A structure of 100 square feet or less needs none, so one line decides whether the job opens with paperwork or with dirt work. The page that sets that rule mentions no building code, no plan review, no inspections and no fire marshal, which leaves the real review in three other offices: floodplain, sanitation and your precinct commissioner.
Inside Giddings
City permit with fees listed for commercial and storage buildings
Giddings' Code Compliance office lists its adopted codes as the 2018 International codes, the 2017 National Electrical Code and the 2018 NFPA Life Safety Code, and its June 2024 fee schedule sets a $20 permit fee, a $25 inspection fee and a $40 re-inspection fee, with building permit fees listed for new commercial construction, carports and garages, and storage buildings.
What the county's page says
The city requires four building inspections plus a final walk-through with 24 hours' notice.
Source City of Giddings Code Compliance, 118 East Richmond, read 2026-09-20.
Unincorporated Lee County
County development permit for any structure over 100 square feet
Lee County Development Services requires a Development Permit application for all development in unincorporated Lee County, including commercial projects, for any individual structure larger than 100 square feet; a building of 100 square feet or less needs no permit, and the application is valid for one year.
What the county's page says
The permit is tied to floodplain compliance: in an identified flood hazard area a non-residential structure has to have its lowest floor at or above base flood elevation or be flood-proofed, certified by a licensed engineer or land surveyor.
Source Lee County Development Services Department, read 2026-09-20.
Which office has your lot decides everything below.
Does Lee County require a permit for a metal building outside city limits?
Yes, once it is larger than 100 square feet. The Development Permit is not a code review: the county's page mentions no adopted building code, no structural plan review or inspections, no fire code and no fire marshal, and Local Government Code Chapter 233 gives a county no building code or inspection authority over a commercial building. The same answer covers a commercial metal building and a metal shop or workshop.
Across either county line the ask changes. Bastrop County issues no building permits or certificates of occupancy, and Williamson County lists no county building permit at all.
Outside the cities, each cell from that county's own pages, read 2026-09-20.
On a phone this table scrolls sideways.
| Question | Lee County | Bastrop County | Williamson County |
|---|---|---|---|
| County permit outside a city | Development Permit for any individual structure larger than 100 square feet | Development permit for any external development, in three classes by floodplain position | None listed; a $25 Certificate of Compliance from the County Engineer instead |
| Building code or structural review | The Development Services page does not mention one | The county says its building code applies only to single-family homes and duplexes, and there is no county building code for commercial use | The county reviews almost no site plans and lists no building code for a commercial or accessory structure |
| County fire code | No fire code and no fire marshal on the pages read | No fire marshal, no fire code and no fire code permit listed | The 2018 International Fire Code and the county fire code, with a Fire Marshal permit before construction |
| Septic permit fee, anything other than a single family residence | $500 | $1,000 standard commercial, $1,200 non-standard commercial designed by an engineer or designer | $810 non-aerobic, $910 aerobic |
| Where the county permit is issued | Lee County Development Services, Giddings, (979) 542-3178 | Bastrop County Development Services, Bastrop, (512) 581-7176 | Williamson County Engineer, Road and Bridge Division, Georgetown, (512) 943-3330 |
SourcesThe statute was read in full and grants no such authority.Texas Legislature Online, Local Government Code Chapter 233, county regulation of housing and other structures, read 2026-09-20; Lee County Development Services Department, read 2026-09-20; Bastrop County Development Services, and the Development Services application fees, read 2026-09-20; Bastrop County Development Services, environmental and sanitation, and the application fees, read 2026-09-20; The source was read and does not list this.Williamson County, frequently asked questions, infrastructure and developers, read 2026-09-20; Williamson County Fire Marshal, construction permits, and the Williamson County Fire Code, second edition, read 2026-09-20; Williamson County, on-site sewage facilities, and the OSSF program fee sheet, read 2026-09-20.
What metal building contractors in Lee County file, and with which office
Two things come first. A 9-1-1 address is required for any new business before any county permit application, and the Development Permit is tied to floodplain compliance: a non-residential structure in a flood hazard area sits at or above base flood elevation or is flood-proofed, certified by a licensed engineer or land surveyor.
Outside the FEMA 100-year floodplain the county issues a Development Permit Exemption Certificate, inside a flood hazard area a Floodplain Development Permit, both from the County Judge's Office at 200 South Main, Room 107, so high ground still produces a document. Watch the elevation certificate, where required, 10 business days from foundation completion.
SourcesLee County Development Services Department, read 2026-09-20; Lee County, floodplain development provisions and the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, read 2026-09-20.
Who permits the septic system for a shop in Lee County?
The county does. TCEQ lists Lee County as the single authorized agent for the whole county, and Sanitation issues the permit at the Development Services office. Anything that is not a single family residence pays the same $500 and has to be designed and sealed by a registered sanitarian or professional engineer. TCEQ gives the permitting authority 30 days from receipt to approve or deny. The rest of the utility sequence is on commercial septic, water and electric for a shop or warehouse.
