Fees, valuation & enforcement
Permit fees are a project input. Enforcement exposure is a project risk. Use the official schedule where available, then confirm valuation, trade permits, plan review, and inspection charges with the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
Official fee pathway
The final charge may depend on declared construction value, occupancy classification, square footage, plan review, state surcharges, trade permits, technology fees, and inspection activity. Do not use a neighboring city’s fee table as a substitute for this jurisdiction.
Fee desk contact
County Engineer: 830-249-9343 (development/OSSF direct line 830-331-8253); Fire Marshal: 830-249-3721
Ask the counter to confirm current charges before submitting a project with multiple trades or a change of use.
Financial exposure
Plan for building, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, energy, zoning, septic, right-of-way, or other reviews that the project scope triggers. The lowest initial permit fee is not always the lowest project cost.
Enforcement exposure
When work begins without authorization, the agency may halt the site, require corrective plans, impose additional fees, withhold inspection release, or require concealed work to be exposed for review.
Closeout exposure
A missing final inspection or certificate can complicate occupancy, refinancing, sale, insurance, and utility connection. Preserve the approved plans and signed inspection record through closeout.
Professional field note
Even when a cosmetic or minor project does not require a building permit, zoning, floodplain, shoreline, historic, utility, fire, or right-of-way controls may still apply. Confirm the full jurisdictional picture before work starts.
Source trail
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
Kendall County Engineer's Office / Kendall 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.
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact County Engineer: 830-249-9343 (development/OSSF direct line 830-331-8253); Fire Marshal: 830-249-3721 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
Kendall County expressly states that it will approve or deny an OSSF application within 30 days of receipt. The county publishes no typical development- or Fire Code-permit review duration; review begins only after the Engineer determines the application is complete.
Obtain the rural 911 address and county-road access permit first, then submit the development application, checklist, printed and PDF plans, dark-sky application, and any floodplain, drainage, well, septic, or commercial materials. Incomplete applications are not processed. For OSSF work, submit the county septic form, professionally sealed planning materials, site evaluation, and required recorded affidavit and maintenance contract for an aerobic system; await approval, call 830-331-8253 to schedule inspections, and leave the system uncovered. For covered Fire Code work, the engineer, architect, or ICC-certified building official performs sufficient construction inspections; at completion, email the signed/sealed final-inspection request to fire.marshal@co.kendall.tx.us, after which the Fire Marshal calls to schedule the appointment.
Kendall County's March 4, 2026 verification letter states that permits are required for all development in unincorporated areas, including buildings, structures, grading, paving, excavation, fill, storage, driveways, county right-of-way work, outdoor lighting, OSSFs, and residential or commercial site improvements inside or outside the floodplain. The Engineer's Office applies the amended Kendall County Development Rules, 2022 Flood Damage Prevention Order, dark-sky standards, road/drainage/infrastructure requirements, and OSSF rules under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapters 30 and 285. The Fire Marshal administers the county-amended 2021 International Fire Code and issues permits and occupancy/compliance certificates for covered multifamily and nonresidential development. The county has not adopted a single-family residential building code and has no zoning in unincorporated areas. There is no broad minor-development exemption: the county's 2026 letter says all man-made site-development changes require permitting. Kendall County expressly requires an OSSF permit regardless of acreage, eliminating the state 10-acre permit exception, and requires professionally prepared planning materials for all systems. An access permit is no longer required for a driveway fronting a private road, although an address request and the separate development permit still apply. Single-family residences are outside the county building-code program but are not exempt from development, floodplain, septic, driveway/address, dark-sky, or other applicable permits.
Why permit costs vary
Building departments commonly calculate charges from valuation, occupancy, floor area, project type, plan review effort, trade scope, state surcharges, and inspection activity. A remodel that appears small on paper may still trigger structural, energy, fire, or utility review. Ask the permit counter which disciplines apply before you finalize the construction budget.
The same discipline applies to enforcement. Correcting unpermitted work after finishes are installed can require demolition, revised plans, additional inspections, and schedule disruption. Authorization is usually the less expensive project-management decision.