Bolthole Index

Dawson County, Texas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Lamesa, Texas

Lamesa, Texas (Dawson County) has city zoning, so land inside city limits is regulated by the City of Lamesa's zoning ordinance1. Building permits inside the city come from the city's chief building inspector, for example for installing a manufactured home2. Septic applications for Dawson County are returned to the South Plains Public Health District3. Land outside city limits is a different question; see the Dawson County page.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, inside Lamesa city limits1
Building permit
Issued by the City of Lamesa inspections office; required to install a manufactured home24
Permit fees
City fee schedule is published; residential construction minimum $45 with first inspection5
Manufactured homes
Allowed by permit in areas the city finds appropriate6
Septic
Dawson County applications go to the South Plains Public Health District; city-limits rule unconfirmed3
Subdivision
Regulated by the city's subdivision ordinance7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Lamesa Code Enforcement & Inspections

Building permits and inspections, zoning and subdivision administration, and nuisance complaints inside Lamesa city limits

806-872-4329

601 S. 1st St. Lamesa, TX 79331

Septic permits

South Plains Public Health District – Lamesa Clinic (Environmental Services)

Septic (OSSF) applications, inspection and complaints for Dawson County

806-872-5863

503 S. 1st Street, Lamesa, TX 79331

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 Lamesa means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Lamesa, Texas have zoning?

Yes. The City of Lamesa zones land inside its limits under a zoning ordinance published in its code of ordinances1. Land annexed into Lamesa is treated as R-1 until the ordinance is amended8. Outside the city, unincorporated Dawson County has adopted no county zoning9, so the city's rules stop at the city limit.

For a lot of one manufactured or mobile home in the M-1 district, the city asks for at least 6,000 square feet and 50 feet of width10. We could not confirm Lamesa's setbacks, height limits, minimum home size, accessory dwelling, RV or tiny-home rules. Ask the inspections office at 806-872-43294 before you buy.

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

Yes for at least some work: anyone installing a manufactured housing unit inside Lamesa needs a permit from the chief building inspector, secured before the lot is prepared and before the unit is moved on2. That single permit covers electrical, plumbing and the mechanical inspections required11. The city's inspections office also administers the zoning and subdivision ordinances4.

The city publishes a fee schedule. Residential construction carries a minimum fee of $45 with the first inspection and $30 for each additional inspection, and work started without a permit carries a $500 fee5. Inspectors ask for 24 to 48 hours' notice to schedule4. We could not confirm the adopted building code edition or owner-builder rules; ask the inspections office.

Can you put a manufactured home in Lamesa?

Often, with approval. HUD-code manufactured homes may be installed as residential dwellings, on application to the chief building inspector, with a permit and fee, in areas the city determines appropriate; valid deed restrictions still apply6. An application is deemed approved unless the chief building inspector denies it in writing within 45 days12. Confirm the lot's zoning district first.

How do septic permits work in Lamesa?

We could not confirm who permits septic systems for lots inside Lamesa city limits, or whether a given lot must connect to city sewer. Ask the City of Lamesa inspections office4 first. For Dawson County, the septic application form directs applicants to return it to the South Plains Public Health District and wait for authorization before building3. The district also inspects permitted systems13 and can be reached at 806-872-586314. Texas requires a permit to construct, alter or repair any septic system15.

Building a home in Lamesa: the steps, in order

  1. Call the City of Lamesa inspections office at 806-872-4329 and ask for the lot's zoning district4.
  2. Check deed restrictions and, for a manufactured home, apply to the chief building inspector before preparing the lot2.
  3. Ask the inspections office and the South Plains Public Health District at 806-872-5863 whether the lot uses city sewer or needs a septic permit14.
  4. Pay the published permit fees5 and schedule inspections with 24 to 48 hours' notice4.
  5. If your driveway meets a state highway, submit TxDOT Form 105816.

What stays with Dawson County, and what to check before you buy

Septic and well questions are not decided by the city's building office. New wells in the Mesa Underground Water Conservation District must be registered before drilling17. Dawson County's property tax runs at an effective rate of 1.7%18, and the typical home value is $111,72419. For land outside city limits, see the Dawson County page.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Lamesa's setbacks, height limits, accessory dwelling, RV or tiny-home rules; ask the City of Lamesa inspections office before you buy4.
  • Whether a lot inside the city can use a septic system or must connect to city sewer was not confirmed; call the inspections office and the South Plains Public Health District14.
  • Rules for unincorporated Dawson County do not apply inside Lamesa, and the city's rules do not apply outside it9.

