Administrative overview · FIPS 48331
Milam 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
Milam County Planning and Development, Fire Marshal's Office, and Health Department
For a project in or near Milam 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
Planning and Development: 254-627-1760; Fire Marshal: 254-482-2341; Septic/Health Department: 254-697-7039
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Planning and Development: 102 South Fannin Avenue, Cameron, TX 76520; Fire Marshal: 806 North Crockett Avenue, Suite B, Cameron, TX 76520; Septic Office: 908 North Crockett Avenue, Suite B, Cameron, TX 76520
Operating hours
Septic Office: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-12:00 PM and 1:00 PM-5:00 PM; Planning and Fire Marshal office hours: N/A
Review expectation
The Fire Marshal must issue or deny a complete building-permit application within 30 days; if no decision is made, it is deemed approved for fire-code purposes. A properly requested final fire inspection must begin within ten business days. OSSF authorizations to construct are valid for one year.
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 Milam County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Milam County Planning and Development, Fire Marshal's Office, and Health Department 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 Planning and Development: 254-627-1760; Fire Marshal: 254-482-2341; Septic/Health Department: 254-697-7039.
How long might review take?
The Fire Marshal must issue or deny a complete building-permit application within 30 days; if no decision is made, it is deemed approved for fire-code purposes. A properly requested final fire inspection must begin within ten business days. OSSF authorizations to construct are valid for one year.
How are inspections scheduled?
Use MilamCountyPermits.com to request Fire Marshal inspections. The owner must submit a written final-inspection request on or before completion; the Fire Marshal must begin within ten business days. A passing project receives a Certificate of Compliance, while a failed project may not be occupied. Coordinate OSSF inspections with the Health Department at 254-697-7039; construction, alteration, repair, or extension cannot begin before written authorization, and approval follows a successful inspection.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Milam County Fire Code adopted and effective May 26, 2025, incorporating the 2024 International Fire Code with county/NCTCOG amendments, the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, 2024 NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, and NFPA 70 provisions identified by the county code; Milam County Flood Damage Prevention Order and Ordinance; OSSF rules under 30 TAC Chapter 285. Fire-code building permits apply to unincorporated commercial establishments, public buildings, and multifamily dwellings of four or more units. The county development permit covers new structures, additions, alterations, replacements, relocations, clearing, fill, mining, drilling, grading, buried utilities, excavation, watercourse changes, drainage work, subdivisions, and individual water/sewer systems; no work may begin before issuance. The fire-code building permit does not cover one-to-three-family dwellings and excludes an industrial facility with an OSHA-compliant fire brigade, but these projects may still require the general development, floodplain, septic, driveway, or municipal-ETJ permits. Ordinary maintenance of an EV charging station is not treated as a modification requiring a fire construction permit.