No city sewer means a county septic permit in Hays County — at any lot size

A lot of the Hill Country acreage west of IH-35 has no municipal sewer, so the house relies on an on-site sewage facility, a septic system. Hays County requires a permit for every one of them, and the rule doesn't bend for big tracts: it applies regardless of lot size, whether you're on a half-acre or fifty. That catches people who assume rural land means no rules. Building a house, adding bedrooms, or replacing a failed system all trigger the permit, and it goes through MyGovernmentOnline like the county's other development reviews.

If the system is an aerobic or other advanced treatment unit (common on smaller or rocky lots where a conventional drain field won't percolate), the county requires ongoing maintenance, and a new install has to come with a two-year initial maintenance contract before the permit is finished. That's a recurring cost the seller may not mention.

If you're buying rural property, two questions earn their keep before closing: is there a permit on file for the existing septic, and is it aerobic with a live maintenance contract? An unpermitted or failing system can quietly become the buyer's problem the day the deed records.