Administrative overview · FIPS 48007
Aransas County permit authority
The first compliance decision is jurisdictional: identify the office with statutory authority over your parcel, then use its filing and inspection sequence to keep the project moving.
Jurisdictional status
County
This county profile is the primary starting point for unincorporated-area permitting.
Responsible agency
Aransas County Environmental Health Department and Aransas County Service Center/Floodplain Administrator
For a project in or near Aransas County, this office is the identified point of contact for permit intake, statutory code enforcement, plan review coordination, and inspection release conditions. Confirm the parcel’s boundary and project type before relying on the county lane.
Direct contact
361-790-0121 (Environmental Health/OSSF); 361-790-0152 (Service Center/development permits); 361-790-0122 (County Clerk)
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Aransas County Office of the County Judge, 308 N Live Oak St., Rockport, TX 78382-2745; Aransas County Service Center, 1931 FM 2165, Rockport, TX 78382
Operating hours
Environmental Health hours N/A; County Clerk: 8:00 AM-Noon and 1:00-4:45 PM; permitting-office hours should be confirmed by phone.
Review expectation
The Floodplain Administrator must issue a completed compliant development permit no later than the 30th day after receiving the complete application. Development permits are valid for 12 months. OSSF review timing was not published; septic permits are required before construction and inspections are coordinated through Environmental Health.
Compliance workbench
Choose the next project decision.
Apply online
Open the verified digital gateway, application form, and review timeline.
Open guide →Fees & penalties
Understand fee schedules, enforcement exposure, and stop-work liabilities.
Open guide →Codes & exemptions
Read the code framework, minor-work exemptions, and inspection lane.
Open guide →Agency website
Visit the primary public source for current notices and contact changes.
Open guide →Source trail
Official sources for this profile
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Frequently asked questions for Aransas County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Aransas County Environmental Health Department and Aransas County Service Center/Floodplain Administrator is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
How should I begin an application?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 361-790-0121 (Environmental Health/OSSF); 361-790-0152 (Service Center/development permits); 361-790-0122 (County Clerk).
How long might review take?
The Floodplain Administrator must issue a completed compliant development permit no later than the 30th day after receiving the complete application. Development permits are valid for 12 months. OSSF review timing was not published; septic permits are required before construction and inspections are coordinated through Environmental Health.
How are inspections scheduled?
Before septic construction, modification, or non-emergency repair, obtain county OSSF approval and submit the required information to Environmental Health at 361-790-0121. Development-permit applicants must provide the required elevation documentation; new construction must install silt fencing when disturbing natural soil and furnish a final elevation certificate when machinery is in place. The permit is valid for 12 months. Contact the Service Center at 361-790-0152 for development-permit inspection and elevation-certification instructions.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
For unincorporated Aransas County, the current published framework includes the Aransas County Floodplain Management & Watershed Protection Order (effective December 9, 2019), FEMA/NFIP floodplain standards under 44 CFR 60.3(d)-(e), county development and repair permits, and county OSSF rules incorporating Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366, Texas Water Code Chapters 7 and 37, and 30 TAC Chapters 30 and 285. The county materials do not identify a separate countywide structural building-code edition; municipal codes may apply inside incorporated cities. Ordinary and minor repairs may be exempt from the county floodplain Development or Repair Permit requirement where the order’s conditions are met. Recreational vehicles stored on a homeowner’s lot where the home is the primary residence are exempt from the county RV permit requirement only if unoccupied, disconnected from water and wastewater, currently licensed and inspected, and highway-capable. Septic permits are required for properties without public wastewater access under the county’s published order; verify any state or local OSSF exemption directly with Environmental Health.