Administrative overview · FIPS 48089
Colorado 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
Colorado County Development and Permitting / Floodplain Management and OSSF Permit Office
For a project in or near Colorado 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
979-732-6380 (Caleb Tello, Floodplain/911 Rural Addressing); 979-732-2435 (Richard Wessels, OSSF); 979-732-2604 (Courthouse)
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Colorado County Floodplain/911 Rural Addressing, 305 Radio Lane, Suite 110, Columbus, TX 78934; OSSF Permit Office, 305 Radio Lane, Room 105, Columbus, TX 78934; Colorado County Courthouse, 400 Spring Street, Columbus, TX 78934
Operating hours
N/A; the county’s permitting pages publish office addresses and phone numbers but no current public counter hours.
Review expectation
The county publishes a sequential development/OSSF process but no fixed plan-review time. A residential development permit is valid for one year to start construction; OSSF permits are valid for one year from issuance. The final OSSF permit is issued after a passing inspection with no discrepancies.
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 Colorado County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Colorado County Development and Permitting / Floodplain Management and OSSF Permit Office 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?
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact 979-732-6380 (Caleb Tello, Floodplain/911 Rural Addressing); 979-732-2435 (Richard Wessels, OSSF); 979-732-2604 (Courthouse) and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
The county publishes a sequential development/OSSF process but no fixed plan-review time. A residential development permit is valid for one year to start construction; OSSF permits are valid for one year from issuance. The final OSSF permit is issued after a passing inspection with no discrepancies.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit the completed development application with proof of ownership/deed or current tax receipt to Floodplain/911 Rural Addressing. For OSSF, submit the application, fee, deed or tax receipt, soil survey/site evaluation, and design drawings to the Permit Office; after planning materials are approved, the county issues a Permit to Construct. The installer must notify the OSSF office when complete, request a final inspection, and leave the system uncovered until inspection. Questions: 979-732-2435. OSSF permits are valid for one year from issuance.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Colorado County requires a county development permit before construction and a septic permit for every septic installation or repair. Floodplain Management administers the county Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance and evaluates flood-hazard data, elevation certificates, and development permits. The county’s OSSF program enforces Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366, TCEQ regulations in 30 TAC Chapter 285, and Colorado County OSSF regulations. No separate county ICC building-code edition was published. No general cosmetic-work exemption list was published. The residential development process requires a $30 permit for covered residential development and the application states that no construction may begin without a development permit. For OSSF work, the county requires permits for all septic installation and repairs; limited TCEQ exceptions such as the qualifying 10-acre single-family rule or emergency repairs apply only when all state and local conditions are met.