Bolthole Index

Grayson County, Texas

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Whitesboro, Texas

Whitesboro, Texas, in Grayson County, requires a building permit for structures inside city limits under its Chapter 154 zoning code1. The city also adopts its own zoning districts2 and the 2024 International Building Code3. We could not confirm who issues septic permits inside the city; Grayson County's septic office is the place to ask4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required inside Whitesboro city limits, issued by the city's administrative official1
Zoning
Whitesboro has its own zoning code with agricultural, single-family, manufactured-home and other districts2
Building code
2024 International Building Code adopted3
Certificate of occupancy
Required to use or occupy a new or altered building5
Water
Connection to the city water system required where a main is available6
Septic
Not confirmed inside city limits; Grayson County runs septic permits outside them4

Who to call

Building permits

City of Whitesboro (city hall, building and code enforcement)

Building permits, zoning approval and code enforcement inside Whitesboro city limits

111 West Main

Septic permits

Grayson County On-Site Sewage Facilities (Designated Representative)

Septic permits for Grayson County; ask here whether a lot inside Whitesboro needs one

(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 25, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Whitesboro means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Whitesboro, Texas have zoning?

Yes. Whitesboro adopts its own zoning code, Chapter 154, and the published districts include agricultural, single-family, townhome, manufactured-home, two-family, multifamily, commercial, industrial, planned-development and floodplain districts2. Dimensions depend on the district. In the agricultural (AG) district the front yard is 35 feet and the rear yard 25 feet, while the SF-60, SF-70 and SF-80 single-family districts each have a 30-foot front yard7. Maximum building height is 35 feet in AG, SF-60, SF-70, SF-TH and TF, and 40 feet in SF-808. We could not confirm the city's rules on RVs, tiny homes, accessory dwellings or manufactured homes on a given lot, so ask the city before you buy.

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

Inside Whitesboro city limits, no building or other structure may be erected without a permit where the zoning code applies1. The city's administrative official issues it, and an unstarted permit expires after 6 calendar months1. Applications need scaled plans showing the lot's dimensions and shape, existing buildings and the proposed building9. The city's fee schedule has a building and zoning fees section; we could not confirm the amounts, so ask city hall10. Before anyone may use a new or altered building, the city requires a certificate of occupancy5. The 2024 International Building Code is the adopted building code3. We could not confirm whether the city requires owner-builders to follow a different process.

How do septic permits work inside Whitesboro?

We could not confirm who issues septic permits for lots inside Whitesboro city limits. Where a city water main is available, each house must connect to the municipal water system, and private-well water is prohibited on property served by city water6. Outside the city, Grayson County requires a septic permit for any new or replacement system4, and a parcel within 100 feet of a public sewer must use it unless the County Engineer approves otherwise11. Texas also exempts some single-family homes on at least 10 acres from septic permitting if every TCEQ condition is met12. Call the Grayson County septic office13 to ask which rules govern a specific lot.

Building a home in Whitesboro: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district with Whitesboro city hall14 and check setbacks and height for that district7.
  2. Ask city hall whether city water and sewer reach the lot, since connection to city water is required where a main is available6.
  3. If no sewer is available, ask the Grayson County septic office about a septic permit13.
  4. Submit a building permit application with scaled plans9.
  5. Request a certificate of occupancy before moving in5.

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

The city's rules stop at city limits. Land outside Whitesboro is in unincorporated Grayson County, which does not require building permits for single-family homes15 and has no zoning outside the Lake Ray Roberts and North Texas Regional Airport areas16; see the Grayson County page for those rules. Grayson County's typical property tax rate is 1.3%17. A driveway onto a state highway needs a TxDOT permit on Form 105818.

Watch-outs

  • The city's own pages have shown different building code editions, so confirm the current edition with city hall; the adopted code lists the 2024 International Building Code3.
  • We could not confirm septic, well, RV, tiny-home or accessory-dwelling rules inside Whitesboro city limits; ask city hall and the Grayson County septic office13.
  • Do not apply Grayson County's no-permit answer for unincorporated land to a lot inside Whitesboro15.

Sources

  1. § 154.042 Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy (Whitesboro), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 154: Zoning Code (Whitesboro), quoted and re-checked
  3. § 150.001 International Building Code, Edition 2024 Adopted (Whitesboro), quoted and re-checked
  4. Development Services | Grayson County Tx., quoted and re-checked
  5. § 154.042 Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy (Whitesboro), quoted and re-checked
  6. § 51.011 Connection to Municipal Service Required (Whitesboro), quoted and re-checked
  7. Appendix 1. Zoning District Area Regulations (Whitesboro), quoted and re-checked
  8. Appendix 1. Zoning District Area Regulations (Whitesboro), quoted and re-checked
  9. § 154.042 Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy (Whitesboro), quoted and re-checked
  10. Appendix 1: Fee Schedule (Whitesboro), quoted and re-checked
  11. An Order Entitled On-Site Sewage Facilities, quoted and re-checked
  12. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Grayson County On-Site Sewage Facilities (Designated Representative) (co.grayson.tx.us)
  14. City of Whitesboro (city hall, building and code enforcement) (whitesboro.org)
  15. Grayson County Development Services, quoted and re-checked
  16. Development Services | Grayson County Tx., quoted and re-checked
  17. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 25, 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 Whitesboro

Whitesboro’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Buildings and other structures erected, moved, added to, enclosed, or structurally altered inside Whitesboro city limits where the zoning-code permit provision applies.

