Administrative overview · FIPS 48091
Comal 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
Comal County Engineer’s Office / Environmental Health Department / Fire Marshal’s Office
For a project in or near Comal 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
830-608-2090 (Engineer’s Office/Environmental Health); 830-608-2078 (fax)
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Comal County Engineer’s Office and Environmental Health Department, 195 David Jonas Drive, New Braunfels, TX 78132
Operating hours
Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM.
Review expectation
No single countywide building review timeline was published. OSSF permits may be renewed for $80 within 12 months or $150 after 12 months; the permit process requires complete planning materials and county approval before construction. The portal provides application and status handling online.
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 Comal County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Comal County Engineer’s Office / Environmental Health Department / Fire Marshal’s 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?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 830-608-2090 (Engineer’s Office/Environmental Health); 830-608-2078 (fax).
How long might review take?
No single countywide building review timeline was published. OSSF permits may be renewed for $80 within 12 months or $150 after 12 months; the permit process requires complete planning materials and county approval before construction. The portal provides application and status handling online.
How are inspections scheduled?
Apply online through the Comal County permit portal or visit the Engineer’s Office. For OSSF, submit the county application/checklist, recorded deed, qualified site/soil evaluation, scaled design and specifications, required affidavit or maintenance contract, and applicable fee. The Authorization to Construct states the inspection stages; the installer must request the final inspection and not cover the system until approval. A failed or not-ready inspection incurs a $150 OSSF reinspection fee. Floodplain determinations and permits are handled by the Engineer’s Office at 830-608-2090.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
In unincorporated Comal County, required county permits include OSSF, floodplain, private right-of-way/driveway, utility, Fire Marshal, and Camp Bullis Dark Skies permits as applicable. Commercial buildings, public buildings, and multifamily dwellings with four or more units may require a Comal County Fire Code permit. The Engineer’s Office reviews floodplain compliance with the Comal County Flood Damage Prevention Order and subdivision regulations. OSSF work must comply with Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366, 30 TAC Chapter 285, and county requirements; no separate county ICC edition was published. No general cosmetic-work exemption list was published. County permits are required before applicable construction in unincorporated areas; OSSF permits are required before building, altering, extending, operating, or making non-emergency repairs to a septic system. Limited TCEQ exceptions, including qualifying 10-acre single-family systems and defined emergency repairs, apply only when all state and local conditions are satisfied. Fire Code permit applicability depends on the project type and occupancy.