Administrative overview · FIPS 48015
Austin 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
Austin County Planning and Development Department, Engineer’s Office, Rural Addressing, and Commissioners Court
For a project in or near Austin 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
979-865-5911 ext. 5110/5111 (Planning & Development/Engineer); 979-865-1911 (911 addressing)
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Austin County Planning & Development Department/Engineer’s Office, One East Main Street, Bellville, TX 77418
Operating hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
Review expectation
N/A for ordinary development permits; county guidelines advise submitting OSSF paperwork 3–4 weeks before installation. A Certificate of Compliance is due by the fifth business day after written completion confirmation. Incomplete engineering submittals are not accepted.
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 Austin County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Austin County Planning and Development Department, Engineer’s Office, Rural Addressing, and Commissioners Court 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 979-865-5911 ext. 5110/5111 (Planning & Development/Engineer); 979-865-1911 (911 addressing).
How long might review take?
N/A for ordinary development permits; county guidelines advise submitting OSSF paperwork 3–4 weeks before installation. A Certificate of Compliance is due by the fifth business day after written completion confirmation. Incomplete engineering submittals are not accepted.
How are inspections scheduled?
Email permit applications to the county planning addresses. For development/floodplain permits, provide the deed, 911 address letter, and elevation certificate where applicable; permits and the 911 address must be posted for final inspection. OSSF paperwork should be submitted 3–4 weeks before installation. Subdivision/engineering review requires a pre-application meeting and complete electronic and hard-copy submittals. The county issues a Certificate of Compliance by the fifth business day after written confirmation that infrastructure is complete and compliant.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Austin County’s countywide framework includes development permits, floodplain regulation, OSSF/septic permitting, subdivision/development standards, and fire-code requirements. County materials state that the Fire Code is the most recent code adopted by Austin County, and the engineering checklist applies current IFC fire-apparatus-access standards. A general structural building-code edition was not separately identified; municipal codes control within city limits. A Development Permit or Exemption Certificate is required before OSSF permitting. Current Volume I standards recognize statutory and county exemptions including testamentary divisions, corporation/partnership dissolution, agricultural divisions, qualifying family divisions, 10+ acre divisions, certain public/state/floodplain divisions, and other plat exemptions issued by the County Engineer. A Certificate of Plat Exemption is required where applicable.