Texas

Buying Land in Bee County, Texas

Bee County, seat Beeville, sits in the Eagle Ford Shale belt of South Texas. Like most rural Texas counties it has no general zoning, but it does run its own subdivision-platting rules, issues its own septic permits as a TCEQ authorized agent, and is covered almost entirely by its own single-purpose groundwater district. Here is what is actually decided locally.

No Zoning, But an Active Subdivision-Platting Process

Generally favorable

Bee County has no general zoning ordinance -- it is not one of the narrow named exceptions under Local Government Code Chapter 231 -- so there is no zoning district to check before buying unincorporated land. The county does, however, administer its own Model Subdivision Rules through its Community Affairs office, which reviews and issues development permits for platting in the unincorporated county (open weekdays 8-12 and 1-4). Confirm with Community Affairs (361-621-1553) whether a specific tract has already been platted and what the county's current subdivision rules require before dividing or developing it.

Bee County Is Its Own TCEQ OSSF Authorized Agent

Generally favorable

Bee County is confirmed as a TCEQ authorized agent for on-site sewage facility (septic) permitting -- the county's own Enforcement Office reviews site evaluations, issues OSSF permits, and inspects installations, rather than a TCEQ regional office handling it directly. The county's current fee schedule (effective 11/18/2024) lists $200 for a single-family residential permit and $375 for a commercial permit; reach the office at (361) 621-1553, the same number as Community Affairs. CORRECTED 2026-09: this page previously cited a stale $325 commercial fee from a 2013 document.

Bee Groundwater Conservation District Covers Almost the Whole County

Generally favorable

The Bee Groundwater Conservation District, created in 2001 and confirmed by voters in January 2002, has the same boundary as Bee County except for three specific carve-outs: the Pettus Water Supply Corporation service area, the Tynan Water Supply Corporation service area, and the City of Beeville, each as their boundaries existed on January 1, 1997. The district regulates groundwater withdrawals through well-spacing and production-limit rules. Confirm with Bee GCD (361-358-2244) whether a specific parcel falls inside one of those carve-outs before assuming district rules (or the exemption from them) apply.

Zoning and platting: no zoning ordinance, but the county does regulate subdivisions

Consistent with the statewide norm the Texas hub describes, Bee County has no general zoning authority and is not among the narrow list of counties given zoning power under Local Government Code Chapter 231. That means there is no zoning district or permitted-use table to check for a specific unincorporated parcel. It does not mean unincorporated Bee County is unregulated, though: the county's Community Affairs department administers its own Model Subdivision Rules and issues development permits for platting activity in the unincorporated county. Before buying a tract that has been or might be subdivided, confirm its plat status and any applicable development-permit requirements directly with Community Affairs.

Septic permitting: Bee County issues its own OSSF permits

Bee County is a TCEQ authorized agent for on-site sewage facilities, meaning the county's own Enforcement Office -- reachable at the same (361) 621-1553 number as Community Affairs -- reviews the required site/soil evaluation, issues the OSSF permit, and inspects the installed system, rather than a TCEQ regional office. A registered sanitarian, professional engineer, or licensed installer must still perform the soil evaluation and design the system per the statewide 30 TAC Chapter 285 rules described on the Texas hub. The county's current Community Affairs Fee Schedule (effective 11/18/2024) lists $200 for a single-family residential OSSF permit and $375 for commercial. CORRECTED 2026-09: this page previously cited a stale $325 commercial figure from a 2013 document -- confirm the current fee directly with the Enforcement Office before budgeting for a system, since fee schedules are periodically revised.

Groundwater: one district, nearly countywide, with a few carve-outs

Bee County's groundwater is managed by the Bee Groundwater Conservation District, created by the Texas Legislature in 2001 and confirmed by county voters in January 2002. Its boundary matches Bee County's almost exactly, with three specific exclusions: the Pettus Water Supply Corporation service area, the Tynan Water Supply Corporation service area, and the City of Beeville, each as those service-area or city boundaries existed on January 1, 1997. Within its jurisdiction, the district has adopted rules governing well spacing and production limits and can deny a well construction permit or limit withdrawals under those rules. Before relying on a well for a specific Bee County parcel, confirm with the district directly whether the tract falls inside one of the three carve-outs (in which case district permitting may not apply the same way) and what its current well-permitting and spacing requirements are.

