Alamo Metal Buildings

Metal building contractors in Frio County, Texas

Frio County publishes no building permit. The Road and Bridge Department in Pearsall, listed on the county site under County Engineer, handles septic, subdivision plats and right of way utility permits instead, on 830-505-7402 (Frio County, County Engineer and Road and Bridge Department, read 2026-09-13).

Read the rest

The septic permit is the one that bites here: every system needs an engineered design and a flood study.

Sheet
County
Jurisdiction
Frio County, TX
Reviewed
2026-09-13
Sources
19 primary sources

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Center pivot irrigation and metal buildings on farmland in Frio County, Texas

Who permits a metal building in Frio County, TX?

No county office does, on what the county publishes, and that is not permission to build unregulated. The record is an absence: no page read on the county site names a building permit, a building department, a building official, a fire marshal or an adopted building code edition for the unincorporated area. What it does publish is septic, floodplain, utility right of way and pipeline (Frio County, read 2026-09-13). Call Road and Bridge on 830-505-7402 first.

Statute is why the list stops there. Local Government Code Chapter 233 gives a county no general commercial building code, only a fire code, and only where the population test is met; Frio County publishes no fire code permit. A city inside the county permits its own buildings, and at $50,000 in estimated construction cost the project registers with TDLR. County against city, county by county, is in the San Antonio and Bexar County permit guide.

Statute read in full, no such county authority granted. Source: Texas Legislature Online, Local Government Code Chapter 233, county regulation of housing and other structures, read 2026-09-13.

Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Architectural Barriers frequently asked questions, read 2026-09-13.

Why does a septic permit in Frio County need a flood study?

Because FEMA maps are not available for the unincorporated areas of the county, so the county makes the flood question part of the septic file instead.

State rule decides who draws the system, not what you call the building: the on-site sewage rules count any building that is not a single-family dwelling or duplex as a commercial or institutional facility, and Frio County requires an engineer or a registered sanitarian on every septic design in any case. The county fee schedule prices septic at $200.00 per system residential and $450.00 per system commercial and does not publish which line a given building falls on, so confirm the tier with Road and Bridge on 830-505-7402 (Frio County Road and Bridge Department fee schedule, approved in Commissioners Court as of August 11, 2026, read 2026-09-13). Run the job in the order set out in the septic, water and electric guide. What the county packet asks for (Frio County, Septic System Complete or Addition Permit, Guidelines for the Property Owner, read 2026-09-13):

  • A system designed by a professional engineer or a registered sanitarian.

  • A professional engineer flood study with it.

  • The Frio County Floodplain Development Permit Application, which is step three of the septic process.

  • The 100-year floodplain boundaries indicated clearly on the site drawing, and out buildings shown among the improvements on the site plan.

  • Original designs only, with no copies, faxes or emails.

Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, getting a permit for an on-site sewage facility, read 2026-09-13.

Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality publication RG-472, on-site sewage facility rules compilation, read 2026-09-13.

Where does the water go, and who signs the floodplain permit?

To the Frio and Leona rivers in the west and San Miguel Creek in the east, inside the Nueces River basin (Handbook of Texas Online, Frio County, read 2026-09-13, an encyclopedia entry rather than a survey). The permit belongs to the Emergency Management Coordinator, 830-326-3281, at 101 N. Commerce St., Suite 111, Dilley.

The county Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, dated May 23, 2016, requires the permit for all development within the community, and the application covers non-residential structures explicitly, with its own flood proofing protection level field. Two dates bracket a build: no work starts until the permit issues, and the building cannot be used or occupied until the local administrator issues a certificate of compliance (Frio County, read 2026-09-13).

Stormwater runs on acreage: one acre of disturbed soil for TCEQ construction general permit coverage and a pollution prevention plan, five acres for a Notice of Intent. Frio is not among the San Antonio-region Edwards Aquifer counties TCEQ names.

Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, construction stormwater general permit TXR150000, read 2026-09-13.

Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Edwards Aquifer Protection Program, read 2026-09-13.

What does the ground do to a slab in Frio County?

Sand over clay over limestone, and the mix moves with where you stand. The county is flat to slightly undulating plains surfaced by deep to moderately deep, light-colored loam over limestone and calcareous to neutral clayey subsoils (Handbook of Texas Online, Frio County, read 2026-09-13, an encyclopedia entry rather than a soil survey), gently hilly in the north and flat along the Frio and Atascosa river corridors (Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District groundwater management plan, Texas Water Development Board, read 2026-09-13).

Underneath, the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer spans the county from its northern boundary to its southern boundary, and it is primarily sand, locally interbedded with gravel, silt, clay and lignite (Texas Water Development Board, Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer, read 2026-09-13). Sand drains, clay moves and limestone does neither, so get a soil report on that tract and an engineered foundation plan drawn to it: the slab and foundation guide.

The utility trench and the way in off the road

Water and sewer lines in county right of way carry their own commercial permit, and its row in the permit stack below is worth reading twice: the County Engineer inspects before the trench is covered, and the surface goes back only after about 60 days of settling. The driveway is the second absence. No driveway permit and no culvert permit appears on the Frio County site, and the fee schedule prices road crossings only in the utility and pipeline context (Frio County, read 2026-09-13). Confirm with Road and Bridge before cutting an access onto a county road. Onto a state highway it is TxDOT Form 1058, no work until the permit is executed and TxDOT has had 24 hours notice, through the San Antonio District, which lists Frio, on 210-615-1110. Karnes Electric Cooperative serves Frio County and wants a 911 address, a filed warranty deed and notarized easements before the cost estimate is paid. Which utility serves a given tract depends on the address, so confirm that first.

Source: Texas Department of Transportation, access management manual, driveway permits, read 2026-09-13.

Source: Texas Department of Transportation, San Antonio District, read 2026-09-13.

Source: Karnes Electric Cooperative, apply for service, read 2026-09-13.

Inside Pearsall and Dilley, the city permits the building

Two cities sit inside Frio County, and each runs its own permits (city pages, read 2026-09-13, linked under the permit stack below).

  • Pearsall requires a permit before any construction, alteration, move or change of occupancy of a building or structure, through its Permits Division at 214 S Ash Street, 830-334-4160, and publishes its adopted editions, led by the 2018 International Building Code.

  • Dilley posts a Commercial Permit Application separate from its residential one, so it permits commercial construction, through City Hall at 116 E. Miller, 830-965-1624. Dilley publishes no building department, no permit fees and no adopted code edition on any page read.

Who are the metal building contractors in Frio County, TX?

Ask first about whoever seals the septic design and the professional engineer flood study, because Frio County requires both on every system and makes its own floodplain application step three of the septic process (Frio County, Septic System Complete or Addition Permit, Guidelines for the Property Owner, read 2026-09-13). Then ask who collects the certificate of compliance, and who draws a foundation plan for loam over clayey subsoils and limestone.

An independent local metal building contractor who works Frio County prices the job, and there is no Texas builder license behind that title. What to ask for instead is in the San Antonio and Bexar County permit guide. The neighbors answer differently: Atascosa County issues a Fire Marshal building permit, and Medina County publishes a five-permit list and sits in the Edwards Aquifer program. The build order, from the lot to the certificate, is in building a metal building in San Antonio, and the common builds here are commercial metal buildings and metal shops and workshops.

Source: Sunset Advisory Commission, Texas Residential Construction Commission; TDLR regulated industries list, read 2026-09-13.

The permit stack in Frio County, TX

Every permit and rule this county's own site publishes for work outside the cities, with the office to call, the phone number, the source and the date it was read.

