Bolthole Index

Grayson County, Texas

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in the Town of Bells, Texas

The Town of Bells, Texas requires a permit from City Hall before you build, alter, repair or install equipment in a structure1. Bells has its own zoning, and a subdivision inside town limits needs zoning in place before platting2. Septic authority inside Bells is not confirmed; Grayson County runs the septic program for the county3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from City Hall for structures and building service equipment1
Building codes
2021 International Codes and 2023 National Electric Codes4
Zoning
Bells has its own zoning; district rules not confirmed2
Water and sewer
New development must be assured of connection to city water and wastewater5
Floodplain
Building permit required for any construction in the floodplain6
Septic permit
County septic program covers Grayson County; Bells coverage unconfirmed3
Outside town limits
Grayson County requires no building permit for single-family homes7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Bells City Hall

Building permit applications and fees for Bells; plan review and inspections run through Bureau Veritas

903-965-7744

citysecretary@cityofbells.org

Septic permits

Grayson County On-Site Sewage Facilities (Designated Representative)

County septic (OSSF) permits and inspections as a TCEQ authorized agent; ask whether this office covers an address inside Bells

(903) 813-4247

Grayson County Courthouse 100 W. Houston, Ste. G-3 Sherman, Texas 75090

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

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Do you need a building permit in Bells, Texas?

Yes. Inside the Town of Bells, a person or company may not erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, replace, remove, install or occupy a structure or building service equipment without first getting a permit from City Hall1. The town page says a TxDOT approval must be submitted to the city before any permit is approved when it applies1.

Bells adopted the 2021 International Codes and the 2023 National Electric Codes4. Residential mechanical, electrical and plumbing work described on the town's permits page requires an inspection and contractor registration8. A permit and plan review is required for accessory buildings over 200 square feet of floor space9.

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

Bells City Hall takes the permit documents and fees10. Call City Hall at 903-965-7744 or email the city secretary at citysecretary@cityofbells.org with permit questions9. Bureau Veritas conducts residential and commercial plan reviews for the town and may contact the applicant for more information; inspections are requested through Bureau Veritas10.

Permit fees are set by the town: Bells adopts a uniform fee schedule that the City Council may change, and fees are paid in advance11. Ask City Hall for the current schedule.

Does Bells have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and RVs?

Bells has its own zoning. Land inside town limits that is proposed for subdivision must have permanent zoning in place before any platting application if it is not already zoned for the proposed subdivision2. Subdividing a tract inside town limits into two or more parts is regulated by the town12; unapproved subdivisions do not receive city improvements or building permits, though permits for minor repairs may be issued12.

We could not confirm Bells's district rules for minimum lot size, setbacks, minimum home size, RV living, tiny homes or accessory dwellings. Ask City Hall which zoning district a specific lot is in before you buy.

How do septic permits work in Bells, Texas?

We could not confirm who administers septic permits for an address inside Bells. New development inside town limits must be assured of connection to the city's water and wastewater systems before approval, and no building permits are issued until satisfactory evidence of that connection is provided5. That rule is stated for subdivisions and lots to be developed, so it does not settle every existing lot13.

Grayson County runs an on-site sewage facility program as a TCEQ authorized agent, and requires a permit for any new or replacement septic system3. Call the Grayson County septic office at (903) 813-4247 to ask whether it covers your address inside Bells14. Private wells inside Bells are also unconfirmed.

Building a home in Bells: the steps, in order

  1. Call Bells City Hall at 903-965-7744 to confirm the zoning district for the lot9.
  2. Ask City Hall about water and sewer connection, because new development is not approved without assurances of connection to both city systems5.
  3. Check the floodplain: building permits are required for all construction in the floodplain area, and residential new construction needs a Texas surveyor or engineer statement that the lowest floor is at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation6.
  4. Submit permit documents and fees to the city; Bureau Veritas reviews the plans10.
  5. Request inspections through Bureau Veritas, and register contractors for mechanical, electrical and plumbing work8.

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

Outside Bells town limits, Grayson County rules apply. Grayson County does not require building permits for single-family residential structures7, and has no zoning for unincorporated land outside the Lake Ray Roberts and North Texas Regional Airport areas15. Those county answers do not apply inside Bells, where the town's permit rule governs1.

Before you buy, confirm whether the parcel is inside town limits, because the permit, zoning and subdivision rules above change at the boundary. Grayson County's property tax rate is an effective 1.3%16; this figure is county-level.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm whether Grayson County's septic office or another authority handles septic permits for an address inside Bells; call (903) 813-4247 before you plan a septic system14.
  • Bells's zoning district rules (lot size, setbacks, height, RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings) were not confirmed; ask City Hall at 903-965-77449.
  • A permit from City Hall is required in the floodplain, and a floodway project cannot be authorized if it restricts normal floodwater flow or raises water surface elevation6.

