Administrative overview · FIPS 48255
Karnes 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
Karnes County Special Projects & Permits
For a project in or near Karnes 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
830-780-3511
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
210 W. Calvert Avenue, Suite 155, Karnes City, TX 78118
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; closed for lunch 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.
Review expectation
A Texas OSSF authorized agent must approve or deny a complete application and planning materials within 30 days. Karnes County publishes no shorter typical development-determination or OSSF 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 Karnes County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Karnes County Special Projects & Permits 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 830-780-3511.
How long might review take?
A Texas OSSF authorized agent must approve or deny a complete application and planning materials within 30 days. Karnes County publishes no shorter typical development-determination or OSSF review time.
How are inspections scheduled?
First submit the Determination Development Permit application through the iWorQ portal, completing all required fields and uploading supporting plans. Then submit the county's eight-page OSSF package with proof of legal description, site evaluator and licensed installer information, professional design, soil/site evaluation, scaled site plan, and any required recorded maintenance affidavit. Do not construct before authorization. The owner or installer must contact Special Projects at 830-780-3511 before completion to arrange the required facility inspection; the system may operate only after the county issues its license to operate.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Karnes County requires an online Determination Development Permit application before accepting an OSSF application. The determination supports its floodplain-management program; the current Texas Floodplain Administrator directory lists Special Projects Manager Jim Adams as the county contact. The county is a TCEQ OSSF authorized agent and its application implements Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285, requires a professional system design under the county ordinance, soil/site evaluation, scaled planning materials, and county inspection before operation. Subdivision rules also govern platting, water, wastewater, drainage, roads, utilities, and lot sizing. The county publishes no countywide ICC structural-code edition or general structural building-inspection program; incorporated cities administer their own building permits. The county publishes no general cosmetic-work exemption list because its verified county permits concern development determination, floodplain, OSSF, and road/right-of-way work rather than a general structural building permit. State minimum OSSF rules contain a narrowly conditioned 10-acre exception and defined emergency-repair exception, but Karnes County's professional-design and local application requirements may be more stringent; applicants must obtain the county determination and confirm any claimed OSSF exception before proceeding.