SourcesTexas Commission on Environmental Quality, getting a permit for an OSSF such as a septic system, read 2026-09-20; Lee County Development Services Department, and Lee County Sanitation permit instructions, read 2026-09-20.
What does a driveway onto a Lee County road cost, and who approves it?
$25 for a private drive and $150 for a commercial one, plus $15 per foot of culvert, and a $100 private or $500 commercial penalty for installing without one. The part that costs time is the site meeting: under the rules amended August 14, 2023 the precinct commissioner sets the culvert size and length at the owner's expense, and a commercial driveway is built by a county-approved contractor and inspected by the county. On a state highway, Form 1058 goes to the TxDOT district office instead.
SourcesTexas Department of Transportation, Access Management Manual, chapter 2 section 4, permits, and the Use of Right of Way by Others Manual, access driveways, read 2026-09-20; Lee County requirements for permits to construct access driveways on county right of way, read 2026-09-20.
Sands over the Wilcox: what Lee County ground does to a slab
Sand, mostly, rather than the black clay of the counties to the west. The 2007 USDA soil survey of Lee County names high shrink-swell potential, restricted permeability, low soil strength, seepage and erosion hazard as the main urban limitations of the sandy and loamy savannah upland soils that cover about 48 percent of the county. Low soil strength and high shrink-swell in the same list is the part the foundation designer has to see, and what it means for a steel building is on concrete slab and foundation for a metal building.
What happens inside the Giddings city limits?
The city permits it, not the county. Giddings Code Compliance works from the 2018 International codes and the 2018 NFPA Life Safety Code, its June 2024 fee schedule sets a $20 permit fee, a $25 inspection fee and a $40 re-inspection fee, and four building inspections are required plus a final walk-through with 24 hours' notice. The page never says in words when a permit is required, so ask Code Compliance, (979) 540-2710.
The rules that apply whatever the county asks
Two reach the building anyway. TDLR does not take a project under $50,000 in total estimated cost for registration or plan review, though the Texas Accessibility Standards still apply to it, and at $50,000 or more a full set of construction documents goes in under Administrative Rule 68.50. Stormwater is drawn by acreage: TCEQ general permit TXR150000 covers a large construction activity at five or more acres and a small one from one to five, and work under one acre outside a larger common plan is not regulated. The full sequence is on building a metal building in the Austin area, and the city-against-county fork on metal building permits in Austin and Travis County.
SourcesTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Architectural Barriers frequently asked questions, read 2026-09-20; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, stormwater general permit for construction activities (TXR150000), read 2026-09-20.
Which cooperative brings power to a new building here?
Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative runs a retail center in Giddings and names Lee among the 14 counties of its 1939 charter, which its history page gives as charter territory rather than a current service list. New construction starts with a line design appointment at (800) 842-7708, and its commercial developers package runs from site plan delivery in week one to energization in weeks 29 to 30. Bartlett Electric Cooperative also names Lee County. Pedernales Electric Cooperative does not: its tariff effective June 1, 2026 names Burnet, Caldwell, Travis and Williamson, but not Bastrop or Lee.
SourcesBluebonnet Electric Cooperative, line extensions, line design appointment, and the commercial developers package (revised June 4, 2024), read 2026-09-20; Bartlett Electric Cooperative, about us, application for service, and service fees, read 2026-09-20; Pedernales Electric Cooperative, service for individual residential or commercial locations, and the tariff and business rules, read 2026-09-20.
The permit stack in Lee County, TX
Every permit and rule this county publishes for work outside its cities, with the office to call, the number, where it was read and when.
