Environmental Rules in Bell County, TX (2026)
4 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Bell County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Bell County Subdivision Regulations § 307 sets the storm-frequency and ditch standards every new subdivision road must meet: a 25-year design storm for arterials, 10-year for collector and residential streets, and a 5-year minimum for driveway culverts, with roadside ditches at least 18 inches deep. A licensed engineer must run the calculations.
Stormwater Drainage Design in Bell County, TX
Some RestrictionsBell County Subdivision Regulations, § 307
307. Drainage: 1. All drains, drainage structures, and appurtenances shall be designed by a person authorized to practice the profession of engineering under the provisions of the Texas Engineering Registration Act, and amendments thereto. 2. Drainage calculations shall be made using the Rational Method for determining stormwater runoff and Manning's Equation for ditch and pipe capacities or by...
Erosion Control
Bell County requires new subdivision roads and drainage ditches to be at least 70 percent grassed over before the County accepts them for maintenance, per Subdivision Regulations § 206.7. Drainage ditches or culverts that silt up from erosion are treated as faulty construction, and the developer pays for repairs and stays on the hook until the ground stabilizes.
Erosion Control for New Roads in Bell County
Some RestrictionsBell County Subdivision Regulations, § 206.7
Drainage ditches or culverts that “silt up” or become filled with eroded materials will be considered faulty in design or construction and all repairs needed to return these facilities to design profile or grades will be at the expense of the Subdivider. All ditches and rights of way will be substantially (70%) grassed over prior to the County's acceptance of same for maintenance. (Note: If the...
Flood Zones
Any subdivision plat in unincorporated Bell County must show the 100-year flood plain from the current FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map. Where a stream's drainage basin exceeds 64 acres, the plat needs a licensed engineer's study marking the Special Flood Hazard Area; smaller basins can instead show a 100-foot building setback from the water course centerline. The County Engineer reviews every plat for this before Commissioners Court approval.
Floodplain Platting Rules in Bell County, TX
Some RestrictionsBell County Subdivision Regulations, § 204.14
14. Floodplain: The plat shall show the location of the 100- year flood plain as identified on the most current Bell County Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In addition, the plat shall show either the location of Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) identified by the engineering study under the seal of a Licensed Professional Engineer for those...
Flood Elevation Requirements
Any lot in a Bell County subdivision with a mapped flood hazard area must set its minimum first-floor elevation at least one foot above the flood plain elevation, per Subdivision Regulations § 204.14. Plats must also mark an elevation benchmark tied to the FEMA FIRM panel, and any lot within a designated floodway carries a no-build notation barring structures there.
Flood Elevation Freeboard in Bell County, TX
Some RestrictionsBell County Subdivision Regulations, § 204.14
For those subdivisions in which special flood hazard areas are identified, the placement of an elevation benchmark with the location, description, and elevation of the benchmark is required to be identified on the face of the plat. The elevation of this benchmark shall be tied into a benchmark shown on the FIRM panel. Minimum first floor elevations for buildings shall be identified on each lot ...
Environmental Rules by City in Bell County
1 cities in Bell County have their own environmental rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Bell County ordinances
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