Administrative overview · FIPS 48021
Bastrop 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
Bastrop County Development Services / Environmental & Sanitation
For a project in or near Bastrop 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
512-581-7176 (Development Services); 512-581-7178 (fax)
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Bastrop County Development Services, 211 Jackson Street, Bastrop, TX 78602
Operating hours
N/A; contact Development Services before submitting because requirements may change without notice.
Review expectation
N/A; no ordinary county review deadline was published. The development permit is valid for three years after execution, with a possible one-time 180-day extension requested 30 days before expiration. OSSF Permit to Construct validity is one year; extensions are not granted for OSSF permits.
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 Bastrop County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Bastrop County Development Services / Environmental & Sanitation 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 512-581-7176 (Development Services); 512-581-7178 (fax).
How long might review take?
N/A; no ordinary county review deadline was published. The development permit is valid for three years after execution, with a possible one-time 180-day extension requested 30 days before expiration. OSSF Permit to Construct validity is one year; extensions are not granted for OSSF permits.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit development applications and supporting documents through MyGovernmentOnline and communicate with Development Services through the portal. County residential structural inspections are not performed by the county; the builder must contract a licensed engineer, registered architect, qualified professional inspector, municipal plumbing/building inspector, or ICC-certified residential combination inspector. Three inspections are required at foundation, framing/mechanical before covering, and completion. OSSF applications require site plans, septic plans/specifications, soil evaluation, floor plan, and access for county compliance inspections; a Permit to Construct lasts one year and must be installed, inspected, and finally approved within that term.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Bastrop County does not issue ordinary building permits or certificates of occupancy. In unincorporated areas, the county’s adopted residential code requirement applies to new single-family houses and duplexes and qualifying additions: the builder may choose the 2006 International Residential Code or the version of the IRC applicable in the county seat. The county also enforces development/floodplain requirements and its TCEQ-authorized OSSF order; the current flood order was adopted July 14, 2025. Interior renovations on existing footprints do not require a county development permit. Accessory buildings 25 square feet or less are exempt unless on a foundation or within the floodplain. Continuous agricultural use in a special flood hazard area is exempt from a flood permit unless the activity changes flood conveyance/storage, places or improves a structure, alters a pond/ditch/levee, or involves mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, or drilling. Fees may be waived for IRS-recognized tax-exempt organizations, reciprocating governmental entities, and rebuilding after a declared federal emergency on the same property. OSSF emergency repairs must be reported within 72 hours.