Bolthole Index

Kimble County, Texas

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Junction, Texas

Junction, Texas requires a building permit for any new building inside city limits, applied for in writing through the city1. The city's application fee is $502. Junction's published zoning covers the airport approach zones3; we could not confirm a general zoning-district map. Septic permits in Kimble County come from the county's TCEQ-authorized agent, not city hall4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for any new building inside Junction city limits1
Permit fee
$50 application fee, due at filing2
Building code
International Building Code, 2003 edition5
Zoning
Airport-zoning area published; general districts not confirmed3
Septic
Kimble County's TCEQ authorized agent, entire county except the Town of Segovia4
City water
Connection required where a line is within 200 feet6

Who to call

Building permits

City of Junction (City Hall)

Building permit applications, planning and zoning matters and utility service inside Junction city limits.

(325) 446-2622

730 Main Street, Junction, TX 76849

Septic permits

Kimble County Septic Permits/Inspections

Septic (OSSF) permits and inspections for Kimble County.

(830) 591-6970

Also useful

Kimble County Clerk's Office

Property records and new recordings (deeds, plats) for Kimble County.

(325) 446-3353

Kimble County Courthouse, 501 Main St, Junction, TX 76849

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

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Do you need a building permit in Junction, Texas?

Yes. Junction requires a building permit for construction, reconstruction, renovation or additions to buildings and structures inside city limits, and any proposed new building needs one regardless of size1. Repair-only work is exempt, and an addition that adds 25 square feet or more of floor space needs a permit1.

The City of Junction has adopted the International Building Code, 2003 edition, for buildings inside city limits5. We could not locate a city owner-builder exemption or a certificate-of-occupancy rule, so ask City Hall before you plan around either7.

How do you apply for a building permit in Junction, and what does it cost?

Applications for building permits in Junction are made in writing to the mayor on forms the city council prescribes8. The application states the legal description, street address if any, plans and specifications, estimated cost, materials, and the distance from each outside wall to the nearest property line8. The mayor investigates after the application and fee are in, and may deny an inadequate or bad-faith application8.

The application fee is $50, paid when the application is filed2. Start at City of Junction City Hall, 730 Main Street, (325) 446-26227.

Does Junction have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs, tiny homes and lot size?

Junction's confirmed zoning is airport zoning: land within the airport boundary and within two miles of the landing area is divided into approach, turning and transition zones3. Structures and trees in those zones are subject to height limits shown on the map attached to the 1948 ordinance9. The city has also appointed a planning and zoning board, but we could not confirm a district map, lot-size, setback, RV, tiny-home or accessory-dwelling rule for city lots. Ask City Hall before you buy7.

Outside city limits the answer differs: unincorporated Kimble County has adopted no county zoning ordinance, because Texas law gives most counties no general zoning power10.

How do septic permits work in Junction, Texas?

Septic permits for Kimble County are handled by the county's TCEQ-authorized agent, which covers the entire county except the Town of Segovia4. The county lists a Septic Permits/Inspections contact at (830) 591-697011. Texas requires a permit and approved plan to build, alter, repair, extend and operate a septic system12.

A tract of 10 acres or more can qualify for an exemption, but only if a single-family dwelling is the only dwelling, every part of the system sits at least 100 feet from the property line, and a licensed site evaluator signs off12. Most lots inside a city are far smaller. Junction's utility ordinance does not require an existing, properly maintained septic system to connect to the city system unless violations justify it13. We could not confirm whether the city adds its own septic permit rule, so ask both offices.

Do you have to connect to Junction city water?

Where city water is available, residential and business units inside Junction must connect to it, and a property abutting a public way with a water line within 200 feet is deemed to have access6. A written request that the city denies is exempt, and existing private-well service is addressed separately6. We could not confirm a city well-permit rule; the Kimble County Groundwater Conservation District covers most of the county14.

Building a home in Junction: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel is inside Junction city limits, since county rules differ outside them1.
  2. If you are dividing land, check the city subdivision rules; agricultural parcels of at least 5 acres with no new street are not treated as a subdivision15.
  3. Ask City Hall about zoning, setbacks and any airport-zone height limit7.
  4. File the written building permit application with the $50 fee82.
  5. Arrange septic through the county's authorized agent, or city water where it is available46.
  6. A driveway onto a state highway needs a TxDOT permit on Form 105816.

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

Land outside Junction is governed by Kimble County, not the city. Unincorporated Kimble County requires plat approval from the Commissioners Court for land divisions, with applications going to the County Judge17. In floodplain areas of unincorporated subdivisions, structures must sit at least 1 foot above base flood elevation18.

Kimble County's effective property tax rate is 1.3% and the median property tax bill is $2,173 a year1920. Only about 4.2% of county soils rate as not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system21.

Watch-outs

  • Junction's adopted building code is the 2003 edition of the International Building Code, so confirm with City Hall which standards the inspector applies5.
  • Septic rules inside Junction city limits are not confirmed beyond the county authorized agent's coverage; call the Kimble County septic contact before buying a lot without city sewer4.