    • The permit is issued by the administrative official.
    • A permit must conform to Chapter 154 unless the official receives a written Planning and Zoning Commission or City Council administrative-review, special-exception, or variance order.
    • Applications must include scaled plans and the information specified in § 154.042(B).
    • A permit expires if work has not begun within six calendar months after issuance.

    permit expiration if work not begun: 6 calendar months

    “No building or other structure shall be erected [...] without a permit therefor where applicable”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Property, buildings, and structures in Whitesboro city.

    • The adopted code is the International Building Code, 2024 edition.
    • The ordinance also refers to regulations, provisions, penalties, conditions, and terms of the code on file with the City Secretary.

    International Building Code edition: 2024

    “The International Building Code, 2024 edition, as published by the International Code Council, be and is hereby adopted”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Use or occupancy of covered buildings, premises, vacant land, and changes of use inside Whitesboro city limits.

    • A temporary certificate may be issued for no more than six months during alterations or partial occupancy pending completion, with safeguards protecting occupants and the public.
    • Certificates are not required for occupancy and use of vacant land for agricultural use.
    • For new or altered buildings, written application is made with the building-permit application.

    maximum temporary certificate period: <= 6 months (During alterations or partial occupancy pending completion)

    “The city deems it unlawful to use or occupy or permit the use or occupancy of any building or premises, or both, or part thereof hereafter created, erected, changed, converted, or wholly or partly altered or enlarged in its use or structure until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued therefor by the administrative official stating that the proposed use of the principal building or land conforms to the requirements of this chapter.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Land inside Whitesboro city limits subject to Chapter 154 zoning.

    • The published Chapter 154 list includes agricultural, single-family, townhome, manufactured-home, two-family, multifamily, commercial, industrial, planned-development, and floodplain districts.
    “154.020 AG Agricultural District [...] 154.025 MH-1 Manufactured Home District”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    AG, SF-60, SF-70, SF-80, SF-TH, and TF districts inside Whitesboro city limits.

    • The required rear yard must be open and unobstructed to the sky from 30 inches above average graded rear-yard elevation, subject to the stated accessory-building and projection exceptions.
    • The appendix directs readers to individual district regulations and § 154.040 for additional regulations.

    AG front yard: 35 feet · SF-60 front yard: 30 feet · SF-70 front yard: 30 feet · SF-80 front yard: 30 feet · AG rear yard: 25 feet

    “Rear yard (feet) (d) | 25 [...] Front yard (feet) | 35 | 30 | 30 | 30”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    AG, SF-60, SF-70, SF-80, SF-TH, and TF districts inside Whitesboro city limits.

    • The appendix directs readers to individual district regulations and § 154.040 for additional regulations.

    AG maximum height: <= 35 feet · SF-60 maximum height: <= 35 feet · SF-70 maximum height: <= 35 feet · SF-80 maximum height: <= 40 feet · SF-TH maximum height: <= 35 feet · TF maximum height: <= 35 feet

    “Maximum height (feet) | 35 | 35 | 35 | 40 | 35 | 35”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater (with conditions)

    Each house and building inside Whitesboro city limits where a municipal water main is available.

    • The connection requirement applies where a municipal water main is available.
    • Private-well water is prohibited from or to property served by municipal water, except existing-well water may be used for non-household purposes by the property on which the well is situated.
    “Each house and building within the limits of the municipality shall be separately and independently connected only with the municipal water system”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Building and zoning permits inside Whitesboro city limits.

    • The fee schedule contains a section titled Building and zoning fees; specific fee amounts were not extracted in the opened material.
    “10.00 Building and zoning fees 11.00 Service charge for insufficient funds check”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning building-permit applications inside Whitesboro city limits.

    • Applications require scaled plans, lot dimensions and shape, existing-building locations, and proposed building or alteration location and dimensions.
    • The administrative official may require additional lawful information to determine conformity and enforce Chapter 154.
    “All applications for building permits shall be accompanied by plans drawn to scale, showing the actual dimensions and shape of the lot to be built upon; the exact sizes and locations on a lot of buildings already existing, if any; and the location and dimensions of the proposed building or alteration.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Whitesboro city limits.
  • Inspections — Construction inside Whitesboro city limits.
  • Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Whitesboro city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Whitesboro city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Whitesboro city limits.
10 more unanswered
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • 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 Whitesboro publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Grayson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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