Bolthole Index

Bexar County, Texas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Terrell Hills, Texas

The City of Terrell Hills, Texas, in Bexar County, zones all land inside city limits into three districts, and no excavation or construction may start without a city building permit12. The city's building inspector administers building permits and certificates of occupancy23. Septic permits are a Bexar County matter: the county requires every on-site sewage facility in the county to be permitted4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required before any excavation or construction2
Zoning
Yes: districts A Residential, B Semi-Commercial, C Commercial1
Minimum lot size
12,000 sq ft and 80 ft frontage for newly platted lots5
Height limit
Residence 35 ft; accessory building 25 ft6
Short-term rental
Prohibited in A and A-1 residential districts7
Septic
Bexar County requires every septic system in the county to be permitted4
Owner-builder
State licensing exemption for electrical work on your own home; not a permit exemption8

Who to call

Building permits

City of Terrell Hills City Hall

Main line for the city's building permits and inspections; the city's website lists building permits among its online resources

(210) 824-7401

5100 N New Braunfels Ave, San Antonio, Texas 78209

Septic permits

Bexar County Environmental Services (Public Works)

Septic (on-site sewage facility) permits, inspections and renewals for Bexar County

210-335-6700

612 Nogalitos, San Antonio, TX 78204

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 14, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Terrell Hills, Texas have zoning?

Yes. The City of Terrell Hills divides all land inside its limits into three districts: A Residential, B Semi-Commercial and C Commercial1. The districts are shown on a city zoning map dated November 13, 19959.

Newly platted residential lots in Terrell Hills need at least 12,000 square feet and 80 feet of frontage, and must also fit the plats around them5. A residence may not exceed two and one-half stories and 35 feet, and an accessory building may not exceed 25 feet6. In Residential District A, the front setback is at least 25 feet and side setbacks at least 10 feet10, and primary-structure building coverage tops out at 35 percent11.

Short-term rentals are prohibited in the A and A-1 residential districts7.

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

Yes. Inside Terrell Hills, no excavation or construction may be started without a building permit, and the application goes through the building inspector the city council appoints2. The application must include a plat drawn to scale and plans, and foundation plans must carry a Texas engineer's seal212.

A building erected or structurally altered in Terrell Hills may not be occupied until the building inspector issues a certificate of occupancy3. Call Terrell Hills City Hall to start the process13. We could not confirm the city's building code edition, inspection schedule or permit fees; ask City Hall for the current fee schedule.

How do septic permits work inside Terrell Hills?

Bexar County requires every on-site sewage facility in the county to be permitted4, and the county's Environmental Services office acts for the state in issuing septic permits14. Septic systems are inspected during installation15.

We could not confirm whether Terrell Hills adds its own septic or sewer-connection rules; ask City Hall13 and the county septic office14 before you plan any on-site system.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Terrell Hills?

We could not confirm any rule for RV living, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings inside Terrell Hills. The city's zoning is detailed and covers lot size, height and setbacks56, and the zoning chapter bars moving a house from another location onto a lot, so assume these uses are restricted until the city says otherwise. Ask City Hall in writing before buying or placing anything13.

The county's no-zoning answer covers only unincorporated Bexar County, not Terrell Hills16.

How do you build a home in Terrell Hills, step by step?

  1. Confirm the lot meets the district's lot, height and setback rules15.
  2. Prepare a plat of the lot and plans, with engineer-sealed foundation plans2.
  3. Apply for the city building permit through City Hall13.
  4. If the lot is not on public sewer, get a county septic permit4.
  5. Plan driveways and curb cuts under the city's limits on width and number17.
  6. Obtain the certificate of occupancy before moving in3.

What stays with Bexar County, and what should you check before buying in Terrell Hills?

Septic permits come from Bexar County, city or not4. The county's floodplain permit rules apply to work on or within 100 feet of FEMA floodplain, with a $50 application fee per activity18. A driveway onto a state highway needs a TxDOT driveway permit19.

