Bolthole Index

DeWitt County, Texas

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Yorktown, Texas

The City of Yorktown, Texas has adopted its own building and residential building codes for construction inside city limits1, and a building permit is required on a lot in a Yorktown subdivision once the plat has final City Council approval2. Yorktown has a zoning chapter, but we could not confirm its district rules, so ask City Hall before you buy. Septic permits for DeWitt County run through Victoria County Public Health, but we could not confirm that arrangement inside city limits3.

At a glance

Building codes
Building and residential codes adopted by the city1
Building permit
Required on lots in a Yorktown subdivision once the plat is approved by City Council2
Lot size (subdivisions)
At least 60 feet wide, 100 feet deep and 6,000 square feet4
Setbacks (subdivisions)
30 feet front, 5 feet side, rear 20% of lot area5
Manufactured homes
Placement permit required before occupancy and utility service6
Floodplain
Development permit required in special flood hazard areas7
Septic
Not confirmed inside city limits; DeWitt County's septic agent is Victoria County Public Health3
Wells
Pecan Valley Groundwater Conservation District covers DeWitt County8

Who to call

Building permits

City of Yorktown: Water / Utility / Permits Director

City Hall contact listed for water, utility and permits in Yorktown

361-564-2611

102 W. Main

Septic permits

Victoria County Public Health Department - Environmental Services (DeWitt County's OSSF designated agent)

Reviews septic (OSSF) permit applications, soil and site evaluations and final inspections for DeWitt County

361-578-6281

2805 N Navarro, Victoria, TX 77901

Well permits

Pecan Valley Groundwater Conservation District

Groundwater well permits and well-spacing rules for DeWitt County

(361) 275-8188

1009 N. Esplanade St., Cuero, Texas 77954

Online permits →

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

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Do you need a building permit in Yorktown, Texas?

Inside Yorktown city limits, the city adopts its own building code and residential building code1. A building or repair permit for a structure on a lot in a Yorktown subdivision cannot issue until the subdivision plat has final City Council approval2. We could not confirm the code edition or the city's full local amendments, so ask City Hall which edition applies to your plans.

Manufactured and modular homes on single lots have their own steps: Yorktown's code includes a placement inspection for single lots9 and requires a finalized placement permit before the home is occupied10 and before utility service6.

The county's no-building-permit answer applies only outside city limits: general building permits are not required for construction outside the city limits of DeWitt County11. Do not assume that applies to a lot inside Yorktown.

Who issues building permits in Yorktown, and how do you reach them?

Building permits inside Yorktown come from the City of Yorktown, not from DeWitt County. The city's published contact directory lists a water, utility and permits director at 102 W. Main, reached through City Hall at 361-564-261112.

Floodplain development permits inside the city are applied for through the city's floodplain administrator on forms the city furnishes13. We could not confirm a published building-permit fee schedule, so ask City Hall for current fees before you budget.

Does Yorktown have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and setbacks?

Yorktown has a zoning chapter in its code, but we could not confirm its district rules, so building height, lot coverage, accessory dwellings, minimum dwelling size, tiny homes and RV living inside city limits are all unconfirmed. Ask City Hall at 361-564-261112 before you buy for a lot you plan to live on in an RV or tiny home.

What we can confirm are the subdivision rules. Lots in a Yorktown subdivision must be at least 60 feet wide, 100 feet deep and 6,000 square feet4. Buildings in those subdivisions are set back 30 feet from the front street line, 5 feet from the side property line and 20% of the lot area from the rear property line5. These are subdivision-design standards, not a confirmed district-by-district zoning schedule.

Dividing land for agricultural purposes into parcels of 2 acres or more, with no new street, falls outside the city's definition of a subdivision14.

How do septic permits work inside Yorktown?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits for a lot inside Yorktown city limits. Texas septic (OSSF) permits are issued by a local government acting as the TCEQ-authorized agent, or by the TCEQ regional office where no local agent is authorized15.

For DeWitt County, the septic agent is DeWitt County, administered through the Victoria County Public Health Department Environmental Services3. Septic permits are required for new, replacement or altered systems there16. Call Victoria County Public Health at 361-578-628117 to find out whether your Yorktown lot falls under their program or under the city's sewer.