Building permit outside city limits

County site read, not listed

In Frio County the Road and Bridge Department, listed on the county site under County Engineer, is the office that handles septic permits, subdivision plats and right of way utility permits, from 2207 BI 35 E, Pearsall. No page read on the county site names a building permit, a building department, a building official, a fire marshal or an adopted building code edition for the unincorporated area. The construction-side permits the county publishes are septic, floodplain, utility right of way and pipeline. A city inside the county runs its own permits, and a state requirement still applies whatever the county publishes.

Frio County Road and Bridge Department, 830-505-7402.

Source: Frio County, County Engineer and Road and Bridge Department, read 2026-09-13.

On-site sewage facility permit

Read at the county source

Frio County requires every septic system to be designed by a professional engineer or a registered sanitarian, and requires a professional engineer flood study with it, because FEMA maps are not available for the unincorporated areas of the county. Step three of the county septic process is filling out the Frio County Floodplain Development Permit Application. The 100-year floodplain boundaries are indicated clearly on the site drawing, out buildings are among the improvements the site plan must show, and the county accepts original designs only, with no copies, faxes or emails.

Frio County designated representative, 2207 BI 35E, Pearsall, 830-505-7402.

Source: Frio County, Septic System Complete or Addition Permit, Guidelines for the Property Owner, read 2026-09-13.

Published county permit fees

Read at the county source

The Frio County Road and Bridge fee schedule, approved in Commissioners Court as of August 11, 2026, sets septic permits at $200.00 per system residential, $450.00 per system commercial and $450.00 per system aerobic. Right of way work on county roads is priced separately for commercial: a commercial waterline permit at $500.00 per line, a commercial sewer tap permit at $500.00 per line, $500.00 per road crossing and $500.00 per county right of way used. Payment is made out to Frio County by money order or cashier check.

Frio County Road and Bridge Department, 830-505-7402.

Source: Frio County Road and Bridge Department, Fee Schedule, read 2026-09-13.

Floodplain ordinance

Read at the county source

Frio County has a Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance dated May 23, 2016 that requires a floodplain development permit for all development within the community, and nothing may be built, altered or changed in use without complying with it. A violation carries a fine of not more than $500 for each violation plus all costs and expenses involved in the case. The county provides a copy of the ordinance on request at no cost through the Emergency Management Coordinator.

Frio County Emergency Management Coordinator, 830-326-3281.

Source: Frio County, flood ordinance notice in the septic system permit packet, read 2026-09-13.

Floodplain permit application and non-residential buildings

Read at the county source

The Frio County Floodplain Development Permit Application covers non-residential structures explicitly, with its own flood proofing protection level field, and covers a new structure, an addition, an alteration, a relocation, a demolition and a replacement. No work may start until the permit is issued, the permit is valid one year from the date issued and is renewed where work is not completed at that point, and the finished development cannot be used or occupied until a certificate of compliance is issued by the local administrator. The county posts the floodplain ordinance, resolution and permit applications on its Emergency Management page at 101 N. Commerce St., Suite 111, Dilley.

Frio County Emergency Management Coordinator, 830-326-3281.

Source: Frio County, Floodplain Development Permit Application, read 2026-09-13.

Utilities in the county right of way

Read at the county source

The Frio County commercial permit for underground utilities on county right of way is a Commissioners Court instrument carrying a permit fee of five hundred dollars, $500.00. The County Engineer must inspect and approve the installation before it is covered, or the permittee is ordered to uncover it at their own cost. Lines are placed no less than 10 feet from the edge of pavement, paved or unpaved, to the Frio County minimum depth of cover table, the permittee calls Texas 811 before work, and the surface is replaced after a wait of approximately 60 days to allow for proper settling.

Frio County Road and Bridge Department, 830-505-7402.

Source: Frio County, Commercial Permit for Underground Utilities on County Right of Way, read 2026-09-13.

