Bolthole Index

Kerr County, Texas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Kerrville, Texas

Inside Kerrville city limits in Kerr County, Texas, the City adopts and enforces zoning and requires building permits through its Building Inspection Division12. Living in an RV or travel trailer as a permanent residence is prohibited anywhere in the city3. Septic rules inside the city are unconfirmed, so ask the City and Kerr County Environmental Health before you buy4.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes, city zoning districts apply inside Kerrville city limits15
Building permit
Required for most projects, applied for through the City's online portal (MGO)2
RV as a permanent home
Prohibited anywhere in the city3
Accessory dwelling
Allowed in the R-1A district6
Septic inside the city
Not confirmed; ask the City and Kerr County Environmental Health4
Outside city limits
Kerr County has no zoning and no general building permit7

Who to call

Building permits

City of Kerrville Building Inspection Division

Building permits and inspections inside Kerrville city limits

Zoning

City of Kerrville Planning Division

Zoning and subdivision standards inside Kerrville and its ETJ

830-258-1514

200 Sidney Baker Street North

Septic permits

Kerr County Environmental Health Department

Septic (OSSF) permits for Kerr County as the TCEQ-authorized agent

830-896-9020

envhealth@env.kerrcountytx.gov

550 Earl Garrett Street, Suite 100, Kerrville, TX 78028

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

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Does Kerrville, Texas have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

Yes. Kerrville's Zoning Code applies to all areas inside the city limits, including areas added or removed by annexation1. The city is divided into zoning districts that set use, height and area rules, and the official zoning map kept by Development Services is the final word on any parcel58.

The city prohibits using a travel trailer or recreational vehicle as a permanent residence or business anywhere within Kerrville. Exceptions include RV parks, manufactured-home rental communities in the RM district, and a stay of no more than 14 days on a lot with a dwelling3. An accessory dwelling unit is allowed in the R-1A district, in the main building or a detached structure on the same lot6. We could not confirm a city rule for tiny homes or manufactured homes; ask the Planning Division.

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

Kerrville's Building Inspection Division issues building permits inside the city, and permits are required for most projects unless they are very minimal2. Work may begin once the permit is issued and continues subject to required inspections9. Applications go in through the MyGovernmentOnline (MGO) portal; plan review can take up to 10 business days2.

A certificate of occupancy cannot be issued for a use the zoning district does not allow, so zoning approval and building permits are linked10. Once all sections approve, the City emails the applicant that the permit is ready, after fees are paid11. We could not confirm the current fee amounts; the Building Inspection Division can quote them.

How do septic permits work inside Kerrville?

We could not confirm who administers septic permits for lots inside Kerrville city limits, or whether the city requires a connection to public sewer where it is available. Ask the City's Building Inspection Division first, then Kerr County Environmental Health.

For land outside the city, Kerr County Environmental Health Department is the TCEQ-authorized agent for septic permits4. Since August 7, 2026, the county requires a permit for all new septic systems in unincorporated Kerr County regardless of tract size1213. Private wells are a separate question: we could not confirm a city well rule, and the Headwaters Groundwater Conservation District requires permits to drill a water well in its jurisdiction14.

How do you build a home in Kerrville? The steps, in order

  1. Check the parcel's zoning district on the official zoning map and confirm your use is allowed5.
  2. Ask the Planning Division whether your project needs zoning approval or platting15.
  3. Settle sewer or septic and water with the City and Kerr County Environmental Health.
  4. Submit the building permit application and plans through MGO2.
  5. Pay fees when the City notifies you the permit is ready11.
  6. Build subject to required inspections, then get your certificate of occupancy910.

What stays with Kerr County, and what to check before you buy in Kerrville?

Kerr County's own answers apply to unincorporated land, not to lots inside Kerrville. Outside city limits Kerr County imposes no zoning7, and county permits cover specific things such as floodplain development and driveways onto county-maintained roads16. Property owners inside Kerrville contact the municipal floodplain administrator instead of the county17. See the Kerr County page for rules outside the city.

Kerr County's effective property tax rate is 1.1%18, and the typical home value is $375,30419.

Watch-outs

  • Kerr County has no zoning outside the city, but that does not carry into Kerrville, where city zoning applies201.
  • Kerr County's floodplain permit does not cover lots inside Kerrville: owners there contact the City's floodplain administrator, and we could not confirm the city's operative floodplain rule, so ask before you buy17.
  • Setback, plat and deed restrictions can apply on top of zoning, so check the plat and title work20.

