Administrative overview · FIPS 48213
Henderson 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
Henderson County Development and Floodplain Administration Office / Septic Services / Fire Marshal
For a project in or near Henderson 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
Development/Floodplain: 903-677-7242; Septic Inspector: 903-257-9057; Fire Marshal: 903-675-6157
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Development and Floodplain Administration Office, 100 East Tyler Street, Room 302, Athens, TX 75751; Fire Marshal, 125 North Prairieville Street, Athens, TX 75751
Operating hours
Operating hours not verified
Review expectation
The county Development Application states that its questionnaire takes approximately 10-14 days to process; this is preliminary research and does not itself approve or issue a permit. No complete floodplain, OSSF, or Fire Marshal permit-review timeline was published.
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 Henderson County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Henderson County Development and Floodplain Administration Office / Septic Services / Fire Marshal 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 Development/Floodplain: 903-677-7242; Septic Inspector: 903-257-9057; Fire Marshal: 903-675-6157 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
The county Development Application states that its questionnaire takes approximately 10-14 days to process; this is preliminary research and does not itself approve or issue a permit. No complete floodplain, OSSF, or Fire Marshal permit-review timeline was published.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit the county Development Application with a deed and signed survey, if available, by email to developmentoffice@henderson-county.com or in person; the office corresponds by email and determines applicable floodplain, septic, fire, platting, and construction requirements. For floodplain work, obtain approval before development and contact 903-677-7242 for assessment and inspection coordination. For OSSF permitting and inspections, use the county application and contact Septic Inspector Jamie Dunklin at 903-257-9057. Fire Marshal inspection requests use the form linked on the Fire Marshal page and may be coordinated at 903-675-6157.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Henderson County administers its Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance in unincorporated areas, current county subdivision regulations, infrastructure rules for manufactured-home/mobile-home/tiny-home/RV rental communities, and a local OSSF program under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285. The Fire Marshal applies county-adopted codes and state statutes and publishes permit and inspection-request forms, but the official materials reviewed do not identify a current countywide ICC building- or fire-code edition. Incorporated municipalities retain their own building jurisdictions. No countywide list of minor or cosmetic building-work exemptions was published. Floodplain review is voluntary for development, replats, subdivisions, and land divisions outside the Special Flood Hazard Area but is required when development is planned in the Special Flood Hazard Area. State OSSF exceptions remain limited to qualifying 10-acre single-family systems, defined emergency repairs reported in writing within 72 hours, and qualifying grandfathered systems; all applicable planning, siting, construction, and nuisance-prevention requirements still apply.