Texas

Land Use and Permitting Across Texas,

Jurisdiction by Jurisdiction

Texas has no statewide zoning code. Every city writes its own rulebook, names its own departments, and runs its own submittal portal. A strategy that works in Austin means nothing in Houston. JDJ Consulting manages entitlement, zoning, and permit expediting across eight Texas markets, treating each as the separate jurisdiction it actually is.

Have a site in Texas?

Tell us what you’re trying to build, and we’ll screen it for you.

Start a Project

Call Us: ‪(818) 252-9610‬

Texas markets Texas Austin San Antonio Round Rock Georgetown Houston Fort Worth Dallas The Woodlands

How Texas Regulates Development

Why Texas Is Eight Different Markets, Not One

Texas is a patchwork of regulatory systems, and that patchwork is the single most important thing a developer needs to understand before buying a site. Some Texas cities run conventional zoning codes. Houston has no zoning at all and relies on deed restrictions and Chapter 42 development standards. Master-planned communities such as The Woodlands run on private covenants enforced by a township, not a public zoning code.

The practical consequence: the governing framework, the department that reviews your project, the terminology used by staff, and the online portal you submit through all change completely from one Texas city to the next. A density bonus in San Antonio is granted by formula with no council vote. The equivalent bonus in Dallas requires a Market Value Analysis category lookup. In Houston, the concept does not exist.

JDJ builds every engagement around the specific jurisdiction the site sits in. The sections below explain how development is actually regulated in each Texas market we serve.

Central Texas

Austin — Travis County

Austin runs on its Land Development Code (LDC), reviewed by the Development Services Department (DSD) and submitted through the Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) portal. JDJ handles Affordability Unlocked density bonus applications, Site Plan determinations, Compatibility Standards analysis, and Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ) screening.

Austin permit expediting and land use →

Round Rock — Williamson County

Round Rock reviews every project against its Design and Construction Standards (DACS) through Planning and Development Services (PDS). JDJ prepares the Site Development Permit packet and keeps it conformant from first submittal to final sign-off via the Round Rock Permit Portal.

Round Rock site development permitting →

Georgetown — Williamson County

Georgetown operates under a Unified Development Code (UDC), with commercial plan review split between the Planning Department and Buildings & Inspections and submitted through MyGovernmentOnline (MGO). Georgetown offers no city-run expediting option for commercial plan review, which is exactly the coordination gap JDJ fills.

Georgetown land use consulting →

South Texas

San Antonio — Bexar County

San Antonio's Unified Development Code (UDC) includes a formula-based, as-of-right density bonus under Section 35-360. Meet the affordability set-aside table and the bonus is granted with no City Council vote. JDJ models the bonus math (base density multiplied by bonus factor) and runs the Development Services Department (DSD) submittal.

San Antonio density bonus and permitting →

Greater Houston

Houston — Harris County

Houston has no zoning code. Deed restrictions, Chapter 42 development standards, and floodplain rules are what actually control a site. JDJ treats deed restriction research as core due diligence and runs the Houston Permitting Center (HPC) submittal through the iPermits portal in parallel.

Houston land use consulting →

The Woodlands — Montgomery and Harris Counties

The Woodlands is not an incorporated city. It is a special-purpose township governed by private Covenants and Development Standards. Every project clears the Residential Design Review Committee (RDRC) through the Covenant Administration Department first, then county permitting. JDJ manages both tracks together.

The Woodlands covenant approval and permitting →

North Texas (DFW)

Dallas — Dallas County

Dallas ties its Mixed Income Housing Development Bonus (MIHDB) to Market Value Analysis (MVA) categories and zoning districts, governed by Dallas Development Code Sec. 51A-4.116 and submitted through DallasNow. JDJ models the MVA lookup and bonus math alongside the submittal.

Dallas land use consulting →

Fort Worth — Tarrant County

Fort Worth runs its own zoning system under UDC Chapter 5, using a lettered district scheme (A through K), reviewed by the Development Services Department through the CFW Permit Tool (Accela) and MyGovHub. Despite the shared DFW name, Fort Worth is a completely separate jurisdiction from Dallas, and JDJ treats it as one.

Fort Worth zoning and site plan coordination →

Texas Service Offerings

What JDJ Handles in Every Texas Market

Whether your project is in Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, El Paso, Corpus Christi, or another Texas jurisdiction, JDJ Consulting provides end-to-end land use consulting, permit expediting, and development coordination. While every city has its own development code, review process, and permitting portal, our role remains the same: keeping your project moving from feasibility through final approval.

