Administrative overview · FIPS 48145
Falls 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
Falls County Health Authority / Falls County Clerk OSSF Program
For a project in or near Falls 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
Falls County Judge/administration: 254-883-1426; OSSF applications are filed with the Falls County Clerk’s Office
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Falls County Courthouse, 125 Bridge Street, Room 203, Marlin, TX 76661; OSSF application filing location: County Clerk’s Office, second floor, Room 201
Operating hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (county judge’s office; confirm County Clerk OSSF counter hours)
Review expectation
Authorization to Construct is valid for one year. A Notice of Approval is expected approximately five working days after successful final inspection; the packet does not state a fixed initial review period.
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 Falls County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Falls County Health Authority / Falls County Clerk OSSF Program 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 Falls County Judge/administration: 254-883-1426; OSSF applications are filed with the Falls County Clerk’s Office and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
Authorization to Construct is valid for one year. A Notice of Approval is expected approximately five working days after successful final inspection; the packet does not state a fixed initial review period.
How are inspections scheduled?
Obtain the packet from the Falls County Clerk, complete the site/soil evaluation and planning materials, and submit the complete application with fee to the County Clerk’s Office on the second floor, Room 201. The Falls County Designated Representative reviews the application. After Authorization to Construct, construction inspection must occur before cover; contact the office at least five working days in advance. Notice of Approval is issued approximately five working days after a successful inspection.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
No general Falls County building-code edition was verified. The county health authority regulates OSSF systems under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285; no separate countywide residential ICC code was identified. The published county packet does not provide a broad cosmetic-work exemption list. OSSF permits are required for covered systems, with state-law exemptions such as qualifying 10-acre-rule systems, grandfathered systems, and defined emergency repairs subject to confirmation with the permitting authority.