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Fees, valuation & enforcement

Know the cost of authorization—and the cost of skipping it.

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

Build the permit budget from the issuing agency’s schedule.

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

Terry County Judge's Office: 806-637-6421; county floodplain contact: 806-637-4547; TCEQ Region 2 Lubbock: 806-796-7092

Ask the counter to confirm current charges before submitting a project with multiple trades or a change of use.

Financial exposure

Budget for the complete approval path.

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

Stop-work authority can interrupt the critical path.

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

Unresolved work can block occupancy and utilities.

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

Treat every exemption as a narrow code exception, not a blanket waiver.

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

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 Terry County

Who handles permitting for this jurisdiction?

Terry County Judge's Office (Floodplain Administration); Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Region 2 OSSF Program 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 Terry County Judge's Office: 806-637-6421; county floodplain contact: 806-637-4547; TCEQ Region 2 Lubbock: 806-796-7092 and request the current application route before preparing a final submittal.

How long might review take?

No county floodplain review time is published. TCEQ must approve or deny a complete state-administered OSSF application and planning materials within 30 days.

How are inspections scheduled?

Contact the Terry County Judge's Office at 806-637-6421 or the listed county floodplain contact at 806-637-4547 before development in a mapped floodplain; no county online application or inspection scheduler is published. For a state-administered OSSF, submit the TCEQ application, site evaluation, planning materials, and fee to Region 2, then call 806-796-7092 to coordinate the required construction inspection before the system is covered or operated.

Which codes and exemptions should I review?

Terry County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and regulates development in unincorporated flood-hazard areas through its county floodplain administration; the current state directory lists Chris Snapp as the county contact, while a December 2025 FEMA submission was signed by County Judge Tony Serbantez as local floodplain administrator. The county publishes no general building department and no adopted countywide IRC, IBC, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or fire-code edition. Terry does not appear in TCEQ's current report of locally authorized OSSF programs, so septic permitting falls to TCEQ Region 2 under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 366 and 30 TAC Chapter 285 unless the state confirms a newer local delegation. Incorporated municipalities and their ETJs may impose separate requirements. Terry County publishes no general permit or exemption list for ordinary cosmetic or structural work outside regulated floodplains. State OSSF exceptions may include a qualifying system serving one single-family dwelling on a tract of at least 10 acres after a licensed site evaluation, with every system component at least 100 feet from the property line and all other rule conditions met; qualifying grandfathered systems and specified emergency repairs reported in writing within 72 hours may also be exempt.

Why permit costs vary

The fee is tied to the work, not just the form.

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.