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Home & Property
Local Notes
Home & Property notes
San Saba County · Groundwater / Well Permits
Drilling a Water Well? Check the Hickory District First
Parts of San Saba County fall inside the Hickory Underground Water Conservation District, which regulates well drilling and requires registration of new wells.
Schleicher County · Water Wells
No Local Groundwater District Means Fewer Rules for Water Wells
Schleicher County has no local groundwater conservation district, so there are fewer local rules about drilling or pumping from a water well.
Scurry County · Oil & Gas / Mineral Rights
Mineral Rights Matter Here — Oil Has Run Deep Since 1948
The Kelly-Snyder oilfield in western Scurry County is one of the most productive fields in Texas history, so mineral rights and surface-owner issues matter for anyone buying land here.
Shackelford County · Mineral Rights & Oil
Oil and Gas Has Been Produced in Shackelford County Since 1910
Shackelford County has a long oil and gas history, and buyers should understand that surface rights and mineral rights can be owned separately.
Shelby County · Land & Landscape
Shelby County's rolling ground includes pimple mounds and two river basins
Pine uplands, wet hardwood bottoms, small soil mounds, and a Sabine-Neches divide make Shelby County more varied than one blanket of woods.
Sherman County · Groundwater / Water Wells
Water wells here tap the Ogallala Aquifer — and need a permit
Nearly all water in Sherman County comes from the Ogallala Aquifer, and the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District regulates who can drill a well and how much water they can use.
Smith County · Driveway access
Check Smith County's driveway culvert policy before adding rural access
Cutting a new driveway onto a county road in unincorporated Smith County can trigger the county's Driveway Culvert Policy, so check before you buy pipe or hire dirt work.
Smith County · Building permits
Inside Tyler, home projects run through city building permits
Smith County's hands-off rule on rural building does not carry into Tyler, where the city requires permits submitted electronically through TylerInspections.com.
Smith County · Lake property
Lake Tyler projects have their own construction approval forms
Building on a Lake Tyler lot adds a paperwork layer: the City of Tyler requires its own Lake Tyler construction approval before work starts.
Smith County · Flood Rules
Smith County has a flood damage prevention rule for unincorporated land
Before you build in a low-lying area of Smith County, check whether your land is in a FEMA flood zone, because county rules restrict development in those areas.
Smith County · Building Rules
Unincorporated Smith County does not require a general building permit
Smith County's own records say there are no local building permits required for construction in unincorporated areas outside city limits.
Smith County · Zoning and city limits
Use the map before assuming Tyler zoning applies
A Tyler mailing address doesn't always mean you're inside Tyler city limits, so the city tells owners to check the county map site before relying on city zoning or setbacks.
Smith County · Septic / OSSF
You need a permit for a septic system in unincorporated Smith County
Any on-site sewage system, including a standard septic tank, requires a permit before you build or alter it in Smith County.
Somervell County · Major Employer
Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant is a major employer in Somervell County
Comanche Peak, a two-unit nuclear plant in Somervell County, is one of the county's biggest economic drivers.
Starr County · Permit Routing
Don't call the appraisal district for a permit or an address; they'll send you elsewhere
Starr CAD appraises property; permit, address, plat, deed, and manufactured-home questions belong with the office responsible for that job and location.
Starr County · Property Records
Starr County's deed books run back to 1848, the year the county was born
The County Clerk holds the deed and deed-of-trust index back to 1848, plus an online official-records search for anything modern.
Starr County · Groundwater / Water Wells
Starr County's groundwater office changed names in 2025
A 2025 Texas law moved groundwater duties into the Starr County Drainage and Groundwater Conservation District, so confirm its current well process before drilling.
Stephens County · Mineral Rights & Oil
Stephens County Has a Deep Oil History — Know Your Mineral Rights
Stephens County experienced a massive oil boom in the 1920s, and buyers of land today should always ask whether the mineral rights are included.
Stephens County · Water Wells & Groundwater
Stephens County Has No Groundwater Conservation District
Stephens County sits in Groundwater Management Area 6, but the official GCD map does not list a Stephens County groundwater district.