These are county-level figures: Bexar County's effective property tax rate is 1.8 percent20. For land outside city limits, see the Bexar County page.

Watch-outs

  • The county's unincorporated-area rules, including no zoning and voluntary single-family permits, do not apply inside Terrell Hills1621.
  • We could not confirm the city's building code, permit fees, septic rules or owner-builder rules; ask City Hall before you buy13.
  • Short-term rentals are prohibited in the A and A-1 districts, with fines up to $500 per violation, each day a separate offense7.

Sources

  1. Chapter 9 Planning and Development Regulations - City of Terrell Hills, TX (eCode360) (Terrell Hills), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 9 Planning and Development Regulations - City of Terrell Hills, TX (eCode360) (Terrell Hills), quoted and re-checked
  3. Chapter 9 Planning and Development Regulations - City of Terrell Hills, TX (eCode360) (Terrell Hills), quoted and re-checked
  4. On-Site Sewage Facilities, quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 9 Planning and Development Regulations - City of Terrell Hills, TX (eCode360) (Terrell Hills), quoted and re-checked
  6. Chapter 9 Planning and Development Regulations - City of Terrell Hills, TX (eCode360) (Terrell Hills), quoted and re-checked
  7. Chapter 9 Planning and Development Regulations - City of Terrell Hills, TX (eCode360) (Terrell Hills), quoted and re-checked
  8. Exemptions to Electrician Licensing (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Chapter 9 Planning and Development Regulations - City of Terrell Hills, TX (eCode360) (Terrell Hills), quoted and re-checked
  10. Chapter 9 Planning and Development Regulations - City of Terrell Hills, TX (eCode360) (Terrell Hills), quoted and re-checked
  11. Chapter 9 Planning and Development Regulations - City of Terrell Hills, TX (eCode360) (Terrell Hills), quoted and re-checked
  12. Chapter 9 Planning and Development Regulations - City of Terrell Hills, TX (eCode360) (Terrell Hills), quoted and re-checked
  13. City of Terrell Hills City Hall (terrell-hills.com)
  14. Bexar County Environmental Services (Public Works) (bexar.org)
  15. On-Site Sewage Facilities, quoted and re-checked
  16. Code Enforcements and Inspections | Bexar County, TX - Official Website, quoted and re-checked
  17. Chapter 9 Planning and Development Regulations - City of Terrell Hills, TX (eCode360) (Terrell Hills), quoted and re-checked
  18. Floodplain Development Permits | Bexar County, TX, quoted and re-checked
  19. Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Fire Marshal - New Construction FAQs, quoted and re-checked

Written October 14, 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 Terrell Hills

Terrell Hills’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Excavation or construction inside Terrell Hills

    • Application must include plat drawn to scale and plans; foundation plans must bear a Texas engineer's seal
    • Administered by the building inspector appointed by city council
    “no excavation or construction may be started without a building permit.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Buildings erected or structurally altered inside Terrell Hills

    • Applied for with the building permit application
    • Issued within ten days after completion in conformity with building laws and zoning regulations
    “no building hereafter erected or structurally altered shall be used, occupied or changed in use until a certificate of occupancy and compliance shall have been issued by the building inspector”
  • Local zoningPresent

    All land inside Terrell Hills city limits

    • Three districts: A Residential, B Semi-Commercial, C Commercial; A residential subdivided into A and A-1 standards
    “the city of terrell hills is hereby divided into districts of which there shall be three designated as: a residential b semi-commercial c commercial”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Terrell Hills city

    • Districts are shown on the zoning map dated November 13, 1995 referenced in § 9.02.002(e)
    “all districts are clearly shown upon the zoning map entitled "city of terrell hills", produced by the bexar appraisal district for the city of terrell hills and dated november 13, 1995”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Residential building sites platted hereafter in Terrell Hills (all districts)

