Texas · Counties · Ector County

Ector County

What it takes to put a carport, garage, barn or RV cover on your property in Ector County, Texas. Permit authority, wind speed, and who to call.

Odessa · county seat West Texas 173,801 people · 898 sq mi VERIFIED 09 / 2026
COUNTY MAP
outline + city dots
slot, not yet drawn
DO YOU NEED A PERMIT?
Yes, a development structure permit, and it is free

Ector County issues five permits for development in the unincorporated county: Development Structure, Drive Approach, Septic Permit, Right-of-Way and Cell Tower. The Development Structure permit exists to ensure the finished floor elevation is at or one foot above the crown of the road or top of curb, and the county's own application form covers prefabricated homes, single-family and multifamily structures as well as industrial, manufacturing, retail and office uses. There is no cost to obtain a permit, and the permit is valid for six months.

Texas counties have no general zoning power. Outside city limits there are no county setbacks, no lot coverage rule and no design review, so nobody at the county can tell you where on your land the building goes.

Fee: No fee. The county states there is no cost to obtain a permit.

The permit is an elevation and drainage check, not a building code approval. Ector County does not publish a statement that it has adopted a county fire code or Chapter 233 Subchapter C, and nothing on its site claims authority over how the building itself is built.

  • to ensure that the finished floor elevation is at or 1 foot above the crown of the road or top of curbsource ↗ · read 2026-09-09 · not archived
  • There is no cost to obtain a permit.source ↗ · read 2026-09-09 · not archived
  • Development Structure, Drive Approach, Septic Permit, Right-of-Way, Cell Towersource ↗ · read 2026-09-09 · not archived
  • Casa Prefabricadasource ↗ · read 2026-09-09 · not archived
  • 1010 East 8th Street, Suite 114, Odessa, TX 79761source ↗ · read 2026-09-09 · not archived
DESIGN WIND SPEED

Regional band for west texas. Wind speed follows your address, not the county line, so this is context and not a site figure.

90 – 110 mph
NOT SITE VERIFIED
9090–110130160 MPH

ASCE 7, Risk Category II. Look up your exact address →

County zoning
None
Statewide. Texas counties hold no general zoning power.
Windstorm certification
Not required
Ector is inland. Only the 14 coastal counties need a TDI WPI-8.
Floodplain administration
Not verified
We have not confirmed who administers FEMA floodplain permits here. Call the county before you pour.
Septic / OSSF setback
Not verified
If your slab lands near a septic field, the OSSF authority has a say. Ask when you call.
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TEXAS DEALER OR CONTRACTOR
photo + one line, always labeled
[email protected]

Cities and communities in Ector County

Inside city limits the city's rules apply on top of the county's, and cities do zone. We have not yet read each city's ordinance, so every row below is marked unverified.

GardendaleRules not verified
GoldsmithRules not verified
NotreesRules not verified
OdessaRules not verified
PenwellRules not verified
ALL ZIP CODES · 11
7974179758797597976179762797637976479765797667976979776
WHO TO CALL

Ector County Development Services (Planning & Development)

1010 East 8th Street, Suite 114<br>Odessa, TX 79761
Call (432) 498-4241 County permit page ↗
Ask them three things: do I need a permit to put up a carport here, is my site in a floodplain, and how far from the septic field.
CHECK YOUR EXACT SITE

Opens ATC Hazards by Location, the source we use for wind, snow and seismic values.

NEIGHBORING COUNTIES
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TEXAS DEALER OR CONTRACTOR
photo + one line, always labeled
[email protected]
Call Ector County