Sources

  1. ARTICLE 14.03 Zoning Ordinance - City of Lamesa, TX (Lamesa), quoted and re-checked
  2. ARTICLE 3.06 Manufactured Housing - City of Lamesa, TX (Lamesa), quoted and re-checked
  3. On-Site Sewage Facility Application and Authorization to Construct, quoted and re-checked
  4. City of Lamesa Code Enforcement & Inspections (ci.lamesa.tx.us)
  5. ARTICLE 3.10 Fees - City of Lamesa, TX (Lamesa), quoted and re-checked
  6. ARTICLE 3.06 Manufactured Housing - City of Lamesa, TX (Lamesa), quoted and re-checked
  7. ARTICLE 10.02 Subdivision Ordinance - City of Lamesa, TX (Lamesa), quoted and re-checked
  8. Division 2: Districts - City of Lamesa, TX (Lamesa), quoted and re-checked
  9. Texas law on county zoning and building authority
  10. Division 3: General Requirements - City of Lamesa, TX (Lamesa), quoted and re-checked
  11. ARTICLE 3.06 Manufactured Housing - City of Lamesa, TX (Lamesa), quoted and re-checked
  12. ARTICLE 3.06 Manufactured Housing - City of Lamesa, TX (Lamesa), quoted and re-checked
  13. On-Site Sewage Facility Application and Authorization to Construct, quoted and re-checked
  14. South Plains Public Health District – Lamesa Clinic (Environmental Services) (southplainshealth.org)
  15. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Water Well Permits, quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Typical home value (Zillow): 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Lamesa

Lamesa’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Installation of a manufactured housing unit inside Lamesa city limits.

    • Permit must be secured before lot preparation and before moving the unit onto the lot.
    “A permit shall be secured from the chief building inspector by any person desiring to install a manufactured housing unit within the city. Such permit shall be secured before any preparation of the lot is begun and prior to moving in a manufactured housing unit upon such lot.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Manufactured-home installation inside Lamesa city limits.

    • Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical inspections are included as required; extra reinspection charges may apply when the chief building inspector requires additional inspections.
    “A single permit shall be issued for the placement or installation of a manufactured home. This permit shall include electrical, plumbing, and such mechanical inspections as may be required.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Lamesa city limits.

    • Zoning regulations derive from Ordinance 1-14-72P, as amended.
    “This article consists of the zoning regulations previously published as chapter 23 in the 1998 Code of Ordinances, which derived from Ordinance 1-14-72P, as amended.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Lamesa city limits.

    • Any other district use is unlawful; annexed territory is subject to R-1 restrictions until amended.
    “In order to restrict and regulate the different land uses the city is divided into different classes of districts designations as: [...] All territory hereafter annexed to the City of Lamesa is subject to the restrictions of an R-1 District until otherwise changed by an amendment to the article.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    HUD-code manufactured-home dwellings inside Lamesa city limits.

    • Installation requires an application, chief building inspector permit, applicable fee, and an area the city determines appropriate; deed restrictions remain unaffected.

    application decision period: <= 45 days (Application is deemed approved unless the chief building inspector denies it in writing with reasons.)

    “Upon application to the chief building inspector of the city and upon the issuance of the required permit and payment of the applicable fee, the installation of HUD-code manufactured homes shall be permitted as residential dwellings in those areas determined appropriate by the city.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside Lamesa city limits.

    • The ordinance includes preliminary plats, final plats, and improvements provisions.
    “This article consists of the subdivision ordinance, Ordinance 1-15-59, adopted January 15, 1959, as amended, previously published as chapter 22 in the 1998 Code of Ordinances.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building-regulation permits inside Lamesa city limits.

    • Work started without a permit has a listed $500 fee; redtag/reinspection adds $15 per trip.

    residential construction minimum fee with first inspection: 45 USD · additional inspection: 30 USD (Residential construction.)

    “Fee for work started without permit $500.00 ea. Permit Type Minimum Fee w/First Inspection Unit Additional Inspections Redtag/ Reinspection Add $15.00 per trip Building Residential construction $45.00 ea. $30.00 $45.00”
  • Permit processPartial

    Manufactured-home installation inside Lamesa city limits.

    • Application is to the chief building inspector; a written denial must state the reason; valid deed restrictions are unaffected.

    deemed-approval period: <= 45 days (Unless denied in writing by the chief building inspector.)

    “An application to install a new HUD-code manufactured home for use and occupancy as a residential dwelling is deemed approved and granted unless the chief building inspector denies the application in writing within 45 days from receipt of the application setting forth the reason.”

Rules another office applies inside Lamesa

Lamesa does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    A lot occupied by one manufactured home or mobile-home unit in the M-1 district inside Lamesa city limits.

    • Only one manufactured-home or mobile-home unit may be the primary building on the lot; owner must comply with state, county, and city sanitation rules and M-1 regulations.

    minimum lot area: >= 6000 square feet · minimum lot width: >= 50 feet

    “The lot for the occupancy of a single manufactured home or a mobile home unit provides an area not less than six thousand (6,000) square feet and width not less than fifty (50) feet.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Lamesa city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building construction inside Lamesa city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Buildings inside Lamesa city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings in Lamesa zoning districts.
  • Setbacks — Buildings inside Lamesa city limits.
15 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • 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 Lamesa publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Dawson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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