The six counties, and who permits what in each
Texas leaves most residential building rules outside city limits to each county, so the same barndominium plan meets a different office in each of these six. Each line below is what that county's own site said on the date shown. A line that says "confirm with county" means exactly that, and nobody here has upgraded it into a promise.
Source: Office of the Texas Governor, Business Permit Office, Texas Business Licenses and Permits Guide, read 2026-09-13.
| County | County seat | Building permit outside city limits | Septic authority | Towns with a page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Llano County | Llano | A county permit is required before you build outside city limits, and the county does not inspect the structure outside a flood hazard area. Read at the county’s own pages 2026-09-13 | Llano County Development Services, or the Lower Colorado River Authority inside its water quality zone | Llano |
| Burnet County | Burnet | A county permit is required before you build outside city limits, and the county does not inspect the structure outside a flood hazard area. Read at the county’s own pages 2026-09-13 | Burnet County Development Services, or the Lower Colorado River Authority inside its water quality zone | Burnet, Marble Falls |
| Williamson County | Georgetown | The county states it issues no building permits for the unincorporated county. Other county permits still apply. Read at the county’s own pages 2026-09-13 | Williamson County Engineer’s Office, the on-site sewage facility program | Georgetown, Liberty Hill, Leander |
| Travis County | Austin | A county permit is required before any development outside city limits, and inspections are required during the build. Read at the county’s own pages 2026-09-13 | Travis County TNR, the state’s authorized agent for the unincorporated county, or the Lower Colorado River Authority near Lake Travis | Austin, Lakeway, Bee Cave |
| Bastrop County | Bastrop | A county permit is required before any development outside city limits, and inspections are required during the build. Read at the county’s own pages 2026-09-13 | Bastrop County Environmental and Sanitation, the state’s authorized agent | Bastrop |
| Caldwell County | Lockhart | A county permit is required before you build outside city limits, and the county does not inspect the structure outside a flood hazard area. Read at the county’s own pages 2026-09-13 | Caldwell County Sanitation Department, the state’s authorized agent | Lockhart |
Inside city limits the city's own building department applies, whatever the county does. Austin, Georgetown, Leander, Liberty Hill, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Burnet, Marble Falls, Llano, Bastrop, Elgin, Smithville, Lockhart and Luling all run their own.
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Last reviewed 2026-09-13.