Williamson County, TX Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Tool
- Nuisance abatement, not zoning
- Covers
- Junk, rubbish, unsafe buildings
- Notice
- 30 days to abate
- Fine
- $50–$200 per day
- Statute
- Tex. H&S §343.011
Summary
In unincorporated Williamson County, junked vehicles, accumulated rubbish, and dilapidated buildings are public nuisances under Tex. Health & Safety Code §343.011. The Commissioners Court can order abatement after notice, with fines of $50–$200 per day.
(a) This section applies only to the unincorporated area of a county. (b) A person may not cause, permit, or allow a public nuisance under this section. (c) A public nuisance is: ... (2) keeping, storing, or accumulating rubbish, including newspapers, abandoned vehicles, refrigerators, stoves, furniture, tires, and cans, on premises in a neighborhood or within 300 feet of a public street for 10 days or more, unless the rubbish or object is completely enclosed in a building or is not visible from a public street; ... (5) maintaining a building in a manner that is structurally unsafe or constitutes a hazard to safety, health, or public welfare because of inadequate maintenance, unsanitary conditions, dilapidation, obsolescence, disaster, damage, or abandonment or because it constitutes a fire hazard
Full Breakdown
Chapter 343 gives Williamson County its main code-enforcement tool outside city limits, since counties cannot zone. Tex. Health & Safety Code §343.011 declares a public nuisance to include accumulating rubbish such as abandoned vehicles, refrigerators, stoves, furniture, and tires visible from a public street for 10 days or more, and maintaining a structurally unsafe or dilapidated building. The county gives written notice; if the nuisance is not abated within 30 days, §343.012 sets a $50–$200 fine, each day a separate offense, and the county may abate and lien the property.
Violations & Fines
Abandoned vehicles, rubbish piles, and dilapidated structures are nuisances. After a 30-day notice, fines run $50–$200 per day, rising to $200–$1,000 for repeat offenders, plus county abatement and a lien.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Williamson County make a neighbor clean up junk?
What about a collapsing, abandoned house?
Does this apply inside city limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Williamson County
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Williamson County to another location·View the Texas property maintenance overview
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