Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Farmersville, Texas

At a glance

Zoning

Yes, the city zones land inside city limits (Chapter 77)¹

Building permit

City permits and staged inspections for new homes²

Permit fees

Published in the city's master fee schedule⁴

Septic inside city limits

Not confirmed; ask the city and the county⁵

RV and tiny-home living

Not confirmed; zoning district decides¹

Owner-builder

No city exemption confirmed⁶

Who to call

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

Does Farmersville, TX have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. Land inside Farmersville city limits is subject to the city's zoning under Chapter 77 of its code¹. That differs from unincorporated Collin County, which has no county zoning apart from a few listed uses³, so the county's "no zoning" answer does not carry into the city.

Dimensional rules depend on the district. In the Camden Park Planned Development District, Tract 1, SF-3 uses need at least 1,200 square feet per dwelling⁷ on a lot of at least 5,000 square feet⁸, with lot coverage capped at 60 percent⁹ and buildings limited to two stories or 20 feet to the top plate¹⁰. Those are planned-development standards, not a citywide SF-3 rule⁸.

We could not confirm Farmersville's rules for RV occupancy, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings. Ask Planning & Development Services which district a parcel is in before you plan any of them⁶.

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

Inside Farmersville city limits, new residential construction goes through city inspections, including T-pole, plumbing rough, frame and MEP, gas and electric meter releases, and flatwork². The city's Planning & Development Services office handles building permits, and licensed contractors must register with the city before a permit can be issued⁶.

The city publishes a master fee schedule; for example, a certificate of occupancy not tied to a building permit is $100⁴. Collin County's separate development permit for ground-disturbing work applies to unincorporated land, not inside the city¹¹.

We could not confirm which building-code editions Farmersville has adopted, or whether it exempts owner-builders. Email or call the permit office before you start.

How do septic permits work inside Farmersville?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Farmersville city limits. Texas septic permits are normally issued by a TCEQ-authorized local agent, and TCEQ steps in only where no local agency is authorized¹².

Collin County Development Services issues septic permits for property outside city limits, and the county page says another authorized agent may handle property inside a city⁵. Call the county OSSF program and the city to learn which applies to your lot¹³.

If a lot is on city water and sewer, the city requires a permit and fees before anyone ties onto its water or sewer lines¹⁴. We could not confirm whether a new home inside city limits must connect.

Collin County rates few soils as well suited to conventional septic drain fields (1% of its soils), so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system if you are not on city sewer¹⁵.

How do you build a home in Farmersville, step by step?

1. Confirm the parcel is inside city limits and find its zoning district with Planning & Development Services¹⁶.
2. If you are dividing land, ask about platting; the city regulates subdivisions inside its limits¹⁶.
3. Register your licensed contractor with the city, then apply for the building permit⁶.
4. Settle water and sewer or septic before you pour a foundation; ask the city and Collin County which applies⁵.
5. Request each staged inspection through the city, from T-pole to final².
6. If the driveway meets a state highway, TxDOT requires Form 1058 first¹⁷.

What stays with Collin County, and what should you check before buying in Farmersville?

Land outside Farmersville city limits falls under the Collin County page: no county zoning, but a development permit for ground-disturbing projects¹¹ and county septic permits⁵. Collin County Development Services is also a lead for septic questions inside the city¹³.

Collin County's effective property tax rate is 1.7%¹⁸. Check floodplain status and well rules too; we could not confirm a Farmersville floodplain or private-well rule, so ask the city before you rely on either.

The city could not be confirmed on short-term rentals or agricultural exemptions; ask Planning & Development Services if either matters to you.

Watch-outs

• Do not rely on Collin County's no-zoning answer for land inside Farmersville; the city zones its own land¹³.
• We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside Farmersville city limits; call the city and Collin County's OSSF program⁵.
• The Camden Park size and height limits apply only to that planned development, not the whole city⁸.

Sources

1. Ordinance O-2018-1023-001, amending Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (Farmersville), quoted and re-checked
2. Building, Permitting, & Inspections (Farmersville), quoted and re-checked
3. collincountytx.gov, quoted and re-checked
4. Appendix A - Master Fee Schedule, Farmersville Code of Ordinances (Farmersville), quoted and re-checked
5. Development Services: On Site Sewage Facilities, quoted and re-checked
6. City of Farmersville Planning & Development Services (farmersvilletx.com)
7. Planning and Zoning Commission agenda packet, September 21, 2015 (Farmersville), quoted and re-checked
8. Planning and Zoning Commission agenda packet, September 21, 2015 (Farmersville), quoted and re-checked
9. Planning and Zoning Commission agenda packet, September 21, 2015 (Farmersville), quoted and re-checked
10. Planning and Zoning Commission agenda packet, September 21, 2015 (Farmersville), quoted and re-checked
11. collincountytx.gov, quoted and re-checked
12. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. Collin County Development Services (On-Site Sewage Facilities / OSSF Program) (collincountytx.gov)
14. Chapter 74, Article II - Water, Sewer and Electrical Connections and Charges (Farmersville), quoted and re-checked
15. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
16. Planning & Zoning (Farmersville), quoted and re-checked
17. Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

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.