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Codes, exemptions & field inspections

Build to the adopted code. Verify every exception.

This guide translates the available agency record into a preconstruction checklist for structural scope, minor work, and inspection release. The adopted code and the issuing official control when a field condition is disputed.

Regulatory framework

The code baseline for Randall County.

Randall County requires a floodplain development permit before construction and applies 44 CFR floodplain requirements and the Randall County Flood Damage Prevention Order. A Class A permit is required for all development outside the mapped 100-year floodplain and a Class B permit for property wholly or partly within it; regulated development includes buildings, excavation, fill, grading, paving, and storage. Residential development is prohibited in an identified floodway. Subdivision development is governed by the county's 2023 subdivision regulations. OSSFs are administered for Randall County by the Amarillo Area Public Health District under 30 TAC Chapter 285 and the county OSSF order. No general county structural building-code edition was published for ordinary unincorporated construction in 2026.

Inspection lane

Obtain the applicable Class A or Class B floodplain development permit from Randall County Road and Bridge before construction; floodplain building proposals require surveyor certification, and no work may begin before approval. For OSSF work, submit the application to ehealthOSSF@amarillo.gov, by mail, or in person. After Authorization to Construct, call 806-378-9472 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at least one day before the desired inspection and provide the site address, permit number, and installer attendance information. Do not backfill until the system passes inspection. Public OSSF permit records are available in eBridge with username 'public', password 'publicuser', and cabinet 'AMARILLOEH'.

Minor-work playbook

Understand what may be exempt—and what is not.

No minor-structure, cosmetic-work, or acreage-based county development-permit exemption was published: the county says all development requires either a Class A or Class B permit. For the substantial-improvement calculation only, the floodplain order excludes minimum work needed to correct identified health or safety code violations and qualifying alterations to historic structures; these are not general permit waivers. The OSSF authority notes possible lot-size exceptions for lots platted before January 1, 1988, but still requires approval before installation, repair, replacement, or alteration.

Field rule

A permit exemption generally addresses one narrow construction trigger. It does not automatically waive zoning, land-use, floodplain, shoreline, fire, energy, electrical, utility, septic, or right-of-way requirements. Obtain written confirmation when the project involves a new structure, structural alteration, change in occupancy, or concealed work.

Inspection pipeline

Keep the work visible at every release point.

  1. 1

    Request with lead time

    Obtain the applicable Class A or Class B floodplain development permit from Randall County Road and Bridge before construction; floodplain building proposals require surveyor certification, and no work may begin before approval. For OSSF work, submit the application to ehealthOSSF@amarillo.gov, by mail, or in person. After Authorization to Construct, call 806-378-9472 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at least one day before the desired inspection and provide the site address, permit number, and installer attendance information. Do not backfill until the system passes inspection. Public OSSF permit records are available in eBridge with username 'public', password 'publicuser', and cabinet 'AMARILLOEH'.

  2. 2

    Preserve access

    Do not cover framing, reinforcement, wiring, piping, damp-proofing, or life-safety work until the required inspection has been completed and documented.

  3. 3

    Close the record

    Retain the approved plans, inspection approvals, correction responses, and final certificate or occupancy release with the property file.

Contractor verification

Verify the builder before the contract is signed.

Use the state licensing system to verify active registration, trade credentials, bond status, and liability coverage where available. Match the legal business name to the proposal and permit application.

Verify contractor ↗

Planning reference

Keep the parcel rules beside the building plans.

A building permit is only one part of statutory compliance. Check the local zoning, ordinance, map, or land-use reference before finalizing setbacks, height, lot coverage, access, drainage, or accessory structure placement.

Open planning reference ↗

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.

Agency websiteOpen official source ↗Permit portalOpen official source ↗Application instructionsOpen official source ↗Fee scheduleOpen official source ↗Planning or zoning referenceOpen official source ↗Contractor license lookupOpen official source ↗

Project questions

Frequently asked questions for Randall County

Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?

Randall County Road and Bridge; Amarillo Area Public Health District Environmental Health 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 Randall County Road and Bridge/Floodplain: 806-655-3861; Amarillo Environmental Health OSSF: 806-378-9472; rural 911 addressing: 806-374-9800 extension 109.

How long might review take?

No county floodplain-development review time was published. The OSSF Authorization to Construct is valid for one calendar year, and the county subdivision regulations provide a 30-day action period for OSSF-related plat review. The Environmental Health page says public-record requests may take up to 10 days but does not publish a typical initial permit-review time.

How are inspections scheduled?

Obtain the applicable Class A or Class B floodplain development permit from Randall County Road and Bridge before construction; floodplain building proposals require surveyor certification, and no work may begin before approval. For OSSF work, submit the application to ehealthOSSF@amarillo.gov, by mail, or in person. After Authorization to Construct, call 806-378-9472 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at least one day before the desired inspection and provide the site address, permit number, and installer attendance information. Do not backfill until the system passes inspection. Public OSSF permit records are available in eBridge with username 'public', password 'publicuser', and cabinet 'AMARILLOEH'.

Which codes and exemptions should I review?

Randall County requires a floodplain development permit before construction and applies 44 CFR floodplain requirements and the Randall County Flood Damage Prevention Order. A Class A permit is required for all development outside the mapped 100-year floodplain and a Class B permit for property wholly or partly within it; regulated development includes buildings, excavation, fill, grading, paving, and storage. Residential development is prohibited in an identified floodway. Subdivision development is governed by the county's 2023 subdivision regulations. OSSFs are administered for Randall County by the Amarillo Area Public Health District under 30 TAC Chapter 285 and the county OSSF order. No general county structural building-code edition was published for ordinary unincorporated construction in 2026. No minor-structure, cosmetic-work, or acreage-based county development-permit exemption was published: the county says all development requires either a Class A or Class B permit. For the substantial-improvement calculation only, the floodplain order excludes minimum work needed to correct identified health or safety code violations and qualifying alterations to historic structures; these are not general permit waivers. The OSSF authority notes possible lot-size exceptions for lots platted before January 1, 1988, but still requires approval before installation, repair, replacement, or alteration.

Field sequencing matters

The inspector needs to see the work at the right moment.

Code compliance is not only a plan-review exercise. Footings, reinforcement, framing, fireblocking, wiring, piping, insulation, weather protection, and life-safety systems each have points where the work must remain accessible. Build the inspection calendar into the trade schedule instead of treating it as a final administrative step.

When a project qualifies for a narrow minor-work exemption, keep a written explanation of why it qualifies and confirm that related zoning, utility, fire, energy, or environmental rules do not create a separate approval requirement.

Closeout file

Keep the approved plan set, inspection approvals, correction responses, contractor license verification, final certificate, and any occupancy release together. A clean record protects the owner, builder, lender, insurer, and future buyer.