Travis County
What it takes to put a carport, garage, barn or RV cover on your property in Travis County, Texas. Permit authority, wind speed, and who to call.
outline + city dots
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Travis County Development Services oversees permits for all development outside corporate city limits in the county. The county states plainly that any development in Travis County requires a permit, and it defines development to include structures and buildings among the man-made changes it covers. The county issues a separate Accessory Building Permit for the development of a non-habitable building, such as a shed or a gazebo, and treats accessory buildings as uninhabitable. A carport or garage set on unincorporated land in Travis County falls inside that permitting system, so call the Permit Desk before delivery.
Travis County does not issue development permits within corporate limits, so if the site is inside Austin or another city the county is the wrong office. The county's own pages do not state whether it has adopted Chapter 233, Subchapter C, and they do not name a carport or a pre-built structure by those words, so confirm the exact permit type on the phone.
Any development in Travis County requires a permit.
Development is defined as any man-made changes to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to: Structures/Buildings, Driveways, Work in the county right-of-way, On-site sewage facilities, Division of land, Mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, or drilling
oversees guidelines, procedures, and permits for all development outside corporate city limits in the County
responsible for floodplain management, construction activity inspections, and regulating subdivisions in unincorporated areas
Learn how to get a permit for the development of a non-habitable building, such as a shed or a gazebo.
Accessory buildings are considered uninhabitable.
Travis County does not issue development permits within corporate limits
700 Lavaca Suite 540, Austin, TX 78701
Regional band for south and central texas. Wind speed follows your address, not the county line, so this is context and not a site figure.
ASCE 7, Risk Category II. Look up your exact address →
Cities and communities in Travis 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.
Travis County Development Services Permitting Center
700 Lavaca Street, Suite 540, Austin, TX 78701 Call (512) 854-4215 County permit page ↗Opens ATC Hazards by Location, the source we use for wind, snow and seismic values.