Administrative overview · FIPS 48227
Howard 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
Howard County OSSF Office / Howard County Engineer and Floodplain Administrator
For a project in or near Howard 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
Howard County OSSF Office, County Engineer, and Floodplain Administrator Brian Klinksiek: 432-264-2208; Road & Bridge warehouse: 432-264-2280
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Howard County OSSF Office and Road Administrator, 3604 Old Colorado City Road, Big Spring, TX 79720
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Review expectation
The OSSF application says a Notice of Approval and permit is issued approximately five working days after a successful inspection; inspection must be requested at least five working days in advance. Authorization to Construct is valid for one year. The county does not publish a typical initial plan-review or floodplain review time.
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 Howard County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Howard County OSSF Office / Howard County Engineer and 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?
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact Howard County OSSF Office, County Engineer, and Floodplain Administrator Brian Klinksiek: 432-264-2208; Road & Bridge warehouse: 432-264-2280.
How long might review take?
The OSSF application says a Notice of Approval and permit is issued approximately five working days after a successful inspection; inspection must be requested at least five working days in advance. Authorization to Construct is valid for one year. The county does not publish a typical initial plan-review or floodplain review time.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit the completed OSSF application and technical sheet, fee, accurate directions, and two copies each of the planning materials and site/soil evaluation to permits@howardcountytx.gov. Construction may begin only after Authorization to Construct is issued. Leave the installation uncovered and contact the OSSF Office at 432-264-2208 at least five working days before the requested inspection. After a successful inspection, the county issues the Notice of Approval and permit in approximately five working days. Contact County Engineer/Floodplain Administrator Brian Klinksiek at the same number for floodplain development and Road Administrator permits.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Howard County locally administers OSSF permits and inspections under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285. The County Engineer is also the listed Floodplain Administrator, and the county enforces its Flood Damage Prevention Order, subdivision/manufactured-home-rental-community regulations, plat requirements, and permits for residential and commercial driveways and utility work in county rights-of-way. The official county materials reviewed do not publish a general county building permit or an adopted countywide ICC structural-code edition. Howard County does not publish a cosmetic-work exemption list or require a general county building permit for ordinary construction outside its OSSF, floodplain, subdivision, and right-of-way programs. State OSSF law provides only narrow exceptions for qualifying 10-acre single-family tracts, qualifying grandfathered systems that are not altered and do not threaten health or safety, and defined emergency repairs reported in writing within 72 hours. A commercial driveway permit is required when an entrance connects to a county road, but the county application says that permit has no fee.