| Authority | What the county's site says | Office | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building permit outside city limits | Lee County Development Services requires a Development Permit application for all development in unincorporated Lee County, including commercial projects, for any individual structure larger than 100 square feet; a building of 100 square feet or less needs no permit, and the application is valid for one year. The permit is tied to floodplain compliance: in an identified flood hazard area a non-residential structure has to have its lowest floor at or above base flood elevation or be flood-proofed, certified by a licensed engineer or land surveyor. A 9-1-1 address has to be obtained for any new residence or business before applying for any county permit. The Development Services page does not mention an adopted building code, structural plan review or inspections, a fire code or a fire marshal, and the county office list has no fire marshal. | Lee County Development Services, Lee County Annex, Giddings, (979) 542-3178 | Lee County Development Services Department, read 2026-09-20 |
| Floodplain development permit | The county issues a Floodplain Development Permit for development inside a special flood hazard area and a Development Permit Exemption Certificate for development outside the FEMA 100-year floodplain; no work may start until the permit issues, it is valid one year, and an elevation certificate, where required, is due within 10 business days of foundation completion. The Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, amended July 19, 2016, appoints the Lee County Judge's Office as Floodplain Administrator, based on the FEMA flood insurance study for Lee County dated April 16, 2014. | Lee County Judge's Office, Floodplain Administrator, 200 South Main, Room 107, Giddings, (979) 542-3178 | Lee County, floodplain development provisions and the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, read 2026-09-20 |
| On-site sewage facility (septic) permit | Lee County requires a permit for every septic system and issues it itself through Lee County Sanitation at the Development Services office; TCEQ's directory lists Lee County as the single authorized agent for the entire county. The fee is $425 for a single family residence on a minimum one-acre lot and $500 for any other on-site sewage facility, which has to be designed and sealed by a registered sanitarian or professional engineer. Plans are reviewed, an authorization to construct is issued, and the inspection before the system is covered needs three working days' notice. | Lee County Sanitation, at Development Services, 200 S Main St, Room 203, Giddings, (979) 212-8070 | Lee County Development Services Department, and Lee County Sanitation permit instructions, read 2026-09-20 |
| Driveway permit onto a county road | A driveway or entrance permit is required for any driveway onto a county road: $25 for a private drive and $150 for a commercial one, plus $15 per foot for culvert installation, with a $100 private or $500 commercial penalty for installing without a permit. The rules amended August 14, 2023 define commercial driveways to include retail businesses, require the driveway within 25 feet of the 911 address, have the precinct commissioner meet the owner on site, approve the entrance and set the culvert size and length at the owner's expense, and have commercial driveways built by a county-approved contractor and inspected by the county. | Lee County Development Services, with the precinct commissioner, (979) 542-3178 | Lee County requirements for permits to construct access driveways on county right of way, read 2026-09-20 |
Rooms 107 and 203 at 200 South Main in Giddings issue two of the four county permits above, and the six-county permit directory sets Lee County beside the five that spread the same work wider. All six counties on one sheet: the Central Texas metal building permit directory.
Inside the cities
| City | What the city's site says | Department | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giddings | Giddings' Code Compliance office lists its adopted codes as the 2018 International codes, the 2017 National Electrical Code and the 2018 NFPA Life Safety Code, and its June 2024 fee schedule sets a $20 permit fee, a $25 inspection fee and a $40 re-inspection fee, with building permit fees listed for new commercial construction, carports and garages, and storage buildings. The city requires four building inspections plus a final walk-through with 24 hours' notice. No sentence on the page states in words when a permit is required. | City of Giddings Code Compliance, 118 East Richmond, (979) 540-2710 | City of Giddings Code Compliance, 118 East Richmond, read 2026-09-20 |
Also inside this county, each with its own permit office to confirm with: Lexington, Dime Box.
The ground under Lee County, and the documents that describe it
The 2007 soil survey says the Texas Blackland Prairie runs through central Lee County southeasterly along Texas Highway 21, with the Texas Claypan Area north and south of it. The sandy and loamy savannah upland soils, about 48 percent of the county and including Silstid and Padina, carry high shrink-swell potential, restricted permeability, low soil strength, seepage and erosion hazard as their main urban limitations. Source: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil Survey of Lee County, Texas (2007), introduction and general soil map units, read 2026-09-20.
The Padina-Robco-Silstid unit, sandy very deep soils on sandy residuum, is about 23 percent of the county; the survey calls it an important aquifer recharge source and names slope and seepage as its urban limitations. Silstid is a very deep, well drained, moderately permeable soil formed in sandy residuum weathered from the Sparta, Queen City, Carrizo and Simsboro sands. The Wilcox Group crops out in the northwestern county, with the Simsboro sand 400 to 765 feet thick, and the Carrizo Sand is estimated at 170 to 465 feet thick; the survey names the Simsboro, Carrizo, Queen City and Sparta sands as the principal aquifers. Source: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Soil Survey of Lee County, Texas (2007), general soil map unit 1, the Silstid series, geology and groundwater resources, read 2026-09-20.
Asked before pricing
Do I need a Lee County permit for a 12 by 16 storage building?
Yes. Lee County Development Services requires a Development Permit for any individual structure larger than 100 square feet in the unincorporated county, and 12 by 16 is 192 square feet. Only 100 square feet or less is exempt, and the application is valid one year.
What do metal building contractors in Lee County have to get permitted before construction?
Outside the cities: a county Development Permit for any structure larger than 100 square feet, a Floodplain Development Permit inside a flood hazard area or an exemption certificate outside it, a septic permit from Lee County Sanitation where there is no sewer, and a driveway permit for a new county-road entrance.
Does Lee County inspect a metal building?
The county's Development Services page mentions no adopted building code, no structural plan review or inspections, no fire code and no fire marshal. What the county does inspect is the septic system, with three working days' notice before it is covered, and a commercial driveway.
Who prices the building, and is that contractor licensed?
An independent local metal building contractor who works Lee County prices it, after walking the lot. Texas licenses no home builder and no general contractor, so no builder here is called licensed. A Texas professional engineer seals the drawings where the records above call for one.
Free estimate, six questions
Price a metal building in Lee County
The county tells a contractor which permit office your lot answers to. The building and the timing tell them what to look at first. Pricing it is free, and you owe nothing either way.
Ready to put a price on the building?
Your request goes to an independent local metal building contractor serving Central Texas, not a national lead list. Pricing it is free, and you owe nothing either way.
Last reviewed 2026-09-20.