Bolthole Index

Henderson County, Texas

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Tool, Texas

Inside Tool city limits in Henderson County, Texas, a building permit from the city's Building Inspector is required before construction begins1. Tool also runs its own zoning, with districts such as RA and R-12. Septic permits are a separate question: the city code asks for proof of an approved septic system where sewer is not available3, and Henderson County Septic Services is the county's septic office4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required from the city before construction begins1
Zoning
City zoning with RA, R-1, MF-1, MH-1, MH-2, B-1, B-2, I-1, I-2, THOR, PD and FP districts2
Septic
Proof of an approved septic system is required where sewer is not available; the county septic office is Henderson County Septic Services34
Permit fees
Published fee schedule; double fee if work starts before the permit5
Inspections
Inspection card posted until final inspection6
Garage apartments
Specific-use permit in RA, R-1 and MH-2; permitted in MF-17
Subdivision
City Council approval of the plat is required8
Owner-builder licensing
State trade-license exemptions exist for owners' own homes, but they are not a permit exemption9

Who to call

Building permits

City of Tool Building & Code Enforcement

Building permits, building inspections and code enforcement inside Tool city limits

903-432-3522 ext. 101

701 N. Tool Drive, Tool, TX 75143

Septic permits

Henderson County Septic Services

On-site sewage facility (septic) permit applications for Henderson County

903-257-9057

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

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Do you need a building permit in Tool, Texas?

Yes, inside city limits. Tool's city code says a building permit must be obtained from the Building Inspector before construction begins, and it covers a building, structure, home, residence, commercial building, or enclosing a carport or patio1. Starting work before the permit is issued costs double the normal fee5.

The city's code-enforcement page adds that permits are also needed for decks, roofs, fences, driveways and other flatwork, and for accessory buildings including portable ones10. Questions about a specific project go to the city's building official.

The city's rule applies only inside Tool. Land outside the city limits in Henderson County follows the county's rules; see the Henderson County page.

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

The City of Tool issues building permits and handles inspections through its Building & Code Enforcement department at city hall. Applications are made through the city's Building Inspector and must be approved by the city, and the city provides the application forms11.

To schedule an inspection, call city hall at 903-432-3522 ext. 10110. The city says its building inspections and plan reviews are subcontracted to licensed inspectors at Bureau Veritas10. A permit holder must post the assigned inspection card until the work is finished and a final inspection is made6.

The fee schedule is in the city's Chapter 365. Contractors working in the city are also required to register with it10.

Does Tool have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. Tool adopted its own zoning, and the zoning chapter lists RA, R-1, MF-1, MH-1, MH-2, B-1, B-2, I-1, I-2, THOR, PD and FP districts2. Unincorporated Henderson County, by contrast, has no county zoning ordinance, so these district rules stop at the city line12.

Dimensions depend on the district. In the RA Agricultural District, a single-family lot needs 1 acre (43,560 square feet)13, with a 25-foot front setback and a 25-foot rear setback14, and ground coverage up to 15 percent15. In R-1, the minimum lot is 5,000 square feet, 50 feet wide16, with a 20-foot front setback and a 5-foot rear setback17.

Height limits for single-family homes are 35 feet in RA18 and 30 feet in R-119. Garage apartments need a specific-use permit in RA, R-1 and MH-27.

How do septic permits work in Tool?

Tool's city code asks for proof of an approved septic system when sewer service is not applicable to a permitted structure3. Septic permitting itself is not the building inspector's job. Henderson County runs Henderson County Septic Services, the county's septic office, and its page publishes the On-Site Sewage Facilities Permit Application204.

We could not confirm which office permits septic systems for lots inside Tool city limits, so call city hall at 903-432-3522 ext. 10110 and Henderson County Septic Services at 903-257-905721 before you plan a system.

Texas requires a permit and approved plan to construct, alter, repair, extend and operate a septic system22. A single-family home on a tract of at least 10 acres can qualify for a state exemption if every listed condition is met, including a site evaluation and OSSF parts at least 100 feet from the property line23.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Tool, Texas?

