Texas
Buying Land in Andrews County, Texas
Andrews County, seat Andrews, is deep Permian Basin oil country with no general zoning and a real county-adopted subdivision process. Its groundwater-district status is genuinely unclear -- confirm directly with TWDB or a district before assuming any specific well-permitting rule applies. The county's oil and gas footprint isn't background noise -- it's a ranked, numbered fact worth understanding before buying.
No zoning, but a functioning subdivision and platting process
Andrews County shows no connection to any of Local Government Code Chapter 231's named zoning exceptions, so the state's general rule holds: the Commissioners Court cannot adopt a general zoning ordinance for unincorporated land. What the county does regulate is subdivision platting -- Andrews County has adopted its own Subdivision Regulations, and the county's own site posts a Subdivision Checklist and a separate Plat Application Checklist, plus policies specifically covering driveways and culverts. Before assuming a tract is unrestricted, confirm whether it has been platted under those county rules and what road-access standards apply, since driveway and culvert requirements in a county this rural often function as the practical gatekeeper for building on a new lot.
Groundwater: a genuine open question, not a confirmed district membership
CORRECTED 2026-09: this page previously described Andrews County's groundwater as governed by the Permian Basin Underground Water Conservation District (PBUWCD) as one of a stated 26 member counties, with PBUWCD's specific well-setback rules (150 feet from a property line generally, reduced to 50/100 feet for a non-exempt well on a tract of ten acres or less) presented as applicable here. Independent verification found this was wrong: PBUWCD's own materials describe its actual jurisdiction as only all of Martin County and most of Howard County. The 26-county list this page previously used was actually the county roster of Groundwater Management Area 2 -- a joint state water-planning region served collectively by seven separate groundwater districts (PBUWCD, High Plains Underground Water Conservation District No. 1, Llano Estacado Underground Water Conservation District, Mesa Underground Water Conservation District, Garza County Underground Water Conservation District, Sandy Land Underground Water Conservation District, and South Plains Underground Water Conservation District), not evidence that any single one of them actually regulates wells in Andrews County specifically. This research could not confirm whether Andrews County falls under any groundwater conservation district at all -- it may be an uncovered, rule-of-capture county, or covered by one of the other GMA 2 districts. Confirm directly with the Texas Water Development Board's groundwater conservation district map, or a local title company, before assuming any specific well-permitting rule applies to a parcel here.
A mature, numbered oilfield -- not a vague 'oil country' label
Andrews County's oil and gas activity is a real, ranked statistic: the county ranks #10 in Texas for barrels of oil equivalent produced, with 21,969 wells drilled countywide across the January 1993-December 2025 period tracked by industry data. That density matters for a land buyer well beyond curiosity. On most Andrews County tracts, expect mineral rights to already be severed from the surface estate -- confirm this directly in a title search rather than assuming the seller owns both. Also confirm whether any active, inactive, or plugged wellbores, pipelines, or surface-use/damage agreements already exist on a specific parcel, since a mature oilfield like this one commonly carries legacy infrastructure and access easements that outlast any individual well's productive life. This is not a topic covered by this site's national oil-and-gas guide category (none currently exists in our topic taxonomy), so treat it as a due-diligence item to raise directly with a title company and, ideally, a landman or oil-and-gas attorney familiar with the Permian Basin.
Who to Call Before Buying Land in Andrews County
Andrews County has no general zoning authority under Texas law, so there is no planning_zoning entry above -- contact the Subdivision Office for platting and land-use questions instead. This research could not confirm whether Andrews County is a TCEQ authorized agent for OSSF/septic permitting or whether permits there route through a TCEQ regional office; contact the county directly and, if needed, TCEQ's OSSF program to confirm before budgeting for a septic system.
Subdivision & Land Development
Andrews County Subdivision Office
Plat approval, subdivision checklist requirements, and driveway/culvert policy for dividing or developing land in unincorporated Andrews County. Andrews County has no general zoning authority under Texas law, so this office is the right first call for land-use and platting questions.
Wells / Private Water
Texas Water Development Board -- Groundwater Conservation District Map (Andrews County status unconfirmed)
Confirming whether any groundwater conservation district actually covers a specific Andrews County parcel -- this research could not confirm Andrews County's district membership, if any.
Assessor / Property Tax
Andrews County Appraisal District
Assessed value, mineral/surface valuation questions, and property tax information for a specific parcel.
Recorder / Clerk / Land Records
Andrews County Clerk
Recorded deeds, mineral severance history, easements, and plats for a specific parcel.
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- Subdivision | Andrews County, TX — Andrews County, Texas (accessed 2026-09)
- Andrews County Subdivision Regulations (PDF) — Andrews County, Texas (accessed 2026-09)
- About Us (jurisdiction: Martin County and most of Howard County) — Permian Basin Underground Water Conservation District (accessed 2026-09)
- Groundwater Conservation Districts — Texas Water Development Board (accessed 2026-09)
- Groundwater Management Area 2 — Texas Water Development Board (accessed 2026-09)
- Andrews County, TX Oil & Gas Activity — MineralAnswers.com (accessed 2026-09)
- Andrews County Appraisal District — Andrews County Appraisal District (accessed 2026-09)
Last reviewed 2026-09