Administrative overview · FIPS 48257
Kaufman 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
Kaufman County Development Services / Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office
For a project in or near Kaufman 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: 469-376-4127; Fire Marshal permits and inspections: 469-376-4122
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Kaufman County Development Services, 101 N. Houston Street, Kaufman, TX 75142
Operating hours
Development Services: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., closed 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.; Fire Marshal meetings are by appointment only.
Review expectation
The optional pre-development questionnaire may take up to 10 working days to research. Each applicable commercial/public permit or plan submittal may take up to 30 days to review, and each resubmittal begins another review cycle. A complete OSSF application must be approved or denied within 30 days under state authorized-agent rules.
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 Kaufman County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Kaufman County Development Services / Kaufman County Fire Marshal's Office 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 Development Services: 469-376-4127; Fire Marshal permits and inspections: 469-376-4122.
How long might review take?
The optional pre-development questionnaire may take up to 10 working days to research. Each applicable commercial/public permit or plan submittal may take up to 30 days to review, and each resubmittal begins another review cycle. A complete OSSF application must be approved or denied within 30 days under state authorized-agent rules.
How are inspections scheduled?
Apply, upload plans, pay, view records, and schedule Fire Marshal inspections through the official permit portal; plans requiring an architect or engineer must bear that professional's seal. New commercial/public projects begin with the optional pre-development questionnaire, followed by a pre-development meeting, departmental plan reviews, and a pre-construction meeting at which the permit and inspection requirements are issued. Request Fire Marshal appointments or inspections at 469-376-4122 or firemarshal@kaufmancounty.net. Residential builders must obtain independent foundation, framing/mechanical, and final inspections and deliver the statutory notices to Development Services. OSSF applicants submit the county form, deed, survey, design and planning materials, await authorization, and arrange the county installation inspection before covering or operating the system.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Kaufman County Development Services administers permitting in unincorporated areas under its December 2025 Subdivision and Land Development Regulations, the January 2023 Floodplain Management Court Order, TCEQ OSSF rules in Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285, and county rules for platting, drainage, roads, 911 addressing, manufactured-home/RV communities, and regulated land uses. The Fire Marshal enforces the 2024 International Fire Code with county amendments for new commercial establishments, public buildings, and multifamily buildings with more than three units. New residential construction must conform to the latest International Residential Code under the county's Local Government Code Chapter 233 notice-and-independent-inspection program; this residential notice is not a permit and requires no prior county approval. Flood-hazard residential floors must generally be at least two feet above base flood elevation under the current flood order. The county's Residential Building Notice and Inspection Requirement is expressly not a permit: before new residential construction the builder files a no-fee notice and arranges independent inspections at foundation, framing/mechanical, and final stages. The Fire Marshal building permit applies to a new public/commercial building, substantial improvement, or change of use/occupancy; the county does not publish a broader cosmetic-work exemption list. Floodplain, OSSF, subdivision, driveway, 911, and other development approvals remain independently applicable. Flood substantial-improvement calculations exclude minimum work ordered to correct identified code violations and qualifying historic-structure alterations.