Administrative overview · FIPS 48425
Somervell 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
Somervell County On-Site Sewage Facility Program / Floodplain Administrator
For a project in or near Somervell 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
254-898-3920
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Somervell County OSSF, 105 Sheppard Street, Glen Rose, TX 76043
Operating hours
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Review expectation
A permitting authority must approve or deny a complete OSSF permit application and planning materials within 30 days; no separate county floodplain or general building 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 Somervell County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Somervell County On-Site Sewage Facility Program / Floodplain Administrator 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 254-898-3920.
How long might review take?
A permitting authority must approve or deny a complete OSSF permit application and planning materials within 30 days; no separate county floodplain or general building review time was published.
How are inspections scheduled?
Submit the county OSSF application and technical materials to the OSSF office, then contact Floodplain Administrator Brian Jones at 254-898-3920 or ossf@co.somervell.tx.us to coordinate authorization to construct and required inspections. The county's payment instructions state that authorization to construct is issued only after all required new-permit documents and payment are received. Contact the same office before floodplain development because no separate online flood inspection scheduler was published.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Somervell County administers its adopted On-Site Sewage Facility Order under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285, and applies its April 11, 2022 subdivision rules in unincorporated areas; subdivisions in the City of Glen Rose ETJ are approved by the city. The county participates in the NFIP for its unincorporated area and identifies Brian Jones as Floodplain Administrator, but no current county floodplain application or adopted countywide IRC/IBC edition was published on the official site. Incorporated Glen Rose maintains a separate municipal building-permit program. A qualifying single-family OSSF on a tract of at least 10 acres may be exempt only when all 30 TAC Chapter 285 conditions are met, including a licensed site evaluation, no nuisance or groundwater pollution, all system parts at least 100 feet from property lines, onsite effluent disposal, and only one dwelling on the tract; qualifying grandfathered systems and specified emergency repairs may also be exempt under state rules. The county subdivision rules list statutory platting exemptions for qualifying continued agricultural use, family transfers, Veterans' Land Board lots, government-owned land, certain further-development or partnership divisions, and divisions where every lot exceeds 10 acres, subject to the rules' stated exceptions.