Administrative overview · FIPS 48435
Sutton 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
Sutton County Commissioners Court / County Judge's Office, Floodplain and OSSF Programs
For a project in or near Sutton 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
Sutton County Judge's Office: 325-387-2711; Sutton County Underground Water Conservation District referral office: 325-387-2369
Call before mobilizing if the project has a boundary, occupancy, fire, septic, or utility question.
Permit counter
Sutton County Courthouse, 300 E Oak Street, Suite 4, Sonora, TX 76950; County Judge's temporary office: 307 E Oak Street, Sonora, TX 76950
Operating hours
County Judge's Office: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Review expectation
No floodplain or OSSF review time is published. A subdivision preliminary plat must reach the County Judge and commissioners at least 7 days before the meeting at which approval is requested; a final plat must be submitted at least 15 days before the requested Commissioners Court meeting.
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 Sutton County
Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?
Sutton County Commissioners Court / County Judge's Office, Floodplain and OSSF Programs 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?
No verified online portal was located in the reviewed public materials. Contact Sutton County Judge's Office: 325-387-2711; Sutton County Underground Water Conservation District referral office: 325-387-2369 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.
How long might review take?
No floodplain or OSSF review time is published. A subdivision preliminary plat must reach the County Judge and commissioners at least 7 days before the meeting at which approval is requested; a final plat must be submitted at least 15 days before the requested Commissioners Court meeting.
How are inspections scheduled?
Contact County Judge Joseph Harris at 325-387-2711 before floodplain or subdivision development and to obtain the current Sutton County OSSF permitting-agent contact; the county publishes no online application or inspection scheduler. A new or altered septic system must be permitted and inspected under the county's TCEQ-authorized program before it is covered or operated. The Sutton County Underground Water Conservation District also directs applicants to the county agent and can provide current referral information at 325-387-2369.
Which codes and exemptions should I review?
Sutton County Commissioners Court is the TCEQ-authorized agent for licensing and regulating on-site sewage facilities and administers county floodplain development regulation. The county's Subdivision Regulations govern unincorporated subdivisions under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 232, require OSSF compliance with 30 TAC Chapter 285, require at least 25,100 square feet for subdivision lots using septic systems and at least 10 acres where individual wells are used, and require plats to identify the 100-year floodplain. The county publishes no general building department and no adopted countywide IRC, IBC, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or fire-code edition; Sonora may impose separate municipal requirements. No county permit or exemption list is published for ordinary cosmetic or structural work outside regulated floodplains, subdivision development, and OSSF work. Statutory subdivision exemptions may apply only where all Texas Local Government Code Chapter 232 conditions are met. State OSSF exceptions can include a qualifying single-family tract of 10 acres or more, a qualifying grandfathered system, and specified emergency repairs reported within 72 hours, subject to the county's approved OSSF order and all state-rule conditions.