We could not confirm a Tool rule on tiny homes, or on camping or living in an RV on private land inside city limits. Call city hall at 903-432-3522 ext. 10110 before bringing one onto a lot.

Henderson County's RV rules cover privately owned RV parks in unincorporated areas, not Tool lots24. For zoning questions, the city's district list is the starting point2.

Building a home in Tool: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and its lot size, setback and height limits with city hall2.
  2. If the land must be subdivided first, the City Council must approve the plat before any lot is improved or sold8.
  3. Where sewer is not available, arrange an approved septic system with Henderson County Septic Services and bring proof to the city3.
  4. Apply for the building permit through the city's Building Inspector before construction begins11.
  5. Post the inspection card and schedule inspections through city hall until final inspection6.
  6. If you wire or plumb your own homestead, the state's licensing exemptions do not replace local permits or inspections9.

What stays with Henderson County, and what should you check before buying?

Septic permits and the county's floodplain program sit outside the city's building permits. Henderson County's floodplain administration applies in areas outside any city limits25, so a lot in Tool is a city question. The county's rules for unincorporated land are on the Henderson County page.

A driveway onto a state highway needs a TxDOT permit on Form 105826. A well may fall under the Neches and Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District, which covers Henderson County27.

Henderson County's effective property tax rate is 1 percent28, and the median property tax bill is $1,859 per year29.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm who permits septic systems for lots inside Tool city limits; ask Henderson County Septic Services and city hall before buying21.
  • We could not confirm an owner-builder exemption from Tool's building permits; the state's trade-licensing exemptions do not waive local permits or inspections9.
  • Starting work before the building permit is issued costs double the normal fee5.

Sources

  1. § 151.001 Permit Required (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 155: Zoning (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  3. § 151.011 Sewer Connection Required (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  4. Henderson County - Septic Services (2026 county census)
  5. § 151.003 Permit Fees (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  6. § 151.010 Inspection Cards (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  7. Table 2: Residential Uses (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  8. § 154.007 Approval Required (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  9. Exemptions to Electrician Licensing (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. City of Tool Building & Code Enforcement (tooltexas.org)
  11. § 151.001 Permit Required (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  12. Texas law on county zoning and building authority
  13. Appendix C: Area, Setback, Height and Coverage Regulations (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  14. Appendix C: Area, Setback, Height and Coverage Regulations (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  15. Appendix C: Area, Setback, Height and Coverage Regulations (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  16. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  17. Appendix C: Area, Setback, Height and Coverage Regulations (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  18. Appendix C: Area, Setback, Height and Coverage Regulations (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  19. Appendix C: Area, Setback, Height and Coverage Regulations (Tool), quoted and re-checked
  20. Septic Services, quoted and re-checked
  21. Henderson County Septic Services (henderson-county.com)
  22. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Henderson County Subdivision Regulations (2024), quoted and re-checked
  25. Development & Floodplain Administration Office, quoted and re-checked
  26. Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  27. Official Website of Neches & Trinity Valleys Groundwater Conservation District, quoted and re-checked
  28. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  29. Median property tax bill: 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 Tool

Tool’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Erecting or constructing a building, structure, home, residence, commercial building, or enclosing a carport or patio inside Tool city.

    • Application must be made through the city's duly appointed Building Inspector and approved by the city.
    • A permit must be obtained before construction begins.
    • Double the normal fee is charged when work starts before obtaining a permit.

    late-start fee multiplier: 2 normal fee (Where work is started before obtaining a permit.)

    “A building permit must be obtained from the Building Inspector before construction is begun.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Work performed under a Tool city building permit inside city limits.

    • The permit holder must post and maintain the assigned inspection card until work is complete and a final inspection is made.
    “This card must be maintained in such position by the permit holder until the work is completed and a final inspection has been made.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Tool city limits.

    • The published zoning chapter identifies RA, R-1, MF-1, MH-1, MH-2, B-1, B-2, I-1, I-2, THOR, PD, and FP districts.
    “Zoning Districts 155.015 Establishment of Districts 155.016 Designation of district boundaries”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached dwellings in the R-1 Single-Family Detached Residential District inside Tool city limits.

