Cottonwood Shores, Texas
Cottonwood Shores is a small city in Burnet County, in the Highland Lakes country of the Central Texas Hill Country about 40 miles northwest of Austin. It lies near the chain of reservoirs formed along the Colorado River, in terrain marked by cedar-covered hills and lakeshore. The setting places it within one of the more popular recreation and lake areas of the Hill Country.
Property here runs through the Burnet Central Appraisal District and the county tax office — the homestead exemption, the appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level. The Burnet County notes below cover the practical details, with the official county directory for the appraisal district and tax office.
Burnet County notes
What to know around Cottonwood Shores
Property Tax
Two offices handle your property tax in Burnet County
The Burnet County Appraisal District sets your home's value, but it also handles tax collection — the Tax Assessor-Collector office does not collect property taxes here.
Homestead Exemption
How to lower your tax bill with a homestead exemption
Texas law lets you reduce the taxable value of the home you live in. You file once with the Burnet County Appraisal District.
Water & Lakes
The Highland Lakes run through the heart of Burnet County
LCRA runs a chain of six lakes on the Colorado River. Four of those lakes sit partly or fully in Burnet County.
Septic / OSSF
Septic permits near the Highland Lakes go through LCRA
If your property is within about 2,200 feet of the upper Highland Lakes, your septic system permit comes from LCRA, not the county.
Well Water
Burnet County has its own groundwater district that permits water wells
If a Burnet County place relies on a private well, CTGCD is the local gatekeeper: new wells must be registered, and some wells need permits.
Flood Safety
Flash floods and low-water crossings are serious hazards here
Burnet County's hilly terrain has hundreds of low-water road crossings that can fill with fast-moving water in minutes during heavy rain.
Nearby
Places near Cottonwood Shores
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Blanco County
7 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Llano County
12 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Hays County
39 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Gillespie County
7 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Williamson County
52 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Travis County
65 local notes · Austin / Central Texas / Hill Country
Next steps for Cottonwood Shores
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Model school and local rates, the homestead exemption, and the appraisal cap.
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Property tax, land, outdoors, vehicles, rules, and history for the county.
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