If the lot can connect to city sewer, a septic system may not be needed. Subdivisions in Yorktown are expected to connect to the city's water and sewer mains18.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Yorktown?

We could not confirm Yorktown's rules for living in an RV, tiny home or camping on private land inside city limits. Do not rely on the county's answer: DeWitt County has adopted no county zoning, so no county rule governs RVs or tiny homes on unincorporated land19, but that statement does not reach lots inside Yorktown.

Manufactured homes are the one housing type with a confirmed city process: a finalized placement permit is required before occupancy and before utility service6. Ask City Hall at 361-564-261112 about RVs and tiny homes in writing before you buy.

Building a home in Yorktown: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm with City Hall that the lot is inside Yorktown city limits and which code edition applies12.
  2. Check the plat: a building permit on a subdivision lot needs a plat with final City Council approval2.
  3. Check the flood map: development in a special flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit from the city7.
  4. Confirm water and sewer: a subdivision more than 100 feet from the nearest adequate city main pays extension costs for the distance beyond 100 feet18.
  5. If the lot will have a septic system, call Victoria County Public Health at 361-578-628117.
  6. Apply for the building permit with the city, then follow its inspection steps.

What stays with DeWitt County, and what to check before you buy in Yorktown

Water wells are overseen by the Pecan Valley Groundwater Conservation District, which covers DeWitt County; call (361) 275-818820 before drilling8. Septic permits for DeWitt County go through the county's OSSF agent3.

For land outside Yorktown's city limits, see the DeWitt County page. There, the county's own rules apply, including a county driveway permit only if the entrance is on a county road that requires a 9-1-1 address21, and TxDOT rules instead for a state highway driveway22.

County-level context: DeWitt County's effective property tax rate is 0.9%23.

Watch-outs

  • Septic permitting inside Yorktown city limits, wells inside city limits, and the city's zoning district rules are unconfirmed; ask City Hall at 361-564-261112.
  • The city's building permit requirement is tied to an approved plat on subdivision lots2.
  • A lot just outside the city limits follows DeWitt County's rules, where no general building permit is required11; confirm which side of the line your parcel is on.

Sources

  1. Article 3.02 Technical and Construction Codes and Standards (Yorktown), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 10A Subdivision Ordinance (Yorktown), quoted and re-checked
  3. DeWitt County permits (2026 county census)
  4. Chapter 10A Subdivision Ordinance (Yorktown), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 10A Subdivision Ordinance (Yorktown), quoted and re-checked
  6. Article 3.07 Manufactured Homes, Modular Homes, and Manufactured Home Parks (Yorktown), quoted and re-checked
  7. Article 3.06 Flood Damage Prevention (Yorktown), quoted and re-checked
  8. Revised Management Plan, quoted and re-checked
  9. Article 3.07 Manufactured Homes, Modular Homes, and Manufactured Home Parks (Yorktown), quoted and re-checked
  10. Article 3.07 Manufactured Homes, Modular Homes, and Manufactured Home Parks (Yorktown), quoted and re-checked
  11. County Requirements & Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  12. City of Yorktown: Water / Utility / Permits Director (yorktowntx.com)
  13. Article 3.06 Flood Damage Prevention (Yorktown), quoted and re-checked
  14. Chapter 10A Subdivision Ordinance (Yorktown), quoted and re-checked
  15. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. OSSF Application Packet, quoted and re-checked
  17. Victoria County Public Health Department - Environmental Services (DeWitt County's OSSF designated agent) (vcphd.org)
  18. Chapter 10A Subdivision Ordinance (Yorktown), quoted and re-checked
  19. Texas law on county zoning and building authority
  20. Pecan Valley Groundwater Conservation District (pvgcd.org)
  21. County Requirements & Regulations, quoted and re-checked
  22. Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Yorktown

Yorktown’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Building or repair of a structure on a lot in a Yorktown subdivision.

    • The subdivision plat must have final City Council approval before a building or repair permit may issue.
    “No permit for the building or repair of any structure shall be issued on any lot in a subdivision unless the plat or plan”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction regulated inside Yorktown city limits.