Sources

  1. City of Kerrville Zoning Code, Ordinance No. 2019-17 (Kerrville), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Kerrville Building Inspection Division (kerrvilletx.gov)
  3. City of Kerrville Zoning Code, Ordinance No. 2019-17 (Kerrville), quoted and re-checked
  4. Environmental Health Department On-Site Sewage Facility, quoted and re-checked
  5. City of Kerrville Zoning Code, Ordinance No. 2019-17 (Kerrville), quoted and re-checked
  6. Short-Term Rental Units (Kerrville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Kerr County Road & Bridge, quoted and re-checked
  8. City of Kerrville Zoning Code, Ordinance No. 2019-17 (Kerrville), quoted and re-checked
  9. Building & Permit Information (Kerrville), quoted and re-checked
  10. City of Kerrville Zoning Code, Ordinance No. 2019-17 (Kerrville), quoted and re-checked
  11. Building & Permit Information (Kerrville), quoted and re-checked
  12. Environmental Health Department On-Site Sewage Facility, quoted and re-checked
  13. Kerr County Environmental Health Department (kerrcountytx.gov)
  14. Kerr County Road & Bridge, quoted and re-checked
  15. Planning Division (Kerrville), quoted and re-checked
  16. Reminder: Work on driveways (new or existing) requires permit, quoted and re-checked
  17. Flood Damage Permitting Guide, quoted and re-checked
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data
  20. Kerr County Road & Bridge, quoted and re-checked

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 Kerrville

Kerrville’s own rules

  • InspectionsRequired

    Permitted construction inside Kerrville city limits.

    • Work may begin when permits are issued and may continue only subject to required inspections and approvals.
    “subject to required inspections and approvals.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Buildings where a certificate of occupancy is required by Kerrville's building code.

    • A certificate cannot issue for a use not allowed in its zoning district.
    • All applicable zoning-code improvements, including planned-development or conditional-use-permit improvements, must be completed first.
    “No certificate of occupancy required by the City’s building code shall be issued”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Kerrville city limits.

    • The zoning code applies to areas inside city limits, including limits adjusted by annexation or disannexation.
    “The provisions of this Zoning Code extend to, and are enforceable upon, all areas inside the City limits, as they may exist from time to time and as they may be adjusted through annexation or disannexation.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    All property inside Kerrville city limits.

    • The official zoning map maintained in the Development Services Department is the final authority for a parcel's current zoning status.
    “The City is divided into the following zoning districts, which shall specify the use, height, area regulations, and other requirements.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Buildings inside Kerrville city limits.

    • Height controls depend on the adopted zoning district.
    “The City is divided into the following zoning districts, which shall specify the use, height, area regulations, and other requirements.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Use of a travel trailer or recreational vehicle as a permanent residence or business inside Kerrville city limits.

    • Defenses include an RM-district manufactured-home rental community, an RV park including a nonconforming RV park, a qualifying stay of no more than 14 days on a lot developed with a dwelling, and one RV or travel trailer for seasonal holiday-tree retail sales between November 5 and December 31.
    “The use of a travel trailer or recreational vehicle as a permanent residence or business anywhere within the City is prohibited.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision development inside Kerrville city limits.

    • The city's Planning Division states it enforces subdivision standards; the exact platting and improvement requirements depend on the subdivision ordinance and project.
    “Through consistent enforcement of well-defined land use, zoning, and subdivision standards, and a proactive relationship with the community and property owners, we commit to work to maintain a positive standard for quality development in the City of Kerrville and its ETJ.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit applications inside Kerrville city limits.

    • Plans are reviewed by responsible sections of the department.
    • All applicable fees must be paid before the permit is available to print from MGO.
    “Once the application has been approved by all sections concerned, the appropriate fees are determined and the applicant is contacted via email by the Building Inspection Division that the permit is ready to be granted.”

Rules another office applies inside Kerrville

Kerrville does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

    Property in Kerrville's R-1A Single-Family Residential with Accessory Dwelling Unit district.

    • The source identifies R-1A as a district that permits an accessory dwelling unit in addition to the primary residence.
    • The unit may be in the main building or a detached structure on the same lot.
    “permitting an accessory dwelling unit in addition to the primary residence.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Kerrville city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Kerrville city limits.
  • Manufactured homes — Manufactured-home occupancy inside Kerrville city limits.
  • Who permits septic — On-site sewage facilities inside Kerrville city limits.
  • Septic permit — Installation or alteration of an on-site sewage facility inside Kerrville city limits.
8 more unanswered
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Permit fees

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 Kerrville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Kerr County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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