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
512-756-5445 (permit/flood-hazard verification); 512-715-5260 (Development Services flood assistance); 512-756-5420 (county courthouse)
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
Burnet County Development Services Department / Environmental Services and OSSF Permitting is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact 512-756-5445 (permit/flood-hazard verification); 512-715-5260 (Development Services flood assistance); 512-756-5420 (county courthouse) and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
N/A; Burnet County publishes application requirements and fees but no standard review timeline.
Submit the building application and supporting flood-zone documentation to Development Services; floodplain work requires pre-pour and finished-construction inspections. For OSSF, submit the county septic application with a licensed site evaluation, soil test, design, and any required affidavits or maintenance contracts; construction cannot start until the Designated Representative approves and issues the permit to construct. The permitting authority may enter the property during daylight for inspection.
Burnet County requires a building/development permit for county projects, with Class A for work outside a designated flood hazard boundary and Class B for work in a flood zone. All floodplain development, including new construction, filling, grading, paving, and substantial improvements at 50% or more of market value, requires a permit and inspections. The county flood order uses FEMA FIS/FIRM data dated November 1, 2019 and requires one-foot freeboard for new and substantially improved structures, with a two-foot recommendation in A zones. Burnet County adopts 30 TAC Chapters 30 and 285 for OSSF and applies more stringent local rules. Class A permits require no structural inspections; Class B flood-zone permits require elevation or engineer/site-plan documentation. No broad cosmetic-work exemption list was published. Burnet County's OSSF order expressly requires permitting and inspection of all on-site systems regardless of tract size, so the usual state 10-acre exemption is not available within the county's jurisdiction unless the county confirms otherwise. Development outside the designated flood hazard area does not require a floodplain permit, but the county's building permit may still be required.
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.