Fees, valuation & enforcement
Permit fees are a project input. Enforcement exposure is a project risk. Use the official schedule where available, then confirm valuation, trade permits, plan review, and inspection charges with the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
Official fee pathway
The final charge may depend on declared construction value, occupancy classification, square footage, plan review, state surcharges, trade permits, technology fees, and inspection activity. Do not use a neighboring city’s fee table as a substitute for this jurisdiction.
Fee desk contact
512-581-7176 (Development Services); 512-581-7178 (fax)
Ask the counter to confirm current charges before submitting a project with multiple trades or a change of use.
Financial exposure
Plan for building, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, energy, zoning, septic, right-of-way, or other reviews that the project scope triggers. The lowest initial permit fee is not always the lowest project cost.
Enforcement exposure
When work begins without authorization, the agency may halt the site, require corrective plans, impose additional fees, withhold inspection release, or require concealed work to be exposed for review.
Closeout exposure
A missing final inspection or certificate can complicate occupancy, refinancing, sale, insurance, and utility connection. Preserve the approved plans and signed inspection record through closeout.
Professional field note
Even when a cosmetic or minor project does not require a building permit, zoning, floodplain, shoreline, historic, utility, fire, or right-of-way controls may still apply. Confirm the full jurisdictional picture before work starts.
Source trail
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
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
Why permit costs vary
Building departments commonly calculate charges from valuation, occupancy, floor area, project type, plan review effort, trade scope, state surcharges, and inspection activity. A remodel that appears small on paper may still trigger structural, energy, fire, or utility review. Ask the permit counter which disciplines apply before you finalize the construction budget.
The same discipline applies to enforcement. Correcting unpermitted work after finishes are installed can require demolition, revised plans, additional inspections, and schedule disruption. Authorization is usually the less expensive project-management decision.