Demolition Permits and Asbestos Rules in Bastrop County

Before a teardown, settle the demolition permit if your lot is inside city limits and get the asbestos question answered. You also need to sort out the utilities and the 811 call, check on any old septic tank, and look at the title paperwork if it’s a mobile home.

Each section links to the city, county, or state source it draws from as of October 2026. Rules change, so check the source before you file.

Inside the City of Bastrop

The City of Bastrop Residential Demolition Checklist, last updated August 3, 2023, says to apply online through the city’s MyGov portal. The city won’t start its review until you’ve submitted every item on the checklist:

A completed permit application and completed checklist
A project description letter covering the scope of work
Photos of the existing structure
A site layout and floor plan showing what’s coming down, the size and location of the debris container, and where the debris will be disposed of
A contractor authorization form when someone other than the owner applies
A Certificate of Appropriateness for a Historic Landmark or a property in the Iredell Historic District
The structure’s square footage and the project’s valuation
The permit fee, which the city invoices after accepting the application for review

The city’s review takes about 14 working days after acceptance, with longer review for complex projects. Before the city issues the permit, utility fees must be paid and a Certificate of Liability Insurance must be on file with the Planning Department. After demolition, the city calls for debris disposal with a receipt, capped water and wastewater, and a final inspection once the debris is gone.

Elgin and Smithville

The City of Elgin’s FY 2025-26 Elgin master fee schedule, effective on and after 10/1/2025, lists a demolition permit fee of $0.00. The City of Smithville’s Smithville fee schedule, Resolution 2023-09-513, lists a demolition permit fee of $50.00. Each city’s permit office provides its application requirements.

Outside city limits

The Bastrop County Development Services FAQ says Bastrop County doesn’t issue building permits or Certificates of Occupancy. Bastrop County has limited statutory authority regarding building codes, and the county building code applies only to building residential single-family homes and duplexes.

Under the Bastrop County Flood Damage Prevention Order, “development” means any man-made change to improved and unimproved real estate, including buildings or other structures, filling, grading, paving, and excavation. The Order requires a development permit for any development. If your project involves grading or fill, ask Bastrop County Development Services whether it counts as development.

Asbestos surveys and state notice

The DSHS demolition flowchart from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) sums up state and federal asbestos law for demolition. For a single-family house or a building of 4 or fewer units coming down with no other buildings on the site, state and federal asbestos rules don’t apply. OSHA worker-safety rules may still apply.

The DSHS flowchart says that if other buildings on the same site are coming down too, an asbestos survey is required, and DSHS must get notice at least 10 working days before demolition. If the survey finds more than 160 square feet, 260 linear feet, or 35 cubic feet of regulated asbestos material, that material must come out before demolition. A licensed asbestos abatement contractor does that removal. DSHS says commercial and public buildings are always covered.

Utilities and the 811 call

Before demolition, electric and gas providers disconnect service. Inside the City of Bastrop, water and wastewater are capped to city standards.

Under Texas Utilities Code Chapter 251, whoever digs with machinery 16 inches or deeper must notify the 811 center at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays, and no more than 14 days ahead. The law sets a civil penalty of $500 to $1,000 for skipping that notification. The call is free, and Texas811 alerts utility operators to mark their lines.

Old septic tanks

Under TCEQ rule 30 TAC 285.36, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requires a septic tank nobody will use again to be abandoned. A hauler registered with TCEQ pumps out the tank, then it’s filled to ground level with clean fill. The fill must have pieces under three inches and contain no organic or construction debris.

Bastrop County requires a septic permit for a new system regardless of acreage. For a new home with no public sewer, Bastrop County requires the development and septic permit applications to go in together.

Scrapping a mobile home

Under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1201, a manufactured home that’s scrapped, dismantled, or destroyed is salvaged. The owner of a salvaged used home applies to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) for a new statement of ownership showing salvage.

Under TDHCA salvaged home procedures, the application for a statement of ownership needs the salvage box checked and $55 paid by cashier’s check or money order to TDHCA-MHD. TDHCA says a salvaged home can be sold only to a licensed retailer. Check the current form with TDHCA before filing.

Demolition permits, asbestos, and utilities in Bastrop County