Unincorporated Collingsworth County, Texas does not require a building permit for a home and has no county zoning ordinance12. Cities may set their own building-permit and zoning rules, while septic permits remain with the applicable OSSF authority and county-administered floodplain development requires a permit34.
At a glance
- Building permit
- Not required in unincorporated areas1
- Zoning
- No county zoning ordinance2
- Septic (OSSF) permits
- Almost always required before work; confirm the permitting authority and fee567
- RV / tiny home / manufactured home on your land
- No county zoning restriction, because the county has no zoning ordinance8
- Minimum lot size / setbacks
- No county rule; the county has no zoning authority in place8
- Subdivision of rural land
- A plat is generally required when covered land is divided; a conditional agricultural-use exception exists910
- Floodplain development permit
- Required for development in county-administered mapped floodplains4
- Driveway onto a state highway
- TxDOT Form 1058 permit required before construction11
Who to call
Also useful
Collingsworth County Judge / Commissioners Court
General Collingsworth County government contact for confirming which office handles a parcel-specific question
800 W. Avenue # 13, Wellington, TX 79095
Septic permits
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), OSSF Program
Statewide OSSF (septic) program information; this page directs permitting and local issues to a search for the applicable local permitting authority, since Collingsworth County lists no county septic office
TCEQ OSSF Program MC-235, PO Box 13087, Austin, TX 78711-3087
Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in Collingsworth County means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
- Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
- Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
- Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
- Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.
These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.
Do you need a building permit in Collingsworth County, Texas?
No. Unincorporated Collingsworth County does not require a building permit to build a home1. A missing county building permit does not erase Texas energy standards: the statewide minimum for a single-family home is Chapter 11 of the 2015 International Residential Code, while the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code applies to other residences and commercial or industrial buildings12. Texas's county residential inspection framework applies only if a qualifying county adopts it by resolution or order, and we could not confirm a Collingsworth County adoption13. The framework does not require prior county approval before construction13. A septic permit generally remains necessary, and development in a county-administered mapped floodplain requires a floodplain development permit54. Incorporated municipalities may set their own building-permit rules; ask the city about building permits and zoning, and ask the applicable OSSF authority about septic permits.
Who issues building permits in Collingsworth County, and how do you reach them?
Unincorporated Collingsworth County has no county building permit to issue1. For parcel-specific county questions, contact the County Judge / Commissioners Court at 800 W. Avenue # 13, Wellington, TX 79095, phone 806-447-54087. We could not confirm a separate county building or zoning office. Inside an incorporated city, ask the city about its building permits and zoning approval; septic permits do not shift automatically to the city, so identify the applicable OSSF authority separately. TCEQ's OSSF Program can be reached at 512-239-3799 or ossf@tceq.texas.gov, and its contact page directs local permitting questions to the applicable authority14. County-administered mapped floodplain development also requires a floodplain development permit; ask the County Judge's office who handles that review47.
Does Collingsworth County have zoning?
No. Collingsworth County has no countywide zoning ordinance for unincorporated land2. Unincorporated Collingsworth County therefore has no county-set minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setback, lot coverage, building height, or zoning restriction on RVs, tiny homes, manufactured homes, accessory dwellings, or temporary camping on your own land8. No zoning does not mean no land-division rules: a rural owner dividing a tract into two or more parts for lots, a subdivision, or specified public uses generally must prepare a plat, subject to statutory exceptions9. A conditional exception covers qualifying divisions used primarily for agriculture, farming, ranching, wildlife management, or timber production, but platting requirements return if that qualifying primary use ends10. Ask the County Judge's office about any local subdivision order before splitting land7.
How do septic (OSSF) permits work in Collingsworth County?
Almost all septic systems need an OSSF permit before construction, installation, repair, extension, or alteration5. Paid OSSF work must be done by a state-licensed person; a homeowner may work directly on the homeowner's own single-family residence5. A narrow exemption can apply to the only single-family dwelling on at least 10 acres after a licensed site evaluation, provided every system part is at least 100 feet from the property line, effluent stays on the property, and the system causes no nuisance or groundwater pollution15. For a permitted installation, the installer gives at least five working days' notice before the system is ready, and the permitting authority conducts the construction inspection16. The authorized agent sets OSSF permit and inspection fees, with an additional $10 commission fee per OSSF permit6. We could not confirm the current Collingsworth County OSSF authority; ask the County Judge's office or TCEQ before hiring an installer714.
Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Collingsworth County?
Yes, as far as county zoning is concerned: Collingsworth County has no county zoning restriction on RV, tiny-home, or manufactured-home occupancy on unincorporated land8. That answer does not waive sanitation rules; constructing, installing, repairing, extending, or altering an off-grid septic system or holding tank almost always requires an OSSF permit175. Development in a county-administered mapped floodplain also requires a floodplain development permit4. We could not confirm a separate county rule for long-term RV utility connections or tiny-home construction, so ask the County Judge's office about the parcel and ask the identified OSSF authority about wastewater before moving onto the land714.
Building a home in Collingsworth County: the steps, in order
- Confirm whether the parcel is unincorporated; inside a city, ask that city about its building permit and zoning approval.
- Ask the County Judge's office whether the site is in a county-administered mapped floodplain and who issues the required floodplain development permit74.
- Design the home to the statewide residential energy standard even though unincorporated Collingsworth County does not require a county building permit121.
- Ask the County Judge's office or TCEQ to identify the OSSF authority, then obtain the septic permit and learn the inspection fee unless every exemption condition is met714156.
- If access connects to a state highway, submit TxDOT Form 1058 and wait for the executed driveway permit before starting work in the right of way11.
- If dividing the tract, resolve platting before sale or construction; qualifying agricultural-use divisions have a conditional exception910.
What to check before you buy land in Collingsworth County
Collingsworth County gets about 24 inches of rain a year and experiences severe drought roughly 37% of years, so price a dependable water source before closing1819. Only about 25% of county soils avoid severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, making a site evaluation important even on acreage20. Check the flood map and budget for the county floodplain development permit if the site lies in a county-administered mapped floodplain4. For frontage on a state highway, a new or modified driveway needs an executed TxDOT driveway permit and advance notice before right-of-way construction; the rule does not cover every driveway on a county or local road21. The typical effective property-tax rate is about 1.3%, with a median annual bill of $1,3782223. We could not confirm the private-well permit rule or current OSSF authority, so ask the County Judge's office before closing7.
Watch-outs
- Collingsworth County has no zoning ordinance, so there's no county-set minimum lot size, setback, or dwelling-size rule -- but that also means there's no county protection against what a neighbor builds next to you8.
- Confirm who issues the septic permit and what the OSSF permit and inspection fees will be before designing the system; the current Collingsworth County authority remains unconfirmed146.
- Development in a county-administered mapped floodplain needs a floodplain development permit even though unincorporated Collingsworth County does not require a general building permit41.
- The Texas owner-builder provision is only a conditional exception from a notice-related penalty for someone building or contracting their own primary residence; it is not a blanket waiver of inspections, septic, fire, or other rules24.
- Dividing unincorporated land can trigger platting even without zoning, and the agricultural-use exception is conditional on the tract's use and layout910.
Sources
- Collingsworth County, Texas (official county site) (2026 county census)
- Collingsworth County, Texas (official county site) (2026 county census)
- Basics for Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
- Appendix C — Region 1 Existing Floodplain Management Practices, quoted and re-checked
- Basics for Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
- tceq.texas.gov, quoted and re-checked
- Collingsworth County Judge / Commissioners Court (co.collingsworth.tx.us)
- Texas law on county zoning and building authority
- Local Government Code Chapter 232, County Regulation of Subdivisions, quoted and re-checked
- Local Government Code Section 232.0015, Exceptions to Plat Requirement, quoted and re-checked
- Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials, quoted and re-checked
- Local Ordinances, quoted and re-checked
- 81(R) H.B. No. 2833 — Enrolled version, quoted and re-checked
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), OSSF Program (tceq.texas.gov)
- Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System, quoted and re-checked
- On-Site Sewage Facility Rules Compilation, quoted and re-checked
- Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System, quoted and re-checked
- Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
- Share of years in severe drought: Bolthole Index county data
- 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
- Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials, quoted and re-checked
- Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
- Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
- capitol.texas.gov, quoted and re-checked
Written October 9, 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.