Driveway or culvert permit

County site read, not listed

No driveway permit and no culvert permit appears on the Frio County site. The Road and Bridge page publishes utility permits and pipeline permits for county right of way, and the county fee schedule prices road crossings only in the utility and pipeline context, not as a driveway. Confirm with Road and Bridge before cutting an access onto a county road.

Frio County Road and Bridge Department, 830-505-7402.

Source: Frio County, County Engineer and Road and Bridge Department, read 2026-09-13.

Every row is Frio County's own answer, read at the county's site on the date shown, and no row is borrowed from the county next door. Where the county's site lists nothing, that is what the site lists, not a finding that a building there is unregulated: the state $50,000 registration and stormwater coverage by acreage apply whatever a county publishes, and so do the five rules above that Frio County does publish, each on the terms its own row states. A city inside the county runs its own permits, so an address inside one is confirmed with that city, and the cities this page describes are the ones whose own pages were read.

Frio publishes septic, floodplain, utility right of way and pipeline permits and no building permit, while Guadalupe County permits a commercial building under a fire code order. Every county row, with its septic, floodplain and driveway office, is on the seven-county permit directory.

The city pages read for Frio County

The ground and water records read for Frio County

Questions people ask

Do I need a permit for a metal building in Frio County, TX?

Outside Pearsall and Dilley, the Frio County site publishes no building permit. The Road and Bridge Department, listed under County Engineer at 2207 BI 35 E in Pearsall on 830-505-7402, handles septic permits, subdivision plats and right of way utility permits, and no page read on the county site names a building permit, a building department, a building official, a fire marshal or an adopted building code edition for the unincorporated area. That is what the county publishes, not a finding that building there is unregulated: the county still requires a septic permit, a floodplain development permit for all development within the community, and a permit for utility work in county right of way, and a city inside the county runs its own permits. Read at the Frio County County Engineer and Road and Bridge pages, 2026-09-13.

Why does Frio County require a flood study with a septic permit?

Because FEMA maps are not available for the unincorporated areas of Frio County. The county requires every septic system to be designed by a professional engineer or a registered sanitarian and requires a professional engineer flood study with it. Step three of the county septic process is filling out the Frio County Floodplain Development Permit Application, the 100-year floodplain boundaries are indicated clearly on the site drawing, out buildings are among the improvements the site plan must show, and the county accepts original designs only, with no copies, faxes or emails. Read at the Frio County Septic System Complete or Addition Permit guidelines for the property owner, 2026-09-13.

What does a septic permit cost in Frio County?

The Frio County Road and Bridge fee schedule, approved in Commissioners Court as of August 11, 2026, sets septic permits at $200.00 per system residential, $450.00 per system commercial and $450.00 per system aerobic, paid by money order or cashier check made out to Frio County. State on-site sewage rules count any building that is not a single-family dwelling or duplex as a commercial or institutional facility for the design rules, and the county schedule does not publish which fee line a given building falls on, so confirm the tier with Road and Bridge on 830-505-7402. Right of way work is priced separately: a commercial waterline or sewer tap permit at $500.00 per line, $500.00 per road crossing and $500.00 per county right of way used. Read at the Frio County Road and Bridge fee schedule and the TCEQ on-site sewage facility rules compilation, 2026-09-13.

Who signs the floodplain permit in Frio County, and when can the building be occupied?

The Frio County Emergency Management Coordinator, 830-326-3281, at 101 N. Commerce St., Suite 111, Dilley. The county Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, dated May 23, 2016, requires a floodplain development permit for all development within the community, and the application covers non-residential structures explicitly, with its own flood proofing protection level field. No work starts until the permit is issued, the permit is valid one year from the date issued and is renewed where the work is not finished by then, and the finished development cannot be used or occupied until the local administrator issues a certificate of compliance. Read at the Frio County Floodplain Development Permit Application and the flood ordinance notice in the county septic permit packet, 2026-09-13.

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Building in Frio County, TX?

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Last reviewed 2026-09-13.

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