    • Lot must also be harmonious with existing plats in immediate vicinity
    • Exception for nonconforming single lots recorded before the ordinance

    minimum lot area: >= 12000 sq ft (nonconforming lots of record) · minimum frontage: >= 80 ft

    “in no case will a lot be platted with less than twelve thousand (12,000) square feet, nor less than eighty (80) feet frontage.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Residential Zone District A (single-family) inside Terrell Hills

    • Front setback is the most restrictive of 25 ft, 20% of lot depth, or range of existing setbacks on block
    • Side setbacks cumulative at least 20% of lot width and not less than 10 ft each side
    • Corner lot side yard 20 ft (lots under 115 ft wide) or 25 ft (over 115 ft)
    • Rear 20 ft primary without alley, 10 ft with alley; accessory 5 ft

    front setback: >= 25 ft (or 20% of lot depth/block range if greater) · side setback primary structure: >= 10 ft (cumulative 20% of lot width) · rear setback primary no alley: >= 20 ft

    “front setback (min. feet from property line) 25 (a) 25 (a) 25 (a) side setback (min. feet from property line) primary structure 10 (b) 10 (b) 10 (b)”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Residential Zone District A inside Terrell Hills

    • Floor area ratio also limited to 0.38 (up to 0.40 by council exception for qualifying additions)

    building coverage primary structure: <= 35 percent · floor area ratio: <= 0.38 (0.40 with exception for qualifying additions)

    “building coverage: primary structure only (max. %) 35% 35% 35%”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Buildings in all Terrell Hills districts (general limit); A residential has additional wall-plate and ridge limits in § 9.02.006

    • Residential A figure A: ridge line sloping roof 28-35 ft by lot width, parapet 25 ft; bulk plane applies

    residence max height: <= 35 ft (two and one-half stories max) · accessory building max height: <= 25 ft

    “no residence shall exceed two and one-half stories and thirty-five feet in height, and no accessory building shall exceed twenty-five feet in height.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Platting of new streets and lots inside Terrell Hills

    • City manager may approve amending plats and minor plats/replats of four or fewer lots on existing street; others go to planning and zoning commission and council
    • Alleys may be required by commission

    minimum street paved width: >= 30 ft (Garraty Court) · minimum street right-of-way: >= 50 ft (Garraty Court)

    “no new streets of less than 30 feet paved width with a minimum of 50 feet total street right-of-way on which building sites front shall be platted hereafter.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Driveways and curb cuts in Residential Zone District A inside Terrell Hills

    • Number of curb cuts depends on lot width, corner status and alley access
    • Front-yard paving limited to 30% (40-50% with landscaped buffer)
    • Minimum 3 ft from side property line at curb cut

    max driveway width in front setback: 12 ft (<80 ft lot), 14 ft (80-115 ft), 16 ft (>115 ft) ft (excluding turning apron)

    “curb cuts maximum driveway width within the front setback (feet) 12 (h) 14 (h) 16 (h)”
  • Short-term rentalsProhibited

    Real property in the A or A-1 residential districts inside Terrell Hills

    • Short-term rental means a rental of fewer than 30 consecutive days
    • Fine up to $500 per violation, each day a separate offense; appealable to city council

    fine: <= 500 USD (per day)

    “real property located in the a or a-1 residential districts shall not be used for short-term rental purposes.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building permit application inside Terrell Hills

    • Only the zoning-article requirements (plat, plans, engineer-sealed foundation plans) were read; the full permit process in Chapter 4 was not opened
    “all applications for building permits shall be accompanied by a plat, in duplicate, drawn to scale showing the actual dimensions of the lot to be built upon”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Terrell Hills or Bexar County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Terrell Hills
  • Building code adopted — Building codes inside Terrell Hills
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Terrell Hills
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Terrell Hills
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy inside Terrell Hills
13 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Permit fees

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 Terrell Hills publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Bexar County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Bexar County: county rules, score and offices