Montgomery County primarily handles permitting for unincorporated areas, while incorporated cities like Conroe and The Woodlands maintain their own building departments and zoning authority. Development in unincorporated areas is subject to county-level floodplain management and infrastructure regulations, while municipal areas enforce their own specific zoning and building codes.
The county enforces strict floodplain development regulations and requires specific drainage permits for construction projects in unincorporated areas to manage regional watershed impacts.
How this fits with the state
The state authority here is Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation; Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. The county file does not replace that — it adds the permit office, local overlays, and the actual filing path.
Source · City-by-city; Conroe, The Woodlands, and other municipalities manage their own independent permit portals.Last verified · 05 / 2026