Permitting in Travis County is defined by a massive contrast: the hyper-regulated City of Austin versus the remarkably flexible unincorporated county.
If you are inside Austin city limits, you face strict building codes, aggressive setbacks, and frequent requirements for engineered plans. If you are in unincorporated Travis County, there are no minimum building setbacks, no county-wide residential building codes, and no fence height limits.
But you still need a permit. Travis County TNR focuses on the land — how water flows across it, how you access it, and where the sewage goes. Your site plan has to prove you aren't flooding your neighbor or building over an easement. Here is how to navigate it.
Do You Need a Site Plan for a Small Permit in Travis County?
Yes. In unincorporated Travis County, you must obtain a Development Permit for structures, buildings, driveways, right-of-way work, and grading.
This requires a site plan, and unlike most Texas counties that just want to see property lines, Travis County asks for topography. Your site plan must show:
- Property boundaries and legal description
- Contour lines (for new construction and accessory buildings)
- Drainage information and site grading
- All existing and proposed improvements
- All easements (Public Utility, Electrical, Non-disturbance)
- On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) locations, if applicable
Who Runs Into This in Travis County
- New arrivals escaping city codes who buy land in the county, only to find they still need an Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan (ESCP) just to pour a foundation
- homeowners in the Austin ETJ (Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction) caught in a regulatory gray area, unsure if they follow city or county rules
- Rural property owners whose site plan is rejected because it doesn't show contour lines or drainage flow arrows
- builders who assume they need an architect to seal a site plan, not realizing unincorporated Travis County doesn't require it for standard residential structures
What Needs a Site Plan in Unincorporated Travis County
- Fence permit site plan — Required. (The county doesn't restrict height, but they do require a permit to ensure fences aren't built in floodplains or blocking drainage easements).
- Shed permit site plan — Accessory building permit required. Site plan must show contour lines, drainage, and OSSF location.
- Deck permit site plan — Development permit required.
- Pool permit site plan — Required. Note: Travis County requires pool site plans to be sealed by a licensed Texas engineer to document site grading, drainage, and improvements.
- Garage permit site plan — Required. Accessory building rules apply.
- Addition permit site plan — Required. Must show site grading, proposed improvements, and elevation certification if in a floodplain.
- Driveway permit site plan — Required for right-of-way work and culvert installation.
Why This Trips People Up in Travis County
The ETJ Confusion. The Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction is the area just outside Austin's city limits where the city maintains limited planning authority. Depending on subdivision agreements, you might have to satisfy both city environmental rules and county development rules. Always use the Jurisdiction Web Map to verify exactly where your property lines fall.
Contour Lines. Most homeowners drawing a site plan just sketch a square inside a rectangle. Travis County specifically asks for contour lines (topography) on site plans for new construction and accessory buildings to ensure your project won't alter the natural drainage of the land.
Erosion Control (ESCP). If your project involves digging, scraping, or moving dirt, you will likely need to submit an Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan alongside your site plan. This shows where you will place silt fences to keep runoff out of county waterways.
OSSF Coordination. If you are not connected to a municipal sewer, your site plan must clearly show your septic tank and drain field. You cannot build a structure or a driveway over these areas.
Zoning and Setbacks in Unincorporated Travis County
Here is the most surprising fact about unincorporated Travis County: There are no minimum building setbacks.
Property owners have maximum flexibility on their land. However, exceptions exist:
- Easements: You cannot build over a recorded Public Utility, Electrical, or Drainage easement. Your site plan must show these.
- Subdivision Plats: If you live in a recorded subdivision, the developer may have platted setback restrictions into your deed. The county will enforce platted setbacks.
- ETJ Rules: If you are in the ETJ, Austin's setback requirements may apply to your property.
(By comparison, if you are inside Austin City Limits, you face strict setbacks — typically 25ft front, 5-15ft side, 15-25ft rear).
How the Tool Handles This — 5 Steps
SitePlans.ai loads Travis County parcel data so you're starting from your actual property boundaries:
- Enter your address — Lot lines and existing building footprints load from TCAD records.
- Place your project — Add your shed, addition, or deck to the lot.
- Add Easements and OSSF — Manually label your septic field and utility easements so the county sees you are avoiding them.
- Add Drainage Flow — Use arrows and notes to indicate how water flows across the site (helpful for addressing the contour/grading requirement for simple projects).
- Export a Scaled PDF — Download a titled, scaled plan ready for upload to the MGO Connect portal.