    • The accessible code page identifies separately adopted building and residential building codes; the edition and complete local amendments were not displayed.
    “Division 1 Building Code [...] § 3.02.001 Adopted. [...] Division 6 Residential Building Code [...] § 3.02.301 Adopted.”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Manufactured and modular homes on single lots inside Yorktown city limits.

    • The accessible adopted code expressly identifies a placement inspection for single lots; this source does not establish a universal inspection schedule for conventional dwellings.
    “§ 3.07.042 Placement inspection for single lots.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Manufactured and modular homes on single lots inside Yorktown city limits.

    • Occupancy is conditioned on a finalized placement permit; the source does not establish a general certificate-of-occupancy rule for all dwellings.
    “§ 3.07.043 Finalized placement permit required for occupancy.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Lots in subdivisions inside Yorktown city limits.

    • This is a subdivision-design standard, not a verified citywide zoning-district standard.

    minimum lot width: >= 60 feet · minimum lot depth: >= 100 feet · minimum lot area: >= 6000 square feet

    “All lots shall have a minimum width of 60 feet, a minimum depth of 100 feet, and a minimum area of 6,000 square feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Lots in subdivisions located within Yorktown city limits.

    • On corner lots, the side-street setback must conform to setbacks prevailing for side streets.

    front setback: >= 30 feet (From front street line.) · side setback: >= 5 feet (From side property line.) · rear setback: >= 20 percent of total lot area (From rear property line.)

    “30 feet from the front street line, [...] 5 feet from the side property line, and [...] 20% of the total lot area from the rear property line.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured and modular homes on single lots and manufactured-home parks inside Yorktown city limits.

    • Single-lot placement is regulated under Article 3.07, Article 2.
    • A finalized placement permit is required for occupancy and before utility service.
    • Manufactured-home parks have separate permit, application, review, licensing, and inspection provisions.
    “§ 3.07.043 Finalized placement permit required for occupancy. [...] § 3.07.044 Finalized placement permit required prior to utility service.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Subdivisions located within Yorktown corporate limits.

    • Before final plat approval, the subdivider must make or agree to make the specified improvements.
    • Where the subdivision is more than 100 feet from the nearest adequate City main, the subdivider must pay extension costs for distance exceeding 100 feet.

    off-site-extension threshold: > 100 feet (Distance from the nearest adequate City water main or sewer main to the subdivision boundary.)

    “A water and sewer system connected with the City’s water and sewer mains”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Agricultural land divisions inside Yorktown city limits.

    • The division must be for agricultural purposes, create lots or parcels of two acres or more, and not involve a new street.
    • This is an exemption from the city's subdivision definition, not a general exemption from all other regulations.

    minimum parcel size: >= 2 acres (No new street may be involved.)

    “A division of land for agricultural purposes into lots or parcels of two (2) acres or more and not involving any new street.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Development in areas of special flood hazard within Yorktown city jurisdiction.

    • The article applies to areas of special flood hazard within city jurisdiction.
    • A development permit is required to ensure conformance; no structure or land may be located, altered, or have its use changed without compliance with the article and other applicable regulations.
    “This article shall apply to all areas of special flood hazard with the jurisdiction of city. [...] A development permit shall be required”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Preliminary and final subdivision plats inside Yorktown city limits.

    • Fees adopted by City Council must be paid in advance; no fee amount was stated in the accessible ordinance text.
    “each of the fees imposed hereby shall be paid in advance. No action of the City Council shall be valid until the fees as adopted by city council shall have been paid.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Floodplain development in Yorktown areas of special flood hazard.

    • Application is made to the floodplain administrator on forms furnished by that official.
    • Applications may include the listed plans and information; the article provides that the administrator reviews, approves, or denies development-permit applications.
    “Application for a development permit shall be presented to the floodplain administrator on forms furnished by him/her”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Yorktown city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Yorktown city limits.
  • Lot coverage — Land inside Yorktown city limits.
  • Building height — Land inside Yorktown city limits.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Yorktown city limits.
10 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Driveway access
  • 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 Yorktown publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. DeWitt County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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