Administrative overview · FIPS 48217
Hill 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
Hill County Development Services / Hill County Floodplain Administrator
For a project in or near Hill 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 Services: 254-337-1210; OSSF Designated Representative/payment: 254-283-6846; Development Services Director: 254-283-6862; 911/Floodplain: 254-266-1445
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Hill County Development Services and Support Services Center, 218 North Waco Street, Hillsboro, TX 76645
Operating hours
OSSF applications and payments: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Review expectation
For an approved OSSF application, Authorization to Construct is issued within 30 days; the authorization is valid one year. After an approved installation inspection, Notice of Approval/license to operate is issued within seven days. Commercial and RV-park septic applications also require TCEQ approval and the county warns this may cause substantial delay.
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 Hill County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Hill County Development Services / Hill County Floodplain Administrator 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 Services: 254-337-1210; OSSF Designated Representative/payment: 254-283-6846; Development Services Director: 254-283-6862; 911/Floodplain: 254-266-1445 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
For an approved OSSF application, Authorization to Construct is issued within 30 days; the authorization is valid one year. After an approved installation inspection, Notice of Approval/license to operate is issued within seven days. Commercial and RV-park septic applications also require TCEQ approval and the county warns this may cause substantial delay.
How are inspections scheduled?
Email or mail the completed floodplain application to Hill County 911 Addressing at 218 North Waco Street and pay the $100 fee; after the permit and payment are received, staff takes a GPS point and returns the assigned address. For floodplain construction, furnish the required elevation certificate within 10 business days after completing the foundation. Effective January 1, 2026, Development Services coordinates OSSF inspections: the installer must request inspection at least five business days before the desired date through the OSSF Designated Representative, and the excavation/installation must remain open until approved.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Hill County administers its Flood Damage Prevention Order, 2025 Subdivision Rules effective March 4, 2025, culvert policy, and local OSSF program under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285. The June 2026 Major Industrial Development Review Policy adds independent technical review for large industrial projects only when an applicant requests a discretionary county agreement or action; it does not replace statutory septic, floodplain, road, drainage, or culvert duties. The official county materials reviewed do not publish a general countywide ICC building-code edition. The Flood Plain Development Permit form classifies a project determined to be outside the 100-year floodplain as exempt from the county Flood Damage Prevention Order; the county still uses the form to document that determination and assess applicable 911/addressing needs. No county-specific list of cosmetic or minor general-construction exemptions was published. State OSSF exceptions remain limited to qualifying 10-acre single-family systems, qualifying grandfathered systems, and defined emergency repairs reported in writing within 72 hours.