Texas — Montgomery / Harris Counties
Covenant approval, not zoning —
permitting built for The
Woodlands
The Woodlands isn’t an incorporated city — there’s no zoning code. Every
project runs through the Township’s Covenants and Standards first, then
county permitting. JDJ manages both tracks together.
Governing Framework
Covenants & Development Standards (private)
Administering Body
Covenant Administration Dept. (CAD)
Review Committees
RDRC / DSC / DRC
Have a site in The Woodlands?
Tell us what you’re trying to build — we’ll map your RDRC approval path alongside county permitting.
How The Woodlands Regulates Development
The framework, in JDJ’s words
Every Texas city on this site uses its own code, department names, and review process.
Here’s The Woodlands’s — the terms you’ll see throughout your project.
Here’s The Woodlands’s — the terms you’ll see throughout your project.
The Woodlands Service Offerings
What JDJ handles in The Woodlands
The Woodlands Township is a special-purpose district, not a city — land use runs on recorded private covenants, not a zoning code. JDJ treats covenant approval as the first gate, every time.
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.
Local Terminology
The Woodlands’s terms, decoded
The vocabulary you’ll hear from city staff, in plain English.