    • The chart directs readers to Note 2 and § 3 for accessory structures.

    minimum lot area: 5000 square feet · minimum lot width: 50 feet (At front building line.) · minimum lot depth: 100 feet (Average.)

    “R-1 | 5,000 | 50 | 100 | 20 | 10/5^ | 5 | 30 | 65 | | Note 2; also see § 3. below”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family detached dwellings in the RA Agricultural District inside Tool city limits.
      “RA* | 1 acre (43,560 s.f.) | 150 | | 25 | 25/25^ | 25 | 35** | 15 | | Note 1; also see § 3 below”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached dwellings in the R-1 Single-Family Detached Residential District inside Tool city limits.

    • The first side-yard figure applies from a public street and the second applies to interior lots.

    front setback: 20 feet · side setback: 10/5 feet (First figure: public street; second: interior lot.) · rear setback: 5 feet

    “R-1 | 5,000 | 50 | 100 | 20 | 10/5^ | 5 | 30 | 65 | | Note 2; also see § 3. below”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family detached dwellings in the RA Agricultural District inside Tool city limits.
      “^The first number is the minimum side yard setback from a public street; the second number is the minimum side yard setback for interior lots.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached dwellings in the R-1 Single-Family Detached Residential District inside Tool city limits.

    • The chart is not complete for all districts and uses.

    maximum ground coverage: <= 65 percent of lot area

    “R-1 | 5,000 | 50 | 100 | 20 | 10/5^ | 5 | 30 | 65 | | Note 2; also see § 3. below”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family detached dwellings in the RA Agricultural District inside Tool city limits.
      “RA* | 1 acre (43,560 s.f.) | 150 | | 25 | 25/25^ | 25 | 35** | 15 | | Note 1; also see § 3 below”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family detached dwellings in the RA Agricultural District inside Tool city limits.

    • Agricultural structures may not exceed 45 feet.
    • Accessory structures may not exceed two stories or 25 feet.

    height limit: <= 35 feet (Single-family detached row.)

    “*Special regulations for agricultural uses in the RA District: No agricultural structures shall be closer than 100 feet to any residential structure. An agricultural structure shall not exceed 45 feet in height.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family detached dwellings in the R-1 Single-Family Detached Residential District inside Tool city limits.
      “Note 2: An accessory structure shall not exceed two stories or25 feet in height.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Garage apartments inside Tool city limits.

    • Garage apartments require a specific-use permit in RA, R-1, and MH-2.
    • They are listed as permitted in MF-1.
    “Garage apartment | 2f | S | S | Y | | S | | | | | |”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    A permitted structure inside Tool city where sewer service is not applicable.

    • The applicant must furnish proof of an approved septic system.
    • The system must comply with the stated water-board and other regulating-authority rules, if any.
    “if not applicable, then, said applicant shall furnish proof that he or she has installed an approved septic system, in accordance with all rules of the Tarrant County Water Board District, and other regulating authorities, if any.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision plats and lots inside Tool city limits.

    • No subdivision plat may be filed or recorded, and no subdivision lot may be improved or sold, until City Council approval.
    • The ordinance also addresses the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction; this claim is limited to city limits.
    “No subdivision plat shall be filed or recorded and no lot in a subdivision inside the corporate limits of the city or within its extraterritorial jurisdiction shall be improved or sold until the plat shall have been approved by the City Council.”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Tool city building permits.

    • Fees are provided in Chapter 36's fee schedule.
    • Work started before obtaining a permit is charged double the normal fee.
    “The schedule of fees for various types of proposed work shall be as provided for in the fee schedule found in Chapter 36.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Building-permit applications inside Tool city limits.

    • Applications are provided by the city.
    • Application is through the Building Inspector and must be approved by the city.
    • A permit is required before construction begins.
    “Permit application forms are provided by the city.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner construction inside Tool city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of structures inside Tool city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Principal dwellings inside Tool city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Tool city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Tool city limits.
7 more unanswered
  • 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 Tool publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Henderson County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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