Bolthole Index

Moore County, Texas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Dumas, Texas

Dumas is a city in Moore County, Texas. Dumas adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits Dumas’s rules apply, not the county’s. 5 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 24, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Moore County page.

Answers from the rulebook for Dumas

Dumas’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses not more than three stories in height with separate means of egress inside Dumas city limits.

    • The adopted document is the 2012 International Residential Code including Appendix J.
    • The source incorporates amendments prescribed in § 3.02.062.

    adopted code edition: 2012 International Residential Code including Appendix J (Subject to additions, insertions, deletions, and changes prescribed in § 3.02.062.)

    “International Residential Code, 2012 edition, including appendix J, as published by the International Code Council, is hereby adopted as the residential code of the city”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Dumas city limits.

    • The city code contains Chapter 14, Zoning.
    “Chapter 14 Zoning (§ 14.01.001 – § 14.06.074)”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Dumas city limits.

    • The published district-regulations article includes AG Agricultural District, multiple dwelling districts, retail, commercial, industrial, manufacturing, N Dwelling, and planned-development divisions.
    “ARTICLE 14.05 DISTRICTS AND DISTRICT REGULATIONS”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision activity inside Dumas city limits.

    • The city code includes Chapter 10, Subdivision Regulation; individual approval and design conditions were not extracted.
    “Chapter 10 Subdivision Regulation (§ 10.01.001 – § 10.02.009)”
  • Permit processPartial

    Residential construction governed by the adopted residential code inside Dumas city limits.

    • The source confirms issuance of permits, but does not provide the complete application process in the excerpt.
    “providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefor”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Dumas city limits.
  • Inspections — Building work inside Dumas city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Dumas city limits.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Dwelling units inside Dumas city limits.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Dumas city limits.
19 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • 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 Dumas publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Moore County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Off-grid gear

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

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