Administrative overview · FIPS 48409
San Patricio 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
San Patricio County Floodplain Development & Permits; Environmental Health Department; County Fire Marshal
For a project in or near San Patricio 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
Floodplain/Permits Manager: 361-587-3567; Environmental Health main office: 361-587-3500, Designated Representative: 361-587-3523; Fire Marshal: 361-587-3558
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Floodplain Development & Permits, 219 W 5th Street, Building 7, Sinton, TX 78387; Environmental Health and Fire Marshal, 313 N Rachal Avenue, Sinton, TX 78387
Operating hours
Floodplain/development permits are issued by appointment only; county offices list Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., closed weekends and holidays.
Review expectation
Residential plans should be submitted to the Floodplain Manager at least two weeks before application review. After a complete online submission passes initial review, the applicant is emailed to schedule an appointment for the provisional permit. No guaranteed issuance or Fire Marshal review time was published.
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 San Patricio County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
San Patricio County Floodplain Development & Permits; Environmental Health Department; County Fire Marshal 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 Floodplain/Permits Manager: 361-587-3567; Environmental Health main office: 361-587-3500, Designated Representative: 361-587-3523; Fire Marshal: 361-587-3558.
How long might review take?
Residential plans should be submitted to the Floodplain Manager at least two weeks before application review. After a complete online submission passes initial review, the applicant is emailed to schedule an appointment for the provisional permit. No guaranteed issuance or Fire Marshal review time was published.
How are inspections scheduled?
Temporary power is released only after septic design approval and issuance of the development permit; permanent power requires final septic and construction inspections, plus a final elevation certificate in A or V flood zones. Coordinate development and OSSF inspections through 361-587-3567 and Environmental Health at 361-587-3500/3523. Fire inspections must be requested from the Fire Marshal in advance; the office invoices the fee and schedules only after advance payment. Underground fire-water, alarm, sprinkler, and final inspections may be required, and the signed/sealed as-built certificate serves as the final-inspection request.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
All development in unincorporated San Patricio County requires county review under the Flood Damage Prevention Order; residential standards include a finished-floor/elevation-certificate requirement of 24 inches above highest adjacent grade or base flood elevation where applicable. The County Fire Code consists of the 2018 International Fire Code with local amendments and applies to new construction or substantial improvement of public buildings, commercial establishments, and multifamily dwellings with four or more units in unincorporated areas. OSSFs are administered by the county Environmental Health Department under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366, 30 TAC Chapter 285, and the county authorized-agent program. No separate countywide 2026 residential structural-code edition was published. The county FAQ says fences in unincorporated areas are not county-permitted, but development permits otherwise cover man-made changes including structures, major additions or renovations, fill, grading, paving, excavation, storage, and septic installation. The Fire Code does not cover ordinary one- to three-family dwellings and exempts an agricultural-use-only structure when it is built by a Texas agricultural/timber registrant, used solely for one farm or ranch's equipment, animals, or products, at least 300 feet from any separately owned residence or structure, and never used for human residence or shelter. No broader cosmetic-work exemption list was published.