Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Cleburne, Texas

Cleburne’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Cleburne city limits.

  • The adopted codes include City amendments prepared by the North Central Texas Council of Governments and attached to Ordinance OR10-2022-75.
  • The City Secretary holds the adopted-code copies and amendments for inspection.

  International Residential Code edition: 2021

  “The city hereby adopts the 2021 edition of International Residential Code. Copies of the code and the amendments thereto, as referenced in this section, are on file in the office of the City Secretary for permanent record and inspection.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Cleburne city limits.

  • Land use remains subject to the City zoning ordinance and applicable district regulations.

  “CHAPTER 155: ZONING [...] APPENDIX: ZONING ORDINANCE”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Land development where any part of the lot or tract lies in the floodplain inside Cleburne city limits.

  • The requirement applies before any land development as defined by § 151.05.
  • The stated permit fee is $15.

  floodplain development permit fee: 15 USD

  “A floodplain development permit shall be required to ensure conformance with the provisions of this chapter. If a lot or tract of land has any portion inside the floodplain, a floodplain development permit is required prior to any land development as such term is defined in § 151.05. The cost of the permit fee shall be $15.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  City building permits and listed construction-related permits inside Cleburne city limits.

  • A $20 administrative fee is added to the listed building permits.
  • The minimum building permit fee is $25.
  • Residential reinspection is $70 and commercial reinspection is $85.50.
  • The schedule lists a $37.50 certificate-of-occupancy fee, a $37.50 drive-approach/curb-cut fee, and OSSF fees of $500 and $218.75.

  residential new construction fee: per 0.19 USD per square foot (plus $20 administrative fee; minimum fee $25) · residential remodel fee: per 0.16 USD per square foot (plus $20 administrative fee; minimum fee $25)

  “A $20 administrative fee is added to each of the above permits. The minimum permit fee is $25. The fee for a re-inspection shall be $70 for residential re-inspections and $85.50 for commercial re-inspections.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — New residential construction inside Cleburne city limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built homes inside Cleburne city limits.
• Inspections — Residential building work inside Cleburne city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Cleburne city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family residential districts inside Cleburne 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 Cleburne 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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