Bolthole Index

Tarrant County, Texas

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Colleyville, Texas

Colleyville, Texas, in Tarrant County, adopts and enforces its own zoning inside city limits through its Land Development Code1. The city has a building inspections department and an online building permit application2. Septic permits inside Colleyville come from the Tarrant County engineering department, which regulates septic systems in Colleyville and other contract cities3. We could not confirm the city's permit triggers or fees.

At a glance

Zoning
Yes. Colleyville zones all land inside city limits14
Building permits
City handles them: Building Inspections, with an online application2
Septic permits
Tarrant County Engineering Services (OSSF program), a contract city3
Septic in R-40
Normally connected to sewer, not septic tanks5
Accessory dwellings
Limited to family members or domestic servants employed on the premises6
RV and tiny-home living
Not confirmed; ask the city before buying2

Who to call

Building permits

City of Colleyville, Building Inspections

Building permits and inspections inside Colleyville city limits; main City Hall line shown

817-503-1000

100 Main Street, Colleyville, Texas 76034

Septic permits

Tarrant County OSSF Program (Engineering Services)

Septic (OSSF) permit applications for unincorporated Tarrant County and contract cities including Colleyville

817-212-7082

100 E. Weatherford St., Fort Worth, Texas 76196

Septic permits

Tarrant County Engineering Services, OSSF contract cities

Lists the cities, Colleyville among them, where the county regulates septic systems

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

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Does Colleyville, Texas have zoning?

Yes. The City of Colleyville divides all land inside its corporate limits into zoning districts, and the Official Zoning Map is part of its Land Development Code4. The code states that its zoning regulations were made under a comprehensive plan1. The map is displayed at Colleyville City Hall4.

That matters because Tarrant County has no county zoning for unincorporated land7, so the "no zoning" answers that apply to rural Tarrant County do not apply inside Colleyville. Find the district for any lot on the zoning map before you plan anything.

We could not confirm Colleyville's rules on RVs, tiny homes or temporary camping on private land, so ask the city's Building Inspections office before you buy2.

What are the lot size, setback and height rules in Colleyville?

Colleyville sets lot size, yard setbacks, building height and lot coverage district by district. For the R-40 Single Family Residential District, the code sends readers to the Schedule of District Regulations in Section 3.24 and the supplementary regulations in Section 3.288. Setbacks, lot coverage and height in R-40 follow the same schedule91011.

We could not read the numeric schedule, so confirm the figures for your specific district with the city before you design a house or an outbuilding.

Accessory dwellings are limited: a secondary dwelling must be for family members or domestic servants employed on the premises and must meet the code's floor-area rules6. A rental guest house is not what the code describes.

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

Colleyville's City Hall lists a Building Inspections department and an online link to apply for a building permit2. Building permits inside the city come from the city, not from Tarrant County. Unincorporated Tarrant County does not issue residential building permits at all12, so county pages do not answer the question for a Colleyville lot.

We could not confirm which projects need a permit, the inspection schedule, the adopted code edition or the fee schedule. Call the city's main line at 817-503-1000 and ask for Building Inspections before you start work2. Ask about owner-builder rules and certificates of occupancy at the same time.

How do septic permits work in Colleyville?

Colleyville is one of the contract cities where the Tarrant County engineering department regulates on-site sewage facilities, so a septic permit for a Colleyville address goes through the county's OSSF program rather than the city3. The program office is at 100 E. Weatherford St., Fort Worth, Texas 76196, and can be reached at 817-212-708213.

Septic is also the unusual choice inside the city. In the R-40 Single Family district, the code says land uses are normally connected to an approved public or private sewage collection and treatment system rather than individual septic tanks and drainage fields5. Confirm sewer availability for your lot with the city, and ask the county whether a septic system would be allowed there. Texas law makes the TCEQ-authorized local agent the permitting authority in most areas14.

Building a home in Colleyville: the steps, in order

  1. Identify the zoning district for the lot on the Official Zoning Map at City Hall4.
  2. Ask Building Inspections whether your use, such as an accessory dwelling, is allowed in that district2.
  3. Confirm sewer service with the city; if there is none, ask the Tarrant County OSSF program about a septic permit13.
  4. Apply for a building permit through the city2.
  5. Check floodplain and drainage questions with the city; we could not confirm a city floodplain rule or driveway permit trigger.

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

Septic permits in Colleyville stay with Tarrant County's engineering department3. For land outside any city, see the Tarrant County page: unincorporated Tarrant County has no zoning15 and does not issue residential building permits12. Those rules stop at the city line.

Property taxes are county-level figures: Tarrant County's effective rate is about 1.8%16, with a median bill near $5,211 a year17. Check the actual rate for your Colleyville address with the Tarrant Appraisal District and the city before you buy.

Watch-outs

  • Colleyville's permit triggers, fee schedule and adopted building code edition were not confirmed; ask the city's Building Inspections office2.
  • County answers about no zoning and no residential building permits apply only to unincorporated land, not inside Colleyville15.
  • Septic is regulated by Tarrant County even inside city limits, and the city's R-40 code expects sewer connection35.