Sources

  1. City of Junction, TX, Article 3.02 Building Permits (Junction), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Junction, TX, Article 3.02 Building Permits (Junction), quoted and re-checked
  3. City of Junction, TX, Article 14.02 Airport Zoning (Junction), quoted and re-checked
  4. TCEQ OSSF Authorized Agent search (OARS) (2026 county census)
  5. City of Junction, TX, Article 3.03 Building Code (Junction), quoted and re-checked
  6. City of Junction, TX, Division 2 Water and Wastewater Service (Junction), quoted and re-checked
  7. City of Junction (City Hall) (cityofjunction.com)
  8. City of Junction, TX, Article 3.02 Building Permits (Junction), quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Junction, TX, Article 14.02 Airport Zoning (Junction), quoted and re-checked
  10. Texas law on county zoning and building authority
  11. Kimble County Septic Permits/Inspections (co.kimble.tx.us)
  12. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. City of Junction, TX, Division 2 Water and Wastewater Service (Junction), quoted and re-checked
  14. Kimble County Groundwater Conservation District Management Plan 2024, quoted and re-checked
  15. City of Junction, TX, Chapter 10 Subdivision Regulations (Junction), quoted and re-checked
  16. Section 4: Driveway Permits, Design, and Materials (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. 2024 Subdivision and Manufactured Home Rental Community Regulations for Kimble County, Texas, quoted and re-checked
  18. 2024 Subdivision and Manufactured Home Rental Community Regulations for Kimble County, Texas, quoted and re-checked
  19. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  20. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: 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 Junction

Junction’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, reconstruction, renovation, or additions to buildings or structures inside Junction city limits.

    • Repair only is exempt.
    • An addition increasing floor space by 25 square feet or more requires a permit.
    • Any proposed new building requires a permit regardless of square footage.

    addition floor-space threshold: >= 25 square feet (Repair-only work is exempt.)

    “without having first secured a building permit therefor.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Buildings inside Junction city limits.

    • The adopted code is the International Building Code, 2003 edition, with its accompanying rehabilitation code.

    building code edition: 2003

    “There is hereby adopted by the city council the International Building Code, 2003 edition”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Junction city limits that is within the airport-zoning area.

    • The ordinance divides land within the airport boundary and within two miles of the landing area into airport approach, turning, and transition zones.
    “In order to carry out the purposes of this article, all of the land within the boundaries of the airport and within two (2) miles of the landing area of the airport is hereby divided into airport approach zones, airport turning zones and airport transition zones, the boundaries of which are shown on the Kimble County Airport Zoning Map numbered and dated April 20, 1948, which is attached to the Ordinance adopted August 17, 1948, and hereby made a part hereof.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Airport-zoning area inside Junction city limits.

    • Airport approach, turning, and transition zone boundaries are on the Kimble County Airport Zoning Map numbered and dated April 20, 1948, attached to the August 17, 1948 ordinance.
    “airport approach zones, airport turning zones and airport transition zones”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Structures and trees inside Junction city limits that are in an airport approach, turning, or transition zone.

    • Applicable maximum elevation is shown on the map attached to the August 17, 1948 ordinance.
    • The restriction is subject to other provisions of the airport-zoning article.
    “to a height in excess of the applicable elevations”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Land inside Junction city limits with a septic system existing on the utility ordinance's effective date.

    • The septic system must operate and be maintained according to state and local requirements.
    • A violation of state or local requirements is grounds for immediate mandatory connection.
    • After a cease-and-desist notice with violations, the owner must arrange wastewater connection within ten days.

    connection-arrangement deadline: <= 10 days (Applies after notice to cease and desist septic-system use with a list of violations.)

    “shall not be required to connect to the city system”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater (with conditions)

    Residential and business units inside Junction city limits where city water service is available.

    • A property abutting a public way containing public water and within 200 feet of the water line is deemed to have access.
    • A written request denied by the city is exempt.
    • Existing private-well service is addressed separately.
    • Existing septic systems operating and maintained under state and local requirements are not required to connect to the city system unless violations justify mandatory connection.

    water-line access distance: <= 200 feet (Property must abut the public way in which the public water supply is located.)

    “shall be connected by a separate connection to the city water system”
  • Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    Subdivision of land inside Junction city limits for agricultural purposes.

    • Each parcel must be at least five acres.
    • The division must not involve a new street.

    parcel size: >= 5 acres (No new street may be involved.)

    “five acres or more and not involving a new street shall not be deemed a subdivision.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivisions within Junction city limits.

    • The ordinance also covers the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction.
    • A plat may not be filed or recorded and subdivision lots may not be improved or sold until approved.
    • Agricultural parcels of at least five acres without a new street are exempt.

    agricultural-parcel exemption threshold: >= 5 acres (No new street may be involved.)

    “shall govern the approval and requirements of plats and subdivisions”
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Junction building-permit applications.

    • The fee is due at filing of the application.

    building permit application fee: 50 USD

    “At the time of the filing of such application a permit fee of $50.00 shall be paid by the applicant.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit applications inside Junction city limits.

    • Application must be written to the mayor on prescribed forms.
    • It must include property description, address if any, plans and specifications, estimated cost, materials, and location and distance of each outside wall to the nearest property line.
    • The mayor investigates after application and fee payment and may deny an inadequate or bad-faith application.
    “All applications for building permits shall be made in writing to the mayor upon such forms as may be prescribed by the council, and shall state, among other things, the legal description of the property upon which such building or construction is to be undertaken together with the street address thereof, if any, the plans and specifications for such proposed construction, the estimated cost thereof, the material of which the same is to be built, and the location and distance to the nearest property line of each outside wall of such proposed construction.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Junction city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Junction city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Junction city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Lots inside Junction city limits.
  • Setbacks — Buildings inside Junction city limits.
12 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • 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 Junction publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Kimble County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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