Opening an RV park in Texas means clearing zoning or platting approval, meeting Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) rules for water and wastewater, satisfying local fire and site-design standards, obtaining stormwater and construction permits, registering to collect the state hotel occupancy tax, and writing guest agreements that reflect whether your customers are short-term licensees or tenants. The RV park requirements in Texas depend heavily on where your land sits, because the agencies with jurisdiction and the permits you need change with that single fact.
Start With Where Your Land Sits
Before anything else, find out whether your tract is inside a city’s limits, inside a city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), or in unincorporated county territory. That answer controls which agency reviews your project and which rules apply.
Inside city limits, the city regulates land use through zoning ordinances authorized by Chapter 211 of the Local Government Code.1Justia Law. Texas Local Government Code Title 7, Subtitle A, Chapter 211 Your tract has to be zoned for commercial use or fall under a specific RV park district. If not, you’re looking at a rezoning or a conditional-use permit before construction can start.
In unincorporated county areas, most Texas counties do not impose traditional zoning. The County Commissioners’ Court regulates development through subdivision and platting under Chapter 232 of the Local Government Code.2Justia Law. Texas Local Government Code Title 7, Subtitle B, Chapter 232 Platting formally records your tract’s boundaries, lot layout, and intended use with the county clerk, and the commissioners’ court must approve the plat before you build or install utilities.3Office of the Attorney General. Subdivisions and Platting Requirements Some counties layer RV-park-specific rules on top of general platting requirements.
The trap is the ETJ. Land inside a city’s ETJ falls under the city’s subdivision and platting authority through Chapter 212, even though the city generally cannot impose its zoning rules there.4Justia Law. Texas Local Government Code Title 7, Subtitle A, Chapter 212 Being outside the city doesn’t always mean the city has no say.
Site Design Standards You’ll Have to Meet
Local ordinances set the physical layout of the park, and standards vary by jurisdiction, so verify yours before drawing a layout.
Internal roads generally need enough width for fire apparatus to move through safely. Many local codes call for at least 24 feet of width for two-way traffic, and dead-end roads longer than 150 feet typically need a turnaround. Surfaces must support loaded fire trucks, which can exceed 75,000 pounds.
RV spaces have minimum size requirements that differ by city and county. The City of Ferris, for example, requires spaces to be at least 22 feet wide and 36 feet deep with a minimum 10-foot separation between each RV and any adjacent structure.5City of Ferris, Texas Code of Ordinances. City of Ferris Code of Ordinances – 154.019 RV Recreational Vehicle Park District Use figures like these as a planning baseline, then confirm against your local ordinance.
Electrical hookups follow Article 551 of the National Electrical Code. The code requires that at least 70 percent of sites include a 30-amp, 125-volt receptacle and at least 20 percent include a 50-amp, 125/250-volt receptacle. Planning for more 50-amp service is often smart because newer motorhomes draw heavier loads. Grounding at every pedestal is one of the first things inspectors check.
Drainage matters more than most first-time developers expect. Each site must slope enough to prevent standing water. Your engineering plans should show calculated drainage grades and identify where runoff exits the property.
Water Supply and Wastewater Through TCEQ
TCEQ is the primary regulator of both water supply and wastewater at RV parks.6Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. RV Parks – Compliance Resources If your park has at least 15 service connections or serves 25 or more people for at least 60 days a year, TCEQ classifies it as a public water system.7Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Rules and Regulations for Public Water Systems That triggers federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards, including regular contaminant testing and reporting to TCEQ, with testing frequency tied to the population served.8State of Texas. Texas Health and Safety Code Section 341.031 – Public Drinking Water Most parks with more than a handful of sites cross the threshold, so budget for ongoing compliance.
Where municipal sewer isn’t available, you need an On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) permit for a septic system. The process starts with a preconstruction site evaluation done by a licensed site evaluator or professional engineer, including a lot survey and soil analysis of the disposal area.9Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Getting a Permit for an OSSF – Such as a Septic System The soil analysis determines whether the ground can absorb wastewater or whether you need an engineered system. Applications go to your local permitting authority, usually a county or city office acting as an authorized agent for TCEQ. In counties without a local authorized agent, the TCEQ regional office handles permits directly.10Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Basics for Septic Systems
If your system processes more than 5,000 gallons per day, you may also need a separate domestic wastewater permit from TCEQ.6Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. RV Parks – Compliance Resources A park with 40 or 50 occupied sites can reach that threshold quickly, especially with a dump station for guest holding tanks. TCEQ also regulates solid waste disposal, and mismanaged trash can bring its own enforcement action.11Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. RV Parks – Am I Regulated
Stormwater During Construction
If construction disturbs one acre or more of soil, you need a Construction General Permit for stormwater discharge from TCEQ under the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System program.12Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Stormwater General Permit for Construction Activities Most RV park projects easily exceed one acre, so this applies to nearly every development. The permit requires a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) covering erosion control, sediment management, and pollution prevention during construction.