Sources

  1. Permits (Town of Bells), quoted and re-checked
  2. ARTICLE I: GENERAL PROVISIONS - City of Bells, TX (Town of Bells), quoted and re-checked
  3. Development Services | Grayson County Tx., quoted and re-checked
  4. Permits (Town of Bells), quoted and re-checked
  5. ARTICLE II: SPECIAL PROVISIONS - City of Bells, TX (Town of Bells), quoted and re-checked
  6. ARTICLE II: SPECIAL PROVISIONS - City of Bells, TX (Town of Bells), quoted and re-checked
  7. Grayson County Development Services, quoted and re-checked
  8. Permits (Town of Bells), quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Bells City Hall (cityofbells.org)
  10. Permits (Town of Bells), quoted and re-checked
  11. ARTICLE II: SPECIAL PROVISIONS - City of Bells, TX (Town of Bells), quoted and re-checked
  12. ARTICLE I: GENERAL PROVISIONS - City of Bells, TX (Town of Bells), quoted and re-checked
  13. ARTICLE II: SPECIAL PROVISIONS - City of Bells, TX (Town of Bells), quoted and re-checked
  14. Grayson County On-Site Sewage Facilities (Designated Representative) (co.grayson.tx.us)
  15. Development Services | Grayson County Tx., quoted and re-checked
  16. 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 Town of Bells

Town of Bells’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Structures and building service equipment inside Bells town limits.

    • A TxDOT approval must be submitted to the city before a permit will be approved when applicable.
    • parameters are not limited by the city page to new construction.
    “A person, firm or corporation shall not erect, construct, enlarge, add to, alter, repair, replace, improve, remove, install, convert, equip, use, occupy or maintain a structure or building service equipment without first obtaining a permit from City Hall.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction and building-service equipment inside Bells town limits.

    • The city page identifies the adopted editions as the 2021 International Codes and the 2023 National Electric Codes.

    International Codes edition: 2021 · National Electric Codes edition: 2023

    “The City of Bells adopted the 2021 International Codes, and the 2023 National Electric Codes.”
  • InspectionsLimited

    Documented residential mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work inside Bells town limits.

    • The city page also requires contractor registration for this described work.
    “All Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing work described above requires an inspection and Contractor Registration.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Bells town limits, including land proposed for subdivision.

    • For a proposed subdivision, permanent zoning is a prerequisite when the property is not zoned as required for the proposed subdivision.
    “If the property is not zoned as required for the proposed subdivision, permanent zoning shall be secured as a prerequisite to any application for platting.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    New subdivisions and lots being developed inside Bells town limits.

    • Development must be assured of connection to the city's wastewater system before approval; this finding does not establish rules for existing lots or a separately approved on-site sewage facility.
    “No building permits shall be issued until satisfactory evidence of such connection has been provided.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    All subdivisions and each lot to be developed within Bells town limits.

    • No development approval is available without adequate assurances of connection to both city systems.
    • No building permit is issued until satisfactory evidence of connection is provided.
    • The rule is stated for subdivisions and lots to be developed, not every existing dwelling.
    “No development shall be approved unless adequate assurances are provided that such development will be connected with the City’s water supply and distribution system and with the City’s wastewater system.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Land inside Bells town limits divided into two or more parts for a subdivision, addition, suburban lots, building lots, or lots and public areas.

    • The regulations also extend to Bells's ETJ, but this claim is limited to land inside Bells town limits.
    • Unapproved subdivisions do not receive city improvements or building permits; permits for minor repairs may be issued.

    division threshold: >= 2 parts (Division is for the stated subdivision, addition, or lot-laying purposes.)

    “These regulations shall govern any and every person, firm, corporation, entity or organization owning any tract of land within the corporate limits of the City of Bells who may hereafter divide the same into two (2) or more parts for the purpose of laying out any subdivision of any tract of land or any addition to said city, or for laying out suburban lots or building lots, or any lots, and street, alleys or parks or other portions intended for public use, or the use of purchasers or owners of lots fronting thereon or adjacent thereto.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Proposed construction or other improvements in a floodplain area inside Bells town limits.

    • Residential new-construction or substantial-improvement applications require a Texas surveyor or engineer statement that the lowest floor, including basement, will be at least two feet above the base flood elevation line.
    • Other applications are reviewed by the building inspector for flood-resistant materials and methods.
    • No new construction or major improvement may be authorized in an identified floodway if it restricts normal floodwater flow or raises water surface elevation above the base flood elevation line.

    lowest-floor elevation above base flood elevation: >= 2 feet (Residential new construction or substantial improvements.)

    “Building permits shall be required of all proposed construction or other improvements located within the floodplain area.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Subdivision and development fees administered by Bells.

    • The City Council may change the uniform fee schedule from time to time.
    • Fees and charges must be paid in advance and the City Council takes no action until received.
    “The City shall adopt a uniform fee schedule, which may be changed from time to time by the City Council Each of the fees and charges provided therein shall be paid in advance, and the City Council shall take no action until said fees and charges have been received by the City.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Residential and commercial permit applications inside Bells town limits.

    • Permit documents and fees are submitted to the city.
    • Bureau Veritas conducts residential and commercial plan reviews and may request additional information or documents.
    • Applicants request inspections through Bureau Veritas.
    “The permit documents and fees will be submitted to the city. Submittal documents should be complete to expedite plan review and permit issuance.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Town of Bells or Grayson County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Bells town limits.
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Bells town limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential districts inside Bells town limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Single-family residential districts inside Bells town limits.
  • Setbacks — Single-family residential districts inside Bells town limits.
14 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • 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 Town of Bells publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Grayson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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