Administrative overview · FIPS 48339
Montgomery 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
Montgomery County Permit Department, Environmental Health Services, Floodplain Administration, and Fire Marshal's Office
For a project in or near Montgomery 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
Permit Department: 936-539-7836; Environmental Health/OSSF: 936-539-7839; Fire Marshal: 936-538-8288
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Montgomery County Permit Department, 501 North Thompson Street, Suite 100, Conroe, TX 77301; Environmental Health, Suite 101; Fire Marshal, Suite 102
Operating hours
Permit Department: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-3:00 PM; other division hours: N/A
Review expectation
N/A for ordinary development and septic plan review. Fire Marshal expedited handling in fewer than five working days or after hours is offered for a $500 fee. Development permits expire 180 days after entry into the permitting system regardless of review status; after release, construction must begin within 180 days and proceed without interruption.
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 Montgomery County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Montgomery County Permit Department, Environmental Health Services, Floodplain Administration, and 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?
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact Permit Department: 936-539-7836; Environmental Health/OSSF: 936-539-7839; Fire Marshal: 936-538-8288 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
N/A for ordinary development and septic plan review. Fire Marshal expedited handling in fewer than five working days or after hours is offered for a $500 fee. Development permits expire 180 days after entry into the permitting system regardless of review status; after release, construction must begin within 180 days and proceed without interruption.
How are inspections scheduled?
For OSSF inspection, submit a request to Environmental Health by 3:00 PM at least two business days before the needed inspection; obtain approval before backfilling or use. Floodplain and development inspections are coordinated through the Permit Department, and required elevation or engineer certifications must be supplied for floodplain work. Commercial/public and qualifying multifamily projects submit fire plans to the Fire Marshal and use the county Request for Fire Code Final Inspection form; call 936-538-8288 for scheduling.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Montgomery County Floodplain Management Regulations effective October 1, 2025; 2024 International Fire Code with county amendments, appendices B, C, D, H, I, J, L and P, and only the specified 2024 International Building Code chapters incorporated by the county fire code, effective May 14, 2025; current NFPA 101 provisions cited by the Fire Marshal; county OSSF rules and 30 TAC Chapter 285; Development Regulations adopted March 4, 2025 and amended through April 9, 2026. Fire/building-code scope is commercial and public buildings and multifamily complexes of four or more units. The October 2025 rules exempt listed work subject to drainage safeguards: three-strand barbed-wire fences; limited residential or commercial clearing outside special flood hazard areas with no drainage alteration; basic upkeep/remodeling that is not a substantial improvement in a flood area; weather-event debris cleanup; limited residential excavation/fill outside flood areas under 15,000 square feet and 500 cubic yards; qualifying stored recreational vehicles; qualifying old nonpermitted development outside the floodway; agricultural maintenance outside flood areas; demolition outside flood areas under 500 square feet; same-material fence repair in flood areas; and fences and pools outside flood areas. All other property development requires a permit, and each structure or addition requires a separate permit.