Sources

  1. City of Colleyville Land Development Code (Colleyville), quoted and re-checked
  2. City of Colleyville, Building Inspections (colleyville.com)
  3. Tarrant County Engineering Services, OSSF contract cities (tarrantcountytx.gov)
  4. City of Colleyville Land Development Code (Colleyville), quoted and re-checked
  5. City of Colleyville Land Development Code (Colleyville), quoted and re-checked
  6. City of Colleyville Land Development Code (Colleyville), quoted and re-checked
  7. Texas law on county zoning and building authority
  8. City of Colleyville Land Development Code (Colleyville), quoted and re-checked
  9. City of Colleyville Land Development Code (Colleyville), quoted and re-checked
  10. City of Colleyville Land Development Code (Colleyville), quoted and re-checked
  11. City of Colleyville Land Development Code (Colleyville), quoted and re-checked
  12. Guidelines for Development in the Unincorporated Areas of Tarrant County (2026 county census)
  13. Tarrant County OSSF Program (Engineering Services) (tarrantcountytx.gov)
  14. Getting a Permit for an OSSF - Such as a Septic System (Texas statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Guidelines for Development in the Unincorporated Areas of Tarrant County (2026 county census)
  16. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  17. 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 Colleyville

Colleyville’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Lots, parcels, rights-of-way, buildings, and structures within Colleyville corporate limits.

    • Land Development Code provisions apply within the City's corporate limits.
    “The zoning regulations and districts herein established have been made in accordance with a comprehensive plan for the purpose of promoting health, safety, morals and general welfare of the City of Colleyville.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    All land inside Colleyville city limits.

    • The Official Zoning Map is part of Chapter 3 and is displayed at Colleyville City Hall.
    • The map is not the authoritative source for procedural prerequisites; ordinances control those requirements.
    “The City is hereby divided into zones, or districts, as shown on the Official Zoning Map which, together with all explanatory matter thereon, is hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this Chapter.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-40 Single Family Residential District inside Colleyville city limits.

    • The applicable minimum is in § 3.24 Schedule of District Regulations and other applicable § 3.28 supplementary regulations; the opened excerpt did not display the numeric schedule.
    “The requirements regulating the maximum permissible residential density, minimum lot size, minimum yard sizes (front, side and rear), maximum building height (stories and feet), and maximum percent of lot coverage by buildings, as pertains to this district, shall conform with the provisions of Section 3.24 - Schedule of District Regulations and other applicable provisions of Section 3.28 - Supplementary District Regulations.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-40 Single Family Residential District inside Colleyville city limits.

    • The applicable minimum front, side, and rear yards are in § 3.24 and other applicable § 3.28 regulations; the opened excerpt did not display the numeric schedule.
    “The requirements regulating the maximum permissible residential density, minimum lot size, minimum yard sizes (front, side and rear), maximum building height (stories and feet), and maximum percent of lot coverage by buildings, as pertains to this district, shall conform with the provisions of Section 3.24 - Schedule of District Regulations and other applicable provisions of Section 3.28 - Supplementary District Regulations.”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-40 Single Family Residential District inside Colleyville city limits.

    • The applicable maximum percentage is in § 3.24 and other applicable § 3.28 regulations; the opened excerpt did not display the numeric schedule.
    “The requirements regulating the maximum permissible residential density, minimum lot size, minimum yard sizes (front, side and rear), maximum building height (stories and feet), and maximum percent of lot coverage by buildings, as pertains to this district, shall conform with the provisions of Section 3.24 - Schedule of District Regulations and other applicable provisions of Section 3.28 - Supplementary District Regulations.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-40 Single Family Residential District inside Colleyville city limits.

    • The applicable maximum stories and feet are in § 3.24 and other applicable § 3.28 regulations; the opened excerpt did not display the numeric schedule.
    “The requirements regulating the maximum permissible residential density, minimum lot size, minimum yard sizes (front, side and rear), maximum building height (stories and feet), and maximum percent of lot coverage by buildings, as pertains to this district, shall conform with the provisions of Section 3.24 - Schedule of District Regulations and other applicable provisions of Section 3.28 - Supplementary District Regulations.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory dwellings inside Colleyville city limits.

    • Accessory dwelling must be for family members or domestic servants employed on the premises.
    • Gross habitable floor area must comply with § 3.27.
    • It may be within the principal dwelling, above a residential garage, or part of an accessory building on the same premises.
    • It must comply with other applicable City codes and ordinances concerning light, health, safety, and occupancy.
    “Accessory Dwelling – A secondary dwelling for use by family members or domestic servants employed on the premises provided the gross habitable square feet of floor area complies with regulations found in Section 3.27 of this chapter.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    R-40 Single Family Residential District inside Colleyville city limits.

    • The provision describes normal connection to approved public or private sewage collection and treatment, rather than individual septic tanks and subsurface drainage fields.
    “Land uses in this district are normally connected to an approved public or private sewage collection and treatment system, rather than individual septic tanks and subsurface drainage fields.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Planned Unit Development applications inside Colleyville city limits.

    • No Planned Unit Development application is processed or scheduled for hearing until its application fee is paid.
    • The cited process is not a general residential building-permit process.
    “Application Fee – No application shall be processed or scheduled for public hearing until the application fee has been paid.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Residential construction inside Colleyville city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Colleyville city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Construction inside Colleyville city limits.
  • Inspections — Residential construction inside Colleyville city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Colleyville city limits.
13 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • 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 Colleyville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Tarrant County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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