Violations bring TCEQ enforcement and fines. Your site engineer should prepare the SWPPP as part of the overall development plan, keep it on-site through construction, and terminate the permit once the site is stabilized with permanent vegetation or other ground cover.
Fire Safety Standards
Fire safety is enforced locally, usually by a county fire marshal’s office or the fire department with jurisdiction. The core requirements are water supply and access. You’ll need fire hydrants or large-capacity storage tanks so crews can begin suppression on arrival, and documentation from your water provider confirming pressure and volume adequate for the required fire flow. Access roads must let apparatus reach every occupied area without backing up or multi-point turns, with turnarounds on dead ends. The fire marshal’s office reviews your site plan as part of approval, and deficiencies here will hold up your permit.
Hotel Occupancy Tax Registration
Texas imposes a 6 percent state hotel occupancy tax on charges for rooms or spaces where the public obtains sleeping accommodations, and it applies to stays of fewer than 30 consecutive days.13Texas Comptroller. Hotel Occupancy Tax Your city or county may add its own local hotel occupancy tax, commonly another 2 to 7 percent.
As the operator, you collect the tax at the time of payment and remit it to the Texas Comptroller on a quarterly or monthly basis depending on your volume. You need to register with the Comptroller and obtain a hotel occupancy tax permit before opening. Failing to collect or remit brings penalties and interest that build fast.
Guest Agreements and Fair Housing
Whether your guests are tenants or licensees isn’t a blanket rule based on the type of facility. A Texas Attorney General opinion has clarified that the answer depends on the specific terms of the agreement.14Office of the Attorney General. Attorney General Opinion KP-0222 A guest with exclusive possession and control of the space is treated as a tenant, and removing a tenant requires formal eviction through civil court. A licensee holds only permission to use the property and can be removed without court process.
The practical consequence: your rental agreement matters. Language granting exclusive possession of a defined space for extended periods can create a landlord-tenant relationship whether you intended one or not. Many experienced operators use short-term license agreements and avoid language implying a leasehold interest.
The federal Fair Housing Act also reaches RV parks. The statute defines “dwelling” broadly to include any structure occupied as a residence and any vacant land offered for lease for locating such a structure on it.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 3602 – Definitions An RV on a leased space fits within that definition. You cannot discriminate in renting spaces based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability, and you must make reasonable accommodations for guests with disabilities when requested.
ADA Accessibility
RV park spaces are not exempt from the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA Standards for Accessible Design don’t include technical provisions written specifically for RV spaces, but the general scoping requirements still apply. A portion of your sites must be accessible, with access aisles at least as long as the space they serve and located on the shortest accessible route to facility entrances. Common-area buildings such as restrooms, laundry rooms, and clubhouses must meet standard ADA requirements for commercial facilities. Building accessibility in from the start is far cheaper than retrofitting.
The Permitting Sequence
The practical path breaks into stages. Start with the planning department if your site is in a city, or the county clerk’s office if it’s unincorporated, to get the correct application forms. Some counties have streamlined the list to a handful of items: building permit, development permit, drainage plans, and sewage plans.16Galveston County, TX. RV Park Development in Galveston County Others require more.
At a minimum, expect to submit:
- A legal description of the property from the recorded survey.
- A professional site plan showing every RV space, utility line, road, and access point.
- Soil analysis results from the preconstruction site evaluation for your OSSF permit.9Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Getting a Permit for an OSSF – Such as a Septic System
- Proof of water supply, in the form of a utility letter or a well-drilling permit.
- Your SWPPP, if the project disturbs an acre or more.12Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Stormwater General Permit for Construction Activities
Filing fees vary widely across Texas jurisdictions. Plat recording fees can be modest, sometimes under $100 per page, but development application fees, engineering review, and inspection charges add up. Budget for several hundred to over a thousand dollars in combined government fees, and considerably more if a rezoning or variance triggers public hearings. Ask your jurisdiction for a current fee schedule before projecting costs.
Once submitted, plans go through technical review by planning and engineering staff. Platting variances or zoning changes typically require a public hearing before the planning commission or commissioners’ court. Construction begins only after all permits are in hand.
Final approval to open follows a round of inspections. Building and health officials verify that what you’ve built matches your approved plans, checking electrical pedestals, septic installations, road widths, and fire access. In some counties, the end product is a certificate of compliance signed by the county judge and filed with the county clerk.17Fannin County, Texas. Order Adopting Recreational Vehicle Park Regulations for Fannin County, Texas In cities, you’ll receive a certificate of occupancy. That document is your legal authorization to open the gates.