Where This Tool Fits — and Where It Doesn't
| Situation | Best path |
|---|---|
| Unincorporated shed, deck, or small addition | SitePlans.ai for the required layout; non-certified plans accepted |
| Project inside Austin City Limits | SitePlans.ai for layout; verify if DSD requires a professional seal |
| Unincorporated Pool permit | Licensed Texas engineer required (sealed plans mandatory) |
| Large grading/earthwork projects | Licensed civil engineer for SWP3 and grading plans |
| Property in a Floodplain | Licensed surveyor/engineer required (elevation documentation) |
| Property line dispute or unclear boundaries | Licensed land surveyor |
| Plan rejected in MGO Connect | SitePlans.us for human-reviewed revision |
What This Doesn't Replace
SitePlans.AI helps create preliminary, conceptual, permit-style site plans. It is not a licensed land survey, sealed engineering drawing, or a topographic survey. While our tool can show building layouts, it does not automatically generate topographic contour lines. For complex properties where exact grading is critical, or for pool permits where Travis County explicitly requires an engineer's seal, you must hire a professional.
Comparison: Your Options for a Travis County Site Plan
| Method | Cost | Time | Stamp | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand sketch | Free | 1–2 hrs | ✗ | Often rejected if easements and drainage are missing |
| SitePlans.ai | Free first plan | Minutes | ✗ | Pulls TCAD parcel data; perfect for simple Development Permits |
| CAD drafter | $300–$800+ | 1–2 weeks | Sometimes | Better for complex additions requiring ESCP details |
| Licensed surveyor/engineer | $500–$2,000+ | 1–3 weeks | ✅ | Mandatory for pools and floodplain development |
| SitePlans.us (done-for-you) | Custom | 1–3 days | ✗ (human-reviewed, non-certified) | Best for responding to MGO Connect correction notices |
Common Mistakes That Delay Travis County Permits
- Applying to the wrong jurisdiction — Assuming you are in Austin because of your mailing address, or assuming you are in the county when you are actually in West Lake Hills or Rollingwood.
- Forgetting easements — Unincorporated Travis County doesn't care about setbacks, but they care immensely about easements. Failing to show them guarantees a rejection.
- Missing drainage information — Submitting a site plan without addressing site grading, contour lines, or water flow.
- Ignoring the ESCP — Failing to include an erosion control plan for a project that disturbs the soil.
- Unsealed pool plans — Uploading a homeowner-drawn site plan for a pool. The county explicitly requires an engineer to seal pool site plans.
Support and Local Resources
- Travis County TNR Development Services — traviscountytx.gov/tnr/development
- MGO Connect Portal — mgoconnect.org — for online submissions
- Jurisdiction Web Map — maps.austintexas.gov/GIS/JurisdictionsWebMap/ — CRITICAL for verifying city vs county vs ETJ
- Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) — travis.prodigycad.com
- FEMA Flood Maps — msc.fema.gov
Nearby Counties
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does unincorporated Travis County have building setbacks?
No. Unincorporated Travis County has no minimum building setbacks. However, you cannot build on recorded easements, and if you live in a platted subdivision, the county will enforce the setbacks written into your deed.
2. Does Travis County accept homeowner-drawn site plans?
For standard residential Development Permits (like sheds and additions), yes — provided the plan is accurate and includes required elements like contour lines, drainage information, and easements. Pool permits, however, must be sealed by a licensed Texas engineer.
3. What is the Austin ETJ?
The Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction is the area directly outside the Austin city limits. If your property is in the ETJ, you are subject to Travis County Development Permit rules, but you may also be subject to certain City of Austin environmental and subdivision regulations. Always use the Jurisdiction Web Map to verify.
4. Why does the county need contour lines for a shed?
Travis County's primary concern with development is stormwater management. They require contour lines and drainage information to ensure your new structure won't divert runoff onto a neighbor's property or into a county road.
5. Do I need a permit to build a fence in unincorporated Travis County?
Yes. While the county does not restrict fence height, a permit is required to ensure the fence is not built in a floodplain or blocking a critical drainage easement.
6. What is an ESCP?
An Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan. It is a drawing (often combined with the site plan) showing how you will prevent soil from washing off your construction site into local waterways, typically using silt fences or berms.
7. Can I use SitePlans.ai for a Travis County permit?
Yes. For projects that don't require an engineer's seal, SitePlans.ai is a great way to pull your TCAD parcel data and layout your project. You can manually add drainage flow arrows and label your OSSF/easements before downloading the PDF for MGO Connect.
8. What if my property lines look wrong in SitePlans.ai?
GIS parcel data is a representation, not a legal survey. If your boundaries look significantly off in the tool, verify them against TCAD. If you are building very close to a property line or an easement, you must hire a licensed land surveyor.
9. What is SitePlans.us and when should I use it?
SitePlans.us is our done-for-you drafting service. If your application is rejected in MGO Connect because your site plan lacks necessary drainage or easement details, our team will draft a permit-ready (non-certified) revision fast.
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Start Your Travis County Site Plan
Check your jurisdiction on the Jurisdiction Web Map first. If you're ready to draft your site plan, enter your address below to pull your property lines, place your project, label your easements and drainage paths, and download the PDF you need for MGO Connect.
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