5 published records
Business licenses and permits in Webb County, Texas
Webb County, Texas, sits on the Rio Grande with its seat in the City of Laredo. The county-level permits listed here apply in the unincorporated areas of the county and come from the Webb County Planning Department at 902 Victoria Street, Laredo: a Development Determination that the county requires before any other application, a Floodplain Development Permit for development in a regulated flood hazard area, an on-site sewage facility (septic) permit, and a Certificate of Compliance for each new utility meter. The county Flood Damage Prevention Order, revised August 12, 2019, governs development within the unincorporated areas. Separately, the Webb County Tax Assessor-Collector collects a per-machine fee on coin-operated machines. The county's General Information Map lists three incorporated areas: Laredo, Rio Bravo and El Cenizo. Each of these cities runs its own business, building, health and permit rules, which stack on top of any county requirement listed here.
What are you opening in Webb County?
- RestaurantsFull-service restaurants carry the densest permit load of any small business: food, fire, occupancy, waste, and usually alcohol.See the full permit list
- Coffee shopsCafés are permitted as food service establishments even where no cooking happens, and the plan review step catches most operators by surprise.See the full permit list
- Retail storesRetail is the lightest common permit load, but the sales tax permit and the certificate of occupancy are non-negotiable in every jurisdiction.See the full permit list
- Salons and barbersPersonal care is licensed at state board level as well as locally, so the shop license and the practitioner licenses are separate obligations.See the full permit list
- Fitness studiosPrepaid memberships trigger state registration and often a surety bond, which catches operators who budgeted only for the fit-out.See the full permit list
- Childcare centresThe heaviest permit load of any small business: state agency licensing, per-person background checks, and a stricter fire standard than ordinary commercial use.See the full permit list
- Contractors and tradesLicensed at state board level rather than locally, and the only common category with no premises permits at all — the bond is usually the long pole.See the full permit list
- Auto repair shopsOrdinary commercial permitting plus an environmental layer: waste oil, solvents and stormwater are each registered separately.See the full permit list
- Veterinary clinicsA state facility permit, controlled substances registration at both state and federal level, and a medical waste manifest — none of which a general business license covers.See the full permit list
Permits that apply to every type of business in Webb County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development Determination (Floodplain Exemption Certificate or Development Compliance Notice), Unincorporated Webb Countyonly if it applies to you | Webb County Planning Department | Residential / Non-Residential $30; Commercial $100. Figures as published on the Webb County Planning Department's Development & Utility Application & Required Support Data page; payment by money order, cashier's check or in-person credit card. | per application; the county page, form and order state no term | 2026-10-19 |
| Floodplain Development Permit, Unincorporated Webb Countyonly if it applies to you | Webb County Planning Department | Residential / Non-Residential $50 per structure/development; Commercial $200 per structure/development. Figures as published on the Webb County Planning Department's Development & Utility Application & Required Support Data page. | construction must start within 180 days of issue or the permit is void; two six-month extensions may be obtained on written request made before it lapses | 2026-10-19 |
| On-Site Sewage Facility (Septic) Permit, Unincorporated Webb Countyonly if it applies to you | Webb County Planning Department | Residential $310; Institutional / Commercial $410, listed on the page as "On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Application / Transfer / Septic System Application Fees". Decommission Application $50. Figures as published on the Webb County Planning Department's Development & Utility Application & Required Support Data page. | per installation or transfer; the county page and forms state no term | 2026-10-19 |
| Certificate of Compliance for Utility Connection, Unincorporated Webb Countyonly if it applies to you | Webb County Planning Department | Residential / Agricultural $30 each meter; Commercial $100 each meter. Figures as published on the Webb County Planning Department's Development & Utility Application & Required Support Data page. | per utility connection request; the county page and form state no term | 2026-10-19 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
What do these permits involve in Webb County?
Development Determination (Floodplain Exemption Certificate or Development Compliance Notice), Unincorporated Webb County
Before building, substantially improving, repairing or otherwise developing a business site in the unincorporated areas of Webb County, the owner applies to the Webb County Planning Department for a Development Determination, which the department's application page lists as "Required Prior to Any Other Application". Article 3, Section C of the county's Flood Damage Prevention Order requires a floodplain determination by the Floodplain Administrator for all construction and other development in the unincorporated areas, and bars development activity until it is issued. The county's form explains that the determination is issued through either a Floodplain Exemption Certificate (EC) or a Development Compliance Notice (DCN), says "No construction or development should commence until the issuance of EC or CA", requires a garbage collection service contract for every waste-producing facility, and makes each request subject to an on-site inspection. As published on the Planning Department's application page, the fee is $30 for a residential or non-residential request and $100 for a commercial one. Planning Department: 902 Victoria St., Laredo, 956-523-4100.
