Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Sherman, Texas

Sherman’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Construction, alteration, or extension of a mobile-home or travel-trailer park inside Sherman city limits.

  • A valid permit issued by the building official in the applicant's name is required for the specific proposed work.
  • The application must provide the applicant's name and address, location and legal description of the park, and a site plan.
  • After Planning and Zoning Commission review, the building official issues the permit if the plan meets this and other applicable articles.

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, alter or extend any mobile or travel trailer park within the limits of the city unless he holds a valid permit issued by the building official in the name of such person for the specific construction, alteration or extension proposed.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings inside Sherman city limits, Texas.

  • The adopted standards are minimum building standards.
  • Where Chapter 3 conflicts with another Code provision, the more restrictive provision controls.

  International Residential Code edition: 2021 (Including appendices AA, AB, AC, AH, AJ and AP.) · National Electrical Code edition: 2023

  “International Residential Code, 2021 edition, including appendices AA, AB, AC, AH, AJ and AP;”

• InspectionsLimited

  Mobile-home and travel-trailer parks inside Sherman city limits.

  • Inspections are made as necessary to determine compliance with Article 3.09.
  • The building official may enter property at reasonable times for inspection and investigation, subject to the stated credential and entry-request rules for occupied or unoccupied premises.

  “The building official is hereby authorized and directed to make such inspections as are necessary to determine satisfactory compliance with this article.”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Operation of a mobile-home or travel-trailer park inside Sherman city limits.

  • The certificate must be valid, issued by the building official, in the operator's name, and for the specific park.
  • The building official issues the license upon the applicant's compliance with Article 3.09.

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to operate any mobile home or travel trailer park within the limits of the city unless he holds a valid certificate of occupancy issued by the building official in the name of such person for the specific park.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Sherman city limits.

  • Chapter 10 is the City's subdivision ordinance.
  • The chapter also addresses the City's extraterritorial jurisdiction, but this claim is limited to city limits.

  “This chapter consists of the subdivision ordinance”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Sherman city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Principal dwellings inside Sherman city limits.
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Sherman city limits.
• Setbacks — Residential structures inside Sherman city limits.
• Lot coverage — Residential lots inside Sherman city limits.

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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Sherman 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.

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