Bolthole Index

Atascosa County, Texas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Jourdanton, Texas

Jourdanton, Texas (Atascosa County) controls land use through its own city zoning districts, so a lot inside city limits follows city rules rather than the county's1. We could not confirm from the city's published code when a residential building permit is required; ask Jourdanton City Hall before you build. For septic, the city's zoning allows approved on-site systems in some districts2, and Atascosa County Environmental Health is the county septic office3.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes: the city's own district regulations apply inside city limits1
Minimum lot size (SF-1)
15,000 square feet4
Setbacks (SF-1)
25 ft front, 5 ft side, 10 ft rear5
Manufactured homes
Allowed in the MH district on a permanent foundation6
Building permit
City fee schedule lists building-related fees; residential requirement not confirmed, ask City Hall7
Septic
County Environmental Health is the septic office; the city's permitting role is unconfirmed3
Subdivision
City plat procedures apply8

Who to call

Septic permits

Atascosa County Environmental Health Department

On-site sewage facility (septic) applications for Atascosa County

830-769-2748

1 Courthouse Circle Drive Ste 103 Jourdanton, TX 78026

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Jourdanton means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Jourdanton, TX have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and setbacks?

Jourdanton has its own zoning: land use inside city limits is controlled by the city's district regulations1. Rules differ by district, so check which district a lot is in before you buy.

In the SF-1 Urban Single-Family Residential district, the minimum lot size is 15,000 square feet4. SF-1 setbacks are 25 feet in front, 5 feet on the side and 10 feet in the rear5. SF-1 buildings are limited to 2 stories9.

The A Agricultural district is much more open: front setbacks are 100 feet, side setbacks 25 feet and rear setbacks 50 feet10, with a 2-story height limit11.

Can you put a manufactured home, RV or tiny home in Jourdanton?

Manufactured housing in Jourdanton must sit in the MH manufactured-housing district and be secured on a permanent foundation as the ordinance defines it. The house must also appear to face the street and have a gabled entry or an equivalent facade break6.

We could not confirm Jourdanton's rules for living in an RV or a tiny home inside city limits, or for temporary camping. Ask the City Manager's office at Jourdanton City Hall before you plan on either.

Do you need a building permit in Jourdanton, and who issues it?

We could not confirm from the city's published code when a residential building permit is required inside Jourdanton, which building code the city has adopted, or what inspections apply. The city's fee schedule lists building-related fees, including a permit for curb, gutter, driveway and culvert installations7. Call Jourdanton City Hall, the city's own office, to ask before you start.

Atascosa County's building permit rules cover only the unincorporated parts of the county12, so they do not set the answer inside city limits. If you are buying land outside the city, see the Atascosa County page.

How do septic permits work inside Jourdanton?

Jourdanton's zoning allows dwellings in the SF-A Suburban Single-Family Residential district to connect to either an approved on-site system or an approved collective sewerage system2. We could not confirm from the city's published code who issues the septic permit inside city limits or whether city sewer connection is mandatory.

The county's septic office is Atascosa County Environmental Health, which receives septic applications for the county3. The county requires a permit and approved plan for septic systems13. Ask that office whether your address falls under it.

What stays with Atascosa County, and what should you check before buying in Jourdanton?

Septic questions go to Atascosa County Environmental Health3. Atascosa County's floodplain rules apply to unincorporated land14, so ask the city whether its own flood rules cover a lot inside city limits.

Before you buy, confirm the lot's zoning district, ask whether the lot is on city water and sewer, and read the city's platting rules if you plan to divide land: Jourdanton has its own preliminary-plat, final-plat and replat procedures8. Atascosa County's effective property tax rate is 1.3%15.

Watch-outs

  • Atascosa County's rule that single-family homes need no building permit applies to unincorporated land only, not to lots inside Jourdanton city limits16.
  • The city fee schedule lists building-related fees, but we could not confirm Jourdanton's residential permit, inspection or owner-builder rules; call Jourdanton City Hall before you break ground7.
  • A lot that looks rural can sit in a district with strict setbacks, such as 100 feet at the front in the A Agricultural district10.

