County Permit SearchU.S. compliance directory
← Bastrop County overview

Codes, exemptions & field inspections

Build to the adopted code. Verify every exception.

This guide translates the available agency record into a preconstruction checklist for structural scope, minor work, and inspection release. The adopted code and the issuing official control when a field condition is disputed.

Regulatory framework

The code baseline for Bastrop County.

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.

Inspection lane

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.

Minor-work playbook

Understand what may be exempt—and what is not.

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.

Field rule

A permit exemption generally addresses one narrow construction trigger. It does not automatically waive zoning, land-use, floodplain, shoreline, fire, energy, electrical, utility, septic, or right-of-way requirements. Obtain written confirmation when the project involves a new structure, structural alteration, change in occupancy, or concealed work.

Inspection pipeline

Keep the work visible at every release point.

  1. 1

    Request with lead time

    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.

  2. 2

    Preserve access

    Do not cover framing, reinforcement, wiring, piping, damp-proofing, or life-safety work until the required inspection has been completed and documented.

  3. 3

    Close the record

    Retain the approved plans, inspection approvals, correction responses, and final certificate or occupancy release with the property file.

Contractor verification

Verify the builder before the contract is signed.

Use the state licensing system to verify active registration, trade credentials, bond status, and liability coverage where available. Match the legal business name to the proposal and permit application.

Verify contractor ↗

Planning reference

Keep the parcel rules beside the building plans.

A building permit is only one part of statutory compliance. Check the local zoning, ordinance, map, or land-use reference before finalizing setbacks, height, lot coverage, access, drainage, or accessory structure placement.

Open planning reference ↗

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.

Agency websiteOpen official source ↗Permit portalOpen official source ↗Application instructionsOpen official source ↗Fee scheduleOpen official source ↗Planning or zoning referenceOpen official source ↗Contractor license lookupOpen official source ↗

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.

Field sequencing matters

The inspector needs to see the work at the right moment.

Code compliance is not only a plan-review exercise. Footings, reinforcement, framing, fireblocking, wiring, piping, insulation, weather protection, and life-safety systems each have points where the work must remain accessible. Build the inspection calendar into the trade schedule instead of treating it as a final administrative step.

When a project qualifies for a narrow minor-work exemption, keep a written explanation of why it qualifies and confirm that related zoning, utility, fire, energy, or environmental rules do not create a separate approval requirement.

Closeout file

Keep the approved plan set, inspection approvals, correction responses, contractor license verification, final certificate, and any occupancy release together. A clean record protects the owner, builder, lender, insurer, and future buyer.