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
Refugio County Judge/OSSF: 361-526-4434; Nueces River Authority county floodplain contact: 361-653-2110; County Clerk: 361-526-2233 or 361-526-2727
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
Refugio County Judge's Office; Nueces River Authority Floodplain Administration 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 Refugio County Judge/OSSF: 361-526-4434; Nueces River Authority county floodplain contact: 361-653-2110; County Clerk: 361-526-2233 or 361-526-2727 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
No county development or OSSF review timeline was published. Under state OSSF rules, the permitting authority must approve or deny a complete application and planning materials within 30 days of receipt.
Submit the development application, vicinity map, $20 fee, and—when the site is in a floodplain—one copy of construction plans and specifications to the County Judge. For OSSF work, return the application, site/soil evaluation, scaled design and specifications, appraisal or deed and plat, site map, fee, and any required recorded affidavit and maintenance contract to Room 104. Coordinate the installation inspection at 361-526-4434; a permit to operate is granted only after a successful inspection confirms compliance. Contact the Nueces River Authority floodplain representative for project-specific floodplain review.
Refugio County requires a $20 county development-permit application for residential and nonresidential new construction, substantial improvements, houses, mobile homes, commercial projects, placement of fill, and alteration of waterways or drainage courses. The County Judge evaluates the site using county flood-hazard boundary maps and best available flood data and may require plans and specifications for floodplain work or issue an exemption certificate outside the identified hazard area. Subdivision and manufactured-home rental community regulations apply separately. OSSFs are governed by 30 TAC Chapter 285 and current OSSF rules adopted by the Refugio County Commissioners Court. No general county structural building-code edition was published for 2026. No general minor-structure or cosmetic-work exemption list was published. A county exemption certificate may be issued when a proposed development is outside the identified special flood-hazard area, but the county form warns that the certificate does not guarantee freedom from flooding and does not waive other county, state, or federal requirements. The OSSF packet does not publish an acreage exemption; obtain a county determination before relying on the state 10-acre, grandfathered-system, or emergency-repair exceptions.
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.