Sterling County · Groundwater & Wells
Drilling a Water Well in Sterling County
Sterling County has its own groundwater district that requires new wells to be registered before you drill.
Sterling County · Mineral Rights & Oil Leases
Oil and Gas Activity in Sterling County
Oil was found in Sterling County in 1947 and the Texas Railroad Commission regulates all wells drilled there today.
Stonewall County · Oil and Gas
Oil and Gas Activity Is Regulated by RRC District 7B
Stonewall County has a long history of oil production, and all drilling and production activity is overseen by the Railroad Commission of Texas District 7B office in Abilene.
Sutton County · Groundwater & Wells
A local district regulates water wells in Sutton County
If you plan to drill a water well in Sutton County, a local district sets the rules and may require a permit.
Swisher County · Groundwater / Water Wells
Drilling a Water Well in Swisher County Requires a Permit
Swisher County sits over the Ogallala Aquifer, and a regional district controls how much water landowners can pump.
Swisher County · Weather Hazards
Wildfire and Drought Are Real Risks in Swisher County
In Swisher County, fire risk can rise fast when wind, dry grass, and drought line up; well water needs steady attention too.
Tarrant County · Weather Preparedness
Build More Than One Weather-Warning Path
Tarrant County warnings come through several channels: NWS forecasts, automatic Wireless Emergency Alerts, and NOAA Weather Radio all do different jobs.
Tarrant County · ETJ / Zoning
City ETJs Shape Platting in Unincorporated Tarrant County
Unincorporated property can still sit inside a city's extraterritorial jurisdiction, where a subdivision plat may need to meet both city and county standards.
Tarrant County · Floodplain Permit
County Floodplain Permits Come First in Unincorporated Tarrant County
In unincorporated Tarrant County, any work in a FEMA floodplain, including placing fill, needs a county floodplain permit before work starts.
Tarrant County · Flood Infrastructure
Fort Worth Is Rerouting Part of the Trinity River to Reduce Flood Risk
Central City is a working flood-control project with two main pieces: a new Trinity River channel north of downtown and changes at Gateway Park.
Tarrant County · City Limits / ETJ
Fort Worth's ETJ Means Platting Rules, Not City Zoning
A tract outside Fort Worth can still lie in its extraterritorial jurisdiction, where subdivision and platting rules apply even though city zoning does not.
Tarrant County · Winter Weather
Ice Storms Are a Real Hazard in Tarrant County
A thin coat of freezing rain can shut down North Texas roads, so Tarrant County winter planning is mostly about timing, heat, and staying off ice.
Tarrant County · Mineral Rights
In Tarrant County, Surface Rights and Mineral Rights Can Be Separate
A Tarrant County deed can separate the surface from the minerals below it. The recorded instruments, not the tax map alone, tell the ownership story.
Tarrant County · Septic / OSSF
Septic Systems in Tarrant County Require a Permit
Tarrant County permits on-site sewage facilities where it is the authorized local office. Other cities and lake-area authorities handle some addresses, so jurisdiction comes before the application.
Tarrant County · Oil and Gas
Tarrant County Sits on the Barnett Shale Natural Gas Formation
Tarrant County sits over the 5,000-square-mile Barnett Shale, the gas field that made drilling rigs an unexpected part of an urban landscape.
Tarrant County · Flood Risk
The Trinity River and Flood Risk in Tarrant County
Fort Worth's levees grew out of the deadly 1949 Trinity River flood, but a levee does not make every nearby property flood-free.
Tarrant County · River Authority
The Trinity River Authority Serves Tarrant County and the Broader Basin
TRA and TRWD sound alike, but TRA works across the Trinity basin while TRWD handles much of Tarrant County's water supply and Fort Worth floodway.
Tarrant County · Weather Hazard
Tornado Risk Is Real in Tarrant County
NWS records show tornadoes in Tarrant County from 1880 to the present, so every household needs a shelter place and more than one warning path.
Tarrant County · Water Supply
Where Tarrant County's Water Comes From
Much of Tarrant County's water supply comes from Cedar Creek and Richland-Chambers, two East Texas reservoirs managed by the Tarrant Regional Water District.
