Midland County, TX Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Highway/state road setback
- 50 feet from right-of-way
- Other county road setback
- 25 feet from right-of-way
- Governing article
- Art. 3, Lot Standards, § 3.1.2
- Minimum lot size (septic)
- 1 acre, § 3.1.1
- Enforcement
- Plat rejection by Commissioners Court
Summary
Midland County does not zone, but its Subdivision Regulations still fix a building setback line for every platted lot: 50 feet from the right-of-way on state and federal roads and highways, 25 feet along every other county street or road.
Building setback lines be fifty (50) feet from the edge of the right of way along all state or federal roads and highways. The building setback lines from all other streets and roads shall be twenty-five (25) feet. Building setback lines shall be shown on the Plats.
Full Breakdown
2, Building Setbacks. The rule sets two distances depending on what the lot fronts: fifty feet from the edge of the right-of-way for lots along state or federal roads and highways, twenty-five feet from the edge of the right-of-way along all other streets and roads maintained by or dedicated to the county. 2 requires them to be shown directly on the plat, and the Article 2 plat-content checklist separately requires that all proposed setbacks be drawn in accordance with the county's minimum building requirements for properties adjacent to county-maintained roads and state highways.
3). Because the setback is tied to the plat rather than to a zoning district, it applies uniformly across the unincorporated county: there is no separate residential, commercial, or agricultural setback distinction the way a zoned city would have. A surveyor or engineer preparing a plat for Commissioners Court review has to plot these lines before the plat can be certified as complete.
Violations & Fines
A plat that omits the required setback lines, or shows building lines short of the 50-foot highway or 25-foot local-road minimum, fails the plat-content requirements of Article 2 and § 3.1.2 and the Commissioners Court has authority under § 1.9 to refuse to approve or authorize the plat until it is corrected. Because an unrecorded or noncompliant plat cannot be filed in the County Clerk's office, building on a lot without an approved plat showing the correct setback exposes the developer to the County Attorney's authority to enjoin the violation or seek damages sufficient to bring the site into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the building setback for a lot fronting a state highway in unincorporated Midland County?
What setback applies to a lot on an ordinary county road?
Does Midland County have zoning setbacks by district like a city does?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Midland County
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Midland County to another location·View the Texas building setbacks & zoning overview
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