Entitlement guides
Each constraint, explained in plain English.
These guides cover the checks VALITER runs on every site, in the order we run them. Each one says what the rule is, why it can stop a deal, who decides, and what to ask early.
Stage 1 · Where and whose
Where and whose.
Whose rules apply, and what is already recorded against the land.
Stage 2 · Legal footing
Legal footing.
Whether the lot can be built on, and which version of the rules governs it.
Stage 3 · The land
The land.
Water, terrain and environment: the constraints that shape how much you can build.
The Edwards Aquifer
Recharge and contributing zones, state plans, and local overlays that add time and cost.
Read the guideFloodplain
Effective, preliminary and local flood maps, and why one parcel can have three different lines.
Read the guideImpervious cover
How much of the site can be paved or built on, and how the limit is calculated.
Read the guideStage 4 · Service
Service.
Access and utilities: what the site needs from the road and the providers.
Access and driveways
Driveway permits, spacing, traffic studies and frontage that the road agency controls.
Read the guideWater and wastewater
Who provides service, whether there is capacity, and what it takes to connect.
Read the guideSeptic (OSSF)
On-site sewage systems for sites without sewer, and what the soil and the county decide.
Read the guideFire flow
Whether the water system can deliver the flow the fire code requires for your building.
Read the guidePower
Electric service, line extensions and equipment lead times that can set the schedule.
Read the guideStage 5 · The shape
The shape.
With the constraints known, where the building actually fits.
More to read
Keep going.
These guides are general orientation, not legal or engineering advice. Rules differ by city, county and utility, and they change. Confirm requirements with the approving authority and your licensed professionals before you rely on them.
Waitlist open · Starting in Central Texas
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VALITER opens to a small group first, starting in Central Texas. Teams with a live site get in first.