01. Entitlements & Land Use

Successful projects begin long before building permit plans are submitted. Our land use consultants evaluate development constraints, identify approval pathways, and coordinate with local agencies to minimize delays during entitlement.

Our land use consulting services include:

Zoning verification and development standards analysis
Future Land Use (FLU) and comprehensive plan review
Site feasibility studies and highest-and-best-use evaluations
Rezoning and zoning amendment coordination
Planned Development (PD) district assistance
Conditional Use Permit (CUP) coordination
Specific Use Permit (SUP) applications where applicable
Variance and special exception applications
Platting and subdivision coordination
Site plan review support
Density calculations and development yield analysis
Affordable and mixed-income housing entitlement strategy
Development agreement coordination
Easement, covenant, and deed restriction research
Utility availability and infrastructure coordination
Municipal Development District (MDD), Public Improvement District (PID), and Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) coordination when applicable
Agency liaison with Planning Departments, Engineering, Public Works, Transportation, Fire, Utilities, and Environmental divisions

02. Permit Expediting

Every Texas jurisdiction has different permit workflows, review timelines, and online portals. JDJ manages the permit process from initial application through final inspections, reducing delays caused by incomplete submittals or uncoordinated agency reviews.

Our permit expediting services include:

Building permit application preparation
Commercial and multifamily permit coordination
Residential development permitting
Site development permit coordination
Civil improvement permit coordination
Grading and drainage permit coordination
Utility permit coordination
Right-of-way permit coordination
Demolition permits
Tree permit coordination where required
Floodplain development permit coordination
Plan review management
Agency correction responses
Resubmittal coordination
Department review tracking
Interdepartmental coordination
Permit status monitoring
Inspection scheduling assistance
Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) coordination
Certificate of Occupancy (CO) coordination
Close-out documentation support

03. Due Diligence & Feasibility

Reducing entitlement risk begins with understanding a property's regulatory and physical constraints before design work starts. JDJ performs early-stage due diligence to help developers, architects, investors, and property owners make informed decisions.

Our feasibility services include:

County appraisal district parcel verification
Property ownership and deed research
Legal description verification
Zoning history research
Existing entitlement research
Recorded covenant and restriction review
Easement identification
FEMA floodplain screening
Watershed and drainage review
Utility provider verification
Infrastructure availability review
Development constraint analysis
Environmental screening coordination
GIS mapping research
Development standards summary reports
Preliminary permitting roadmap
Agency pre-application coordination
Development timeline assessment

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions in Texas

Does Texas have statewide zoning?

No. Texas has no statewide zoning code. Land use is regulated city by city, and the rules differ substantially between jurisdictions. Houston has no municipal zoning at all, while other cities such as Austin, San Antonio, and Fort Worth each run their own independent codes.

Which Texas city has no zoning?

Houston is the largest U.S. city with no conventional zoning code. Development in Houston is instead controlled by privately recorded deed restrictions, Chapter 42 development standards, and floodplain regulations administered through the Houston Permitting Center.

How is a density bonus in San Antonio different from Dallas?

San Antonio's density bonus under UDC Section 35-360 is formula-based and as-of-right, meaning it is granted automatically once the affordability set-aside table is met, with no City Council vote. Dallas's Mixed Income Housing Development Bonus is more complex, tied to Market Value Analysis categories, zoning districts, and income bands under Dallas Development Code Sec. 51A-4.116.

Are Dallas and Fort Worth the same permitting jurisdiction?

No. Despite sharing the Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) metro name, Dallas and Fort Worth run completely separate permitting systems. Dallas uses the Dallas Development Code and the DallasNow portal, while Fort Worth uses its Zoning Ordinance under UDC Chapter 5 and the CFW Permit Tool (Accela).

Do I need approval to build in The Woodlands?

Yes. The Woodlands is a special-purpose township, not an incorporated city, and land use is governed by private covenants. Every project must clear the Residential Design Review Committee through the Covenant Administration Department, in addition to obtaining Montgomery and/or Harris County permits.

What does a Texas land use consultant do?

A Texas land use consultant manages the entitlement, zoning, and permitting process for a development project. This includes verifying zoning, modeling density bonuses, preparing and submitting permit packets, coordinating plan review, and conducting due diligence such as deed restriction research and appraisal district verification. Because each Texas city uses a different code, department, and portal, the work is jurisdiction-specific.