9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Travis County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
Travis County administers MS4 stormwater permit TXR040000 under TCEQ authority. Chapter 82 of County Code requires construction sites over 1 acre to file a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and obtain Construction General Permit coverage. Edwards Aquifer sites require additional Water Quality Protection Plan under Chapter 64.
Erosion and sedimentation control is required under Travis County Code Chapter 82 for any earth disturbance over 1 acre or within Edwards Aquifer zones. Silt fence, rock berms, construction entrances, and inlet protection must be installed before clearing begins and maintained until vegetation reestablishes. Steep slopes over 15% in recharge zone receive additional scrutiny.
Travis County enforces floodplain development through Chapter 82 and participates in NFIP. The 2018 Llano River / Lake Travis flood raised the lake 18 feet in days and drove significant floodplain map revisions. Lake Travis and Lake Austin are managed by LCRA with flood operations out of Mansfield Dam. Development in SFHA requires a Floodplain Development Permit and finished-floor 1 foot above BFE, 2 feet in the Onion Creek basin.
FEMA Flood Map Service Center — National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP)
FEMA Flood Map Service Center: Welcome! Looking for a Flood Map? Enter an address, a place, or longitude/latitude coordinates: Looking for more than just a current flood map? Visit Search All Products to access the full range of flood risk products for your community. About Flood Map Service Center The FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC) is the official public source for flood hazard informatio...
Grading permits are required under Travis County Code Chapter 82 for any disturbance over 1 acre, cuts/fills over 4 feet, or any work in the Edwards Aquifer recharge or contributing zones. Drainage designs must match pre-development peak flows for 2, 10, 25, and 100-year storms using Atlas 14 rainfall data. Downstream drainage easements required for concentrated flow.
Tex. Local Gov. Code Sec. 232.0021 (Plat Application Fee - Street and Drainage Improvements)
Sec. 232.0021. PLAT APPLICATION FEE. (a) The commissioners court may impose an application fee to cover the cost of the county's review of a subdivision plat and inspection of street, road, and drainage improvements described by the plat.(b) The fee may vary based on the number of proposed lots in the subdivision, the acreage described by the plat, the type or extent of proposed street and ...
Travis County encourages defensible space around rural Hill Country homes, but enforcement is limited because Texas grants counties narrow authority. ESDs and Texas A&M Forest Service publish voluntary 30-foot brush clearance guidelines for unincorporated wildfire-prone areas.
Heavy-duty diesel vehicles operating in Travis County are subject to the TCEQ five-minute idling rule under 30 TAC Chapter 114. Travis County signed the Memorandum of Agreement enrolling unincorporated areas in this enforceable air-quality program.
Tex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 382.0191
Sec. 382.0191. IDLING OF MOTOR VEHICLE. (a) In this section, "idling" means allowing an engine to run while the motor vehicle is not engaged in forward or reverse motion. (b) The commission may not prohibit or limit the idling of any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 8,500 pounds that is equipped with a 2008 or subsequent model year heavy-duty diesel engine or liquef...
Travis County Commissioners Court adopted climate goals through the Travis County Sustainability program, but Texas state law preempts most enforceable mandates on private development, so the program focuses on county facilities, fleet, and grant-funded weatherization.
Travis County has no cool-roof mandate for private properties because Texas preempts local energy code amendments on residential construction beyond the adopted 2015 IRC baseline. Voluntary high-reflectance shingles qualify for utility rebates inside Austin Energy territory.
Tex. Health & Safety Code Sec. 388.003 (International Energy Conservation Code Adopted)
Sec. 388.003. ADOPTION OF BUILDING ENERGY EFFICIENCY PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. (b) To achieve energy conservation in all other residential, commercial, and industrial construction, the International Energy Conservation Code as it existed on May 1, 2001, is adopted as the energy code for use in this state for all other residential, commercial, and industrial construction. The State Energy Conse...
Travis County addresses urban heat island effects through tree canopy programs on county parks and right-of-way, but cannot impose surface albedo or canopy mandates on private property under Texas county zoning preemption.
1 cities in Travis County have their own environmental rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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Travis County Ordinance Hub →