Floodplain Development Permit, Unincorporated Webb County
When the Development Determination shows that a project in unincorporated Webb County will occur within or otherwise impact a regulated flood hazard area, Article 3, Section C(4) of the county's Flood Damage Prevention Order requires a Floodplain Development Permit. Article 3, Section B makes regulated areas include land within 100 feet of a Zone A designation on the flood insurance rate map and within 100 feet of a stream center line on USGS or US Topo maps, unless an acceptable hydrologic and hydraulic study shows otherwise. The order sets an eighteen-inch freeboard and names child or elderly daycare centers among Class 1 critical facilities, which matters for a childcare site. Under Article 4, Section C(4), construction must start within 180 days of issue or the permit is void, and a revised flood map, LOMA or LOMR before construction starts requires a new permit. As published on the Planning Department's application page, the fee is $50 per structure or development for residential or non-residential work and $200 for commercial work; the Development Compliance Notice is among the required documents. Planning Department: 956-523-4100.
On-Site Sewage Facility (Septic) Permit, Unincorporated Webb County
A business site in unincorporated Webb County that is not on public sewer needs a septic permit from the Webb County Planning Department before a system is installed. The county's Septic Tank Permit Application offers a residential or an institutional system and is filed with the floodplain determination, a site evaluation, a professional site plan and planning materials; if the lot is less than one-half acre, the form requires the system to be designed by a professional engineer or registered sanitarian. A final inspection is required before any component is covered, with two business days' notice to the Planning Department at 956-523-4100. As published on the department's application page, the OSSF application, transfer or septic system application fee is $310 for a residential system and $410 for an institutional or commercial one, and a decommission application is $50. A separate transfer form moves an existing authorization to a succeeding owner. The forms refer to Webb County's On-Site Sewage Facility Order.
Certificate of Compliance for Utility Connection, Unincorporated Webb County
A business that needs new water, sewer or electric service at a site in unincorporated Webb County obtains a Certificate of Compliance from the Webb County Planning Department for each meter. The county's application form states that "Certificates of Compliance or similar authorizations by Webb County for the connection of public utility services shall not be issued until after the Floodplain Administrator has approved the structure and/or development", and that submitting a request with the fees does not guarantee approval. The department's page lists the required documents: the original application, recorded ownership, a copy of ID or driver's license, the Development Compliance Notice, the Floodplain Exemption or Floodplain Development Permit, and a garbage disposal contract; an electrical request also needs water and sewer confirmation or the OSSF License Number. As published on that page, the fee is $30 per meter for residential or agricultural service and $100 per meter for commercial service.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Development & Utility Application & Required Support DataWebb County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- Flood Damage Prevention Order (Adopted: March 25, 2008; Revised: August 12, 2019)Webb County Commissioners Court · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- Webb County Planning Department Development Determination & Utility Connection ApplicationWebb County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- Webb County General Information MapWebb County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- Floodplain Development ApplicationWebb County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- On-Site Sewage Facility (OSSF) Application (Septic Tank Permit Application)Webb County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- OSSF Transfer ApplicationWebb County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- Certificate of Compliance Application (Development Determination & Utility Connection Application)Webb County Planning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
Who issues business permits in Webb County?
Permitting in Webb County is split across 2 agencies we hold records for, with tax registration handled at state level. No single office issues everything, which is why an opening usually means filing in several places rather than one.
Webb County issuing agencies
- Webb County Planning DepartmentDevelopment Determinations (Floodplain Exemption Certificate or Development Compliance Notice) in the unincorporated areas of Webb County · Floodplain Development Permits; the Floodplain Administrator serves in this department · On-site sewage facility (septic) applications, transfers and decommissioning · Certificates of Compliance for public utility connections4 permits
- Webb County Tax Assessor-CollectorCollects the county permit fee on each coin-operated machine placed in operation in Webb County1 permit
Other Texas jurisdictions we cover
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.