Sources

  1. City of Jourdanton, TX — District Regulations (Jourdanton), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Jourdanton, TX — District Regulations (Jourdanton), quoted and re-checked
  3. Environmental Health – Atascosa County, quoted and re-checked
  4. City of Jourdanton, TX — District Regulations (Jourdanton), quoted and re-checked
  5. City of Jourdanton, TX — District Regulations (Jourdanton), quoted and re-checked
  6. City of Jourdanton, TX — District Regulations (Jourdanton), quoted and re-checked
  7. Appendix A Fee Schedule — City of Jourdanton, TX (Jourdanton), quoted and re-checked
  8. Exhibit 10A Subdivision Ordinance — City of Jourdanton, TX (Jourdanton), quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Jourdanton, TX — District Regulations (Jourdanton), quoted and re-checked
  10. City of Jourdanton, TX — District Regulations (Jourdanton), quoted and re-checked
  11. City of Jourdanton, TX — District Regulations (Jourdanton), quoted and re-checked
  12. Atascosa County Permit and Inspection Process, quoted and re-checked
  13. Environmental Health – Atascosa County, quoted and re-checked
  14. Flood Damage Prevention Order — Atascosa County, Texas, quoted and re-checked
  15. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  16. Atascosa County Permit and Inspection Process, quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Jourdanton

Jourdanton’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land within Jourdanton city limits.

    • Land use is controlled by the city's district regulations.
    “The purpose of the SF-GH district is to provide a zoning district that allows higher density single-family residential.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Primary uses and structures in the SF-1 Urban Single-Family Residential district inside Jourdanton city limits.

    • A home may be built on a lot at least 50 feet wide and 150 feet long if proof is provided to the City Manager that the tract existed before February 18, 2008.

    minimum lot size: 15000 square feet (Pre-existing tract exception stated in § 2.05(C)(7).)

    “Minimum lot size shall be 15,000 square feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Primary uses and structures in the A Agricultural district inside Jourdanton city limits.

    front setback: 100 feet · side setback: 25 feet · rear setback: 50 feet

    “Minimum front setbacks shall be 100 feet. Minimum side setbacks shall be 25 feet. Minimum rear setbacks shall be 50 feet.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Primary uses and structures in the SF-1 Urban Single-Family Residential district inside Jourdanton city limits.
      “Minimum front setback shall be 25 feet. Minimum side setback shall be 5 feet. Minimum rear setback shall be 10 feet.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Primary uses and structures in the A Agricultural district inside Jourdanton city limits.

    maximum building height: 2 stories

    “Maximum building height shall be 2 story.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Manufactured housing in the MH Manufactured Housing district inside Jourdanton city limits.

    • Manufactured housing must be located within an MH manufactured-housing district.
    • The structure must be secured on a permanent foundation as defined by the ordinance.
    • The house must appear to face the street and have a gabled entry or another facade break of equivalent proportions.
    “Manufactured housing shall be located within a MH, manufactured housing district and comply with the following standards:”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Dwellings in the SF-A Suburban Single-Family Residential district inside Jourdanton city limits.

    • The on-site system must be approved; the ordinance also permits an approved collective sewerage system.
    “Dwellings may be connected to either an approved on-site or an approved collective sewerage system.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision and platting within Jourdanton city limits.

    • The ordinance contains preliminary-plat, final-plat, short-form final-plat, replat, and plat-vacation procedures.
    “§ 202 PRELIMINARY PLAT AND ACCOMPANYING DATA.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Permit-related city fees inside Jourdanton city limits.

    • The official Appendix A fee schedule contains building-related fee sections, including a curb, gutter, driveway, and culvert installation permit fee.
    “§ A3.010 Permit for curb, gutter, driveway and culvert installations.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Jourdanton or Atascosa County directly.

  • Building permit — Residential construction inside Jourdanton city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work inside Jourdanton city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building work inside Jourdanton city limits.
  • Inspections — Residential construction inside Jourdanton city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of residential structures inside Jourdanton city limits.
15 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Lot coverage
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Jourdanton publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Atascosa County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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