What we could and couldn't confirm

Bee County's lack of a general zoning ordinance is consistent with the statewide default described on the Texas hub and was not found among the Local Government Code Chapter 231 named exceptions. The Community Affairs department's role administering Model Subdivision Rules and development permits is drawn from the county's own website. Bee County's status as a TCEQ OSSF authorized agent is drawn from the county's own posted OSSF application packet. CORRECTED 2026-09: this page previously cited that packet's 2013 fee schedule ($200 residential / $325 commercial) as current; the county has since posted a newer Community Affairs Fee Schedule effective 11/18/2024 showing $200 residential (unchanged) and $375 commercial, which this page now uses, along with the Enforcement Office's phone number ((361) 621-1553), confirmed via independent directory sources to be the same as Community Affairs' rather than a separate, unlisted number. The Bee Groundwater Conservation District's creation date, voter-confirmation date, and the three named boundary carve-outs (Pettus WSC, Tynan WSC, City of Beeville) are drawn from the district's own management plan and the Texas Water Development Board's posted copy of it.

Verify directly with: Bee County Community Affairs for subdivision and platting questions, the Bee County Enforcement Office for current OSSF fees and requirements, and the Bee Groundwater Conservation District for well permitting on a specific parcel

Who to Call Before Buying Land in Bee County

Bee County has no zoning department because the county has no general zoning ordinance -- the Community Affairs contact above handles subdivision platting and development permitting instead. The Enforcement Office's OSSF program shares Community Affairs' phone number, (361) 621-1553, per independent county-directory sources; use that number or the posted application packet to reach the program.

Planning & Zoning

Bee County Community Affairs

Subdivision platting and development-permit questions for unincorporated Bee County (the county has no zoning ordinance).

Phone: (361) 621-1553Official website →

Septic / Onsite Wastewater

Bee County Enforcement Office (OSSF Program)

On-site sewage facility (septic) permit applications, site evaluations, and inspections -- Bee County is a TCEQ authorized agent.

Phone: (361) 621-1553Official website →

Wells / Private Water

Bee Groundwater Conservation District

Well permits, spacing rules, and production limits for wells within the district (nearly all of Bee County, with three named carve-outs).

Phone: (361) 358-2244Official website →

Assessor / Property Tax

Bee County Appraisal District

Assessed value, property tax, and agricultural (ag/wildlife) valuation questions for a specific parcel.

Phone: (361) 358-0193Official website →

Recorder / Clerk / Land Records

Bee County Clerk -- Official Records/Deeds

Recorded deed, easement, and plat history for a specific parcel.

Phone: (361) 362-3242Official website →

Want to know if this specific parcel actually works?

Tell us what you're looking at and we'll connect you with a local land specialist who can help you sanity-check it before you go further.

Get local guidance

Sources

Community Affairs | Bee County, TX — Bee County, Texas Government (accessed 2026-09)
OSS Complete Packet — Bee County, Texas Government (accessed 2026-09)
Community Affairs Fee Schedule (effective 11/18/2024) — Bee County, Texas Government (accessed 2026-09)
Bee GCD -- District Home — Bee Groundwater Conservation District (accessed 2026-09)
Bee County Groundwater Conservation District Management Plan (2024) — Texas Water Development Board (accessed 2026-09)
Contact Information -- Bee County Appraisal District — Bee County Appraisal District (accessed 2026-09)
Official Records | Bee County, TX — Bee County, Texas Government (accessed 2026-09)
County Offices | Bee County, TX — Bee County, Texas Government (accessed 2026-09)

Last reviewed 2026-09