Ferris, TX Zoning, Building Permits & Septic Rules

The City of Ferris, Texas, in Ellis County, has its own zoning ordinance, so land inside city limits is zoned, unlike unincorporated Ellis County¹². Building inspections and permits run through the city's own Permits and Inspections offices at 114 S Central Street³. Septic permits inside city limits are unconfirmed, so ask the city and the Ellis County Department of Development before you buy⁴.

At a glance

Zoning: Yes: city zoning ordinance (Chapter 154) with a zoning administrator, Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustments¹
Building permits and inspections: City Permits and Inspections offices at 114 S Central Street³
R-1 minimum lot: 9,000 sq ft, 75 ft wide, 120 ft deep⁵
R-1 minimum house size: 2,150 square feet⁶
RV living: An RV park zoning district exists; occupancy elsewhere unconfirmed⁷
Manufactured homes: An MH manufactured-housing district exists; placement elsewhere unconfirmed⁸
Septic: Not confirmed inside city limits; the county's septic order covers unincorporated land⁴

Who to call

Building permits

City of Ferris Inspections and Permits Department

Building inspections and construction permits inside Ferris city limits

972-544-2110

114 S Central Street, Ferris, TX 75125

Septic permits

Ellis County Department of Development

Septic (OSSF) permits and inspections in unincorporated Ellis County; contact for septic questions near Ferris

972-825-5200

dod@elliscountytx.gov

302 N. Monroe St., Waxahachie, TX 75165

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

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Does Ferris, Texas have zoning?

Yes. The City of Ferris adopted a zoning ordinance in Chapter 154 of its code, administered by a zoning administrator with a Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Adjustments¹. The code defines residential, multifamily, manufactured-housing, RV park, commercial, industrial and planned-development districts, with boundaries on the official zoning district map⁹.

That differs from the land around the city: Ellis County has no zoning in its unincorporated areas². A lot inside Ferris is zoned; a lot outside the city limits is not. Confirm which side of the line a parcel sits on, and its district, with the city's Inspections and Permits office³.

What are the lot size, setback and house size rules in Ferris?

Rules depend on the district. In the R-1 single-family district, a lot needs at least 9,000 square feet, 75 feet of width and 120 feet of depth⁵. R-1 setbacks are 35 feet in front, 7 feet on interior sides, 15 feet on street sides and 35 feet in the rear¹⁰. The R-1 minimum floor area is 2,150 square feet⁶, and lot coverage is capped at 40%¹¹.

In the R-2 district, a lot needs at least 7,150 square feet, 65 feet of width and 110 feet of depth¹². R-2 setbacks are 30 feet in front, 6 feet on interior sides, 15 feet on street sides and 30 feet in the rear¹³, with a minimum floor area of 1,750 square feet¹⁴.

Height in both districts is 40 feet, rising to 45 feet if yards are enlarged¹⁵¹⁶.

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

Ferris runs its own building inspections: the city's Inspections department states that it ensures building construction within the City of Ferris complies with local building codes and regulations³. Call the office at 972-544-2110, Monday through Thursday, or visit 114 S Central Street³.

We could not confirm the city's exact permit thresholds, fees or certificate-of-occupancy rules, so ask the Inspections and Permits office before you start work. The county's rules do not apply inside city limits: Ellis County says it has no authority to conduct residential construction inspections or issue residential certificates of occupancy outside city limits, which is why the city is your office¹⁷.

Can you live in an RV, manufactured home or accessory dwelling in Ferris?

Ferris's code creates an MH HUD-code manufactured housing district, which includes manufactured home parks and subdivisions⁸. It also creates an RV recreational vehicle park district⁷. Which other districts allow a manufactured home or a lived-in RV, and for how long, is set in the city's use table and temporary-use rules, and we could not confirm those, so ask the city before parking an RV on a lot.

An accessory dwelling in Ferris may be occupied rent free only by a relative or an employee of the principal use, must share the principal use's utility meters or connections, and cannot be a manufactured home¹⁸. Which districts allow one is also unconfirmed.

How do septic permits and wells work around Ferris?

We could not confirm who permits septic systems inside Ferris city limits. Outside the city, in unincorporated Ellis County, the county's septic order requires an application, permit fee and inspection for septic work regardless of tract size¹⁹, and the Ellis County Department of Development handles it²⁰. That order excludes areas under an existing order, ordinance or resolution or an interlocal agreement⁴.

A city lot may be served by city sewer, which is also unconfirmed; ask the city's Inspections office and the county Department of Development which applies. Wells are regulated by the Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District across Ellis County²¹; whether that applies inside Ferris is unconfirmed.

Building a home in Ferris: the steps, in order

Confirm the parcel is inside Ferris city limits and find its zoning district with the Inspections and Permits office³.
Check the district's lot size, setbacks, and minimum floor area against your plan⁵¹².
Ask the city for its permit application, checklist and fees; we could not confirm them³.
Ask the city and the Ellis County Department of Development who permits sewage disposal for your lot²⁰.
If the driveway meets a state highway, apply to TxDOT with Form 1058²².
Book inspections through the city's Inspections department as work proceeds³.

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

Ellis County's own rules are for unincorporated land. Septic permits, floodplain questions and subdivision platting outside city limits go to county offices; the county's page for land outside the city is Ellis County. Inside Ferris, ask about floodplain rules with the city, since the county's floodplain program is for its unincorporated areas²³.

Costs are county-level: Ellis County's effective property tax rate is 1.5%²⁴, and the typical home value is about $375,985²⁵. Soils matter too: only about 2.5% of the county's soils rate as not limited for a conventional septic field, so expect a site evaluation or an engineered system where septic is needed²⁶.

Watch-outs

Ferris's permit thresholds, fees and certificate-of-occupancy rules were not confirmed; call the Inspections and Permits office at 972-544-2110 before you buy or build³.
Zoning in Ferris varies by district, so the R-1 figures do not apply on an R-2 lot⁵¹².
Land outside Ferris city limits in Ellis County has no county zoning, but septic, development permits and platting rules still apply².

Sources

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Ferris publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Ellis County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Ferris, Texas