Texas — Montgomery / Harris Counties

No zoning here. Just covenants, committees, and a forest that got a say first.

The Woodlands was drawn on tracing paper before it was drawn on plats. Nearly fifty years later, that master plan still governs what you can build, where, and how tall the trees around it have to stay. There is no zoning ordinance to read. Instead, three review bodies, a set of recorded covenants, and two county permit offices sit between your site and your certificate of occupancy. We know the order they go in.

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Development in The Woodlands runs on covenants, not a zoning code

The Woodlands is not an incorporated city. It is a master planned community of roughly 28,000 acres located about 27 miles north of downtown Houston, governed as a special purpose district by The Woodlands Township. Because there is no municipal government issuing zoning entitlements, land use is controlled by a layer most Texas markets do not have: recorded private covenants, enforced by community design committees, sitting on top of standard county permitting.

For developers and architects new to the community, this is the single most important thing to understand. Approval to build here is not one decision from one agency. It is a sequence: covenant and design review first, plat and infrastructure approval through the governing extraterritorial jurisdiction, then a building or development permit from the county. Miss the order and you can carry a fully engineered set of plans that no county reviewer will accept because the covenant gate was never cleared.

JDJ manages all of these tracks as one coordinated timeline so nothing stalls waiting on a step that should have happened earlier.

GOVERNING FRAMEWORK SECTION

How The Woodlands regulates development, in JDJ’s words

Every Texas market on this site uses its own code, its own department names, and its own review path. The Woodlands is the most distinctive of them, because the primary control is private, not public. Here is the framework you will see referenced throughout your project.

Governing instrument

The Woodlands Covenants and the Residential and Commercial Development Standards (recorded private covenants, updated periodically)

Administering body

The Woodlands Township Covenant Administration Department (CAD)

Review bodies

Residential Design Review Committee (RDRC), Development Standards Committee (DSC), and the community developer, Howard Hughes, for initial construction on undeveloped land

County permitting

Montgomery County and, for the Creekside Park area, Harris County

Platting and infrastructure jurisdiction

Typically the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) of the City of Houston or the City of Conroe, depending on the parcel

WHO APPROVES WHAT

Who approves what in The Woodlands

This is the question developers ask most, and the answer most often gets wrong. Approval authority depends on whether the land has ever been built on before.

Initial construction on undeveloped land is approved by Howard Hughes, the community developer, as established by the Covenants.

The Woodlands Township Board of Directors and the Development Standards Committee do not have authority over initial construction of undeveloped land. This is a critical distinction for any developer acquiring a raw or newly platted parcel: your first covenant approval comes from the developer, not from a resident committee.

Modifications and new construction on a lot that already has a completed home go to the Residential Design Review Committee (RDRC).

Each developed village elects its own RDRC of at least three resident property owners serving one-year terms. The RDRC reviews additions, remodels, exterior color changes, fences, decks, pools, garages, garage conversions, and similar improvements against the Covenants, the Development Standards, and the village-specific Neighborhood Criteria.

The Development Standards Committee (DSC) governs property use and maintenance standards, reviews improvements to existing commercial properties, and is the only body with authority to grant variances.

Established in 2009, the DSC is made up of four residents appointed by the Township Board and three developer appointees. If your project needs relief from a standard, the DSC is the body that can grant it.

The Woodlands Service Offerings

What JDJ handles in The Woodlands

We treat covenant approval as the first gate on every project, then run platting, infrastructure, and county permitting behind it without losing time between steps.

Important framing: SB 673’s state preemption of city ADU restrictions does not reach this layer. RDRC covenant approval is still required regardless of state law, in addition to Montgomery and/or Harris County permits.

01. Covenant and Design Review

Developer approval coordination for initial construction on undeveloped land

RDRC application preparation for improvements to lots with existing homes

Initial Land Use Designation (ILUD) review, the recorded covenant that sets permissible uses and minimum and maximum building size for a lot

Neighborhood Criteria research for village-specific standards that can be stricter than the community-wide Development Standards

DSC application coordination for commercial improvements and variance requests

Appeal preparation and representation before the DSC or DRC

02. Platting and Entitlement Coordination

ETJ determination, confirming whether a parcel plats through the City of Houston or the City of Conroe extraterritorial jurisdiction

Plat application preparation and processing through the governing ETJ

Coordination of the multi-step development approval sequence from plat to project

03. County Permitting

Montgomery County development and building permit coordination

Harris County coordination for parcels in the Creekside Park area

Utility District (MUD) service letter procurement, required on county letterhead confirming water and sewer service to the specific address

Stormwater management and drainage review coordination with the Montgomery County Engineering Department

Floodplain and tree preservation permit coordination

04. Due Diligence and Feasibility

County Clerk deed restriction and recorded covenant research, Montgomery and Harris Counties

Municipal Utility District jurisdiction verification

Plat-level and ILUD restriction screening before acquisition

FAQ

Questions we hear most in The Woodlands

Does The Woodlands have zoning?

No. The Woodlands has no zoning ordinance because it is not an incorporated city. Land use is controlled by recorded private covenants and the Residential and Commercial Development Standards, administered by The Woodlands Township Covenant Administration Department and enforced by resident design committees.

Do I still need a county permit if I have covenant approval?

Yes. Covenant approval and county permits are separate and both are required. Approval by a Woodlands review committee does not constitute approval by Montgomery or Harris County, and a county permit does not satisfy the covenants. Improvements in street rights-of-way fall under county jurisdiction as well.

Which county issues my permit?

Most of The Woodlands lies in Montgomery County. The Creekside Park area lies in Harris County. Confirm the parcel's county before submitting, because the permit office, forms, and portal differ.

Who approves a brand-new building on raw land?

The community developer, Howard Hughes, approves initial construction on undeveloped land under the Covenants. The Township Board and the DSC do not have authority over first construction on undeveloped land.

What is an ILUD?

The Initial Land Use Designation is a covenant recorded by the developer when an area is first developed. It limits permissible uses and sets minimum and maximum building size for the lot, and it binds all future owners. Every project must comply with the ILUD for its lot, so it should be reviewed before acquisition, not after.

What are Neighborhood Criteria?

Neighborhood Criteria are village-specific covenant standards that can be more restrictive than the community-wide Development Standards. A roof type or color permitted community-wide may still be prohibited in your village, so both layers have to be checked.

Do I need a MUD service letter?

For county development permits you will generally need a letter on the Utility District's letterhead, dated within the past year, explicitly confirming that water and sewer will be provided to the specific address. Letters stating only that capacity exists are typically rejected, and separate water and sewer providers require separate letters.

How does platting work here?

Platting is the first step in a multi-step development process. Plat applications are typically submitted through the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston or the City of Conroe, depending on which entity holds ETJ over the parcel, before project-level approvals and county permits proceed.

How does tree preservation affect my project?

The Woodlands was designed around its forested character. No tree six inches or greater in diameter, measured two feet above grade, may be removed without approval, and site surveys must identify those trees. Tree preservation is a real constraint on site planning and should be factored into yield early.