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
Real County Judge: 830-232-5304; Floodplain Coordinator Vick Jones: 830-279-5822; County Clerk: 830-232-5202
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
Real County Floodplain Coordinator, Commissioners Court, and OSSF Inspector 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 Real County Judge: 830-232-5304; Floodplain Coordinator Vick Jones: 830-279-5822; County Clerk: 830-232-5202 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
No general floodplain or OSSF review time was published. For a manufactured-home rental community infrastructure development plan, the Commissioners Court must approve or reject within 60 business days. Final inspection is due by the second business day after written completion notice, and a compliance certificate is due within five business days after final inspection, or after the completion letter if no inspection is required.
Contact Floodplain Coordinator Vick Jones at 830-279-5822 before starting any new construction, addition, manufactured-home or travel-trailer placement, or subdivision proposal and obtain the required Exemption or Elevation Certificate. For subdivision OSSF work, coordinate the required pre-, during-, and post-construction inspections with the County OSSF Inspector through the County Judge's office. Manufactured-home rental community applicants must arrange a preconstruction meeting with the County Engineer; final inspection occurs no later than the second business day after written completion notice.
Real County's floodplain development-permit system applies to all new construction, additions to existing structures, manufactured homes, travel trailers, and subdivision proposals under its Flood Damage Prevention Order and National Flood Insurance Program standards. Projects outside the floodplain require an Exemption Certificate; projects in the floodplain require an Elevation Certificate. The county's December 2024 subdivision and land-development regulations govern plats, roads, drainage, manufactured-home rental communities, infrastructure, groundwater certification, and wastewater. They require every subdivision septic system to meet state and county rules and be permitted and inspected before, during, and after construction by the County OSSF Inspector. No general county structural building-code edition was published for 2026. No minor-structure or cosmetic-work exemption list was published. Development outside the mapped floodplain is not exempt from county review; it requires a $50 Exemption Certificate. Floodplain development requires a $100 Elevation Certificate. State OSSF exceptions may apply only where all 30 TAC Chapter 285 conditions are met, including the strict 10-acre single-family rule or qualifying emergency repairs; obtain a county determination before relying on an exception.
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.