Taylor County · Flood Risk
Check the FEMA flood map before buying property near Elm Creek
Use FEMA's map to screen a tract, then confirm the building location and lender or county determination before relying on the zone.
Taylor County · City Limits & ETJ
Land just outside Abilene city limits may still be in the city's ETJ
Land just outside Abilene may still fall in the city's ETJ, where small splits and new building plans can trigger city plat review.
Taylor County · Water Wells
You can look up water well records before buying rural land
Nearby well reports are useful leads, but their locations and submitted details may be wrong and cannot promise water on a particular tract.
Taylor County · Septic Systems
You need a permit before installing a septic system in Taylor County
Taylor County's Environmental Department handles local OSSF permits, and new septic work needs the permit before dirt work starts.
Terrell County · Water Wells
Drilling a Water Well? You Need a Permit First.
Terrell County has its own groundwater conservation district, created by state law in 2011, that regulates new water wells.
Terry County · Groundwater / Water Wells
Water Wells and the Ogallala Aquifer in Terry County
In Terry County, SPUWCD is the local groundwater office, and new wells need district paperwork before drilling.
Throckmorton County · Mineral Rights
Oil and gas has been part of Throckmorton County for over a century
Oil was discovered here in 1925 and the county still produces oil and gas, so check whether mineral rights are included when you buy land.
Throckmorton County · Weather & Hazards
Wildfire is a real hazard in Throckmorton County
Throckmorton County was named in a 2024 Texas wildfire disaster declaration, so fire risk belongs on the checklist for rural homes and land.
Titus County · Minerals Under Your Land
Oil, Lignite, and Mineral Rights in Titus County
Titus County has a history of oil production and lignite coal deposits; if you buy land here, mineral rights may be owned separately from the surface.
Titus County · Rural Wastewater
Septic Systems in Titus County
Rural Titus County septic work sits under state OSSF rules and a county order TCEQ approved in 2017.
Titus County · Rural Water Supply
Water Wells and Groundwater in Titus County
Rural properties in Titus County often rely on private water wells, and the county sits over aquifers that have been studied by the Texas Water Development Board.
Titus County · Storms and Flooding
Weather Risks in Titus County
Titus County gets about 48 inches of rain a year and sits in a region where severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flooding are real seasonal risks.
Tom Green County · Mineral Rights
Buying Land Does Not Always Include the Mineral Rights
In Tom Green County, the person who sells you land may have already sold the oil and gas rights — a common situation in Texas oil country.
Tom Green County · Water & Geography
The Concho River and Three Reservoirs Shape This County
The Middle Concho feeds the Twin Buttes system upstream, while the North and South Concho meet in San Angelo to form the Concho River.
Tom Green County · Geography
Tom Green County changes character from plain to plateau
Flatter farm country meets rocky ranch country here, helping explain why one county can look so different from one road to the next.
Travis County · Driveway
A driveway onto a Travis County road may need a permit
Travis County has a driveway permit process for building access on a maintained county right-of-way.
Travis County · Development Regulations
Building in Unincorporated Travis County: Chapter 482 Rules
Chapter 482 governs plats and development permits outside full-purpose city limits, but the exact review lane depends on jurisdiction.
Travis County · Jurisdiction Basics
City Limits vs. ETJ vs. Unincorporated Travis County
Where your property sits (inside city limits, in an ETJ, or in unincorporated county land) determines which rules apply.
Travis County · Water Supply & Drought
Drought and Water Supply in Travis County
Lake Travis and Lake Buchanan are the main water reserves for the region, and their levels can drop sharply during drought.
Travis County · Groundwater & Wells
Groundwater Rules for New Travis County Subdivisions
Chapter 482 ties lot size and water-supply proof to new subdivisions that plan to rely on groundwater.
Travis County · Mineral Rights
Mineral Rights in Travis County: What Landowners Should Know
Mineral rights in Texas can be owned separately from surface rights, and buyers should check whether those rights are included in a sale.
Travis County · MUDs and Water Districts
Municipal Utility Districts: What They Mean for Your Home
Many homes in unincorporated Travis County are in a MUD, which provides water and sewer — and adds an extra tax rate.