Elsewhere in the unincorporated county there is no county building permit, though septic, floodplain and utility rules still apply.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a septic permit in Val Verde County?
$250 for a residential system and $400 for a commercial one, paid by check or money order. The installer files the application.
What is a Certificate of Compliance and what does it cost?
A county certificate that AEP and Rio Grande Electric require before connecting power. It costs $50 and needs the legal description, proof of ownership and a recorded, court-approved plat.
Does Del Rio permit work in its ETJ?
The City issues no building permit in its ETJ, but plumbing work there needs a City plumbing permit, and connecting to City water and sewer also needs a Certificate of Compliance from the City Planner.
Is an inspection required before moving into a new home in the Amistad area?
Yes. A residence built or placed on property in the Amistad area must be inspected before it is occupied.
Simplify Val Verde 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.
Ready to break ground in Val Verde County sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Val Verde County permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Val Verde County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.