Putting a mobile home on your land in East Texas

A lot of East Texas moves end on a few acres outside town. TDHCA records show more manufactured homes going into Smith, Henderson, Angelina and Polk counties than into Gregg County, which holds most of Longview (see the county data) [16]. Here's what to line up before the home rolls.

1. Can the home go there?

• Deed and subdivision restrictions come first; many rural subdivisions limit age, size or type of home.
• Inside city limits, zoning applies. Since September 1, 2026, cities with zoning must allow new HUD-code homes by right somewhere in town [13]. SB 785 explained.

2. Septic (OSSF)

A permit and approved plan are needed to build, alter, repair, extend or operate an on-site sewage facility. Apply to the permitting authority for your county; where no local program is authorized, the TCEQ regional office handles it. The authority must approve or deny within 30 days [15].

The "10-acre rule": a system serving a single-family home on a tract of 10 acres or more can be exempt from permitting, but it still has to meet the state's design and installation standards, and your county can be stricter. Confirm with the permitting authority before you rely on it [15]. Most permits need a site evaluation by a licensed site evaluator or professional engineer first [15].

3. The move and setup

• TxDMV single-trip permit, $40 per section; escorts for sections over 16 feet wide [5].
• A TDHCA-licensed installer blocks, levels and anchors the home and files Form T within 7 days ($75 for one section, $25 each extra) [9] [10].
• Wind zone: the East Texas counties we cover are Wind Zone I. Coastal Wind Zone II counties have stricter rules for homes built after September 1, 1997 [11].

4. Title

After the move, apply to TDHCA for a new Statement of Ownership with the new location and a copy of the moving permit. A lienholder must be paid off or consent in writing [8].

5. Utilities

Ask your electric provider or co-op and your water supplier (or well driller) about connection lead times before you set a move date. Rural hookups can take weeks.

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