Planning Services

Zoning, variances, abandonments, plats, short-term rental permits, historic preservation, addressing.

• Zoning map
• City of Waco Public Map
• Planning Calendar(PDF, 166KB)
• Planning Fee Schedule(PDF, 142KB)

Planning, Inspections and Code Compliance are all divisions of Development Services. The department administers zoning, land use, and subdivision regulations to ensure the orderly, safe, and responsible development of Waco in accordance with the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

We assist policy makers, property owners, developers, and citizens in regard to zoning and development, and provides information to the public regarding census and demographic information, and development trends and impacts. We also provide support to the City Council, Plan Commission, and Board of Adjustment. Information on each of these boards and future meetings, public hearings, and agendas can be found on here. The Planning Department provides many services including zoning and development review and comprehensive and long-range planning.

Planners help shape the physical development of the city. Our department is responsible for reviewing development applications for compliance with the zoning ordinance, subdivision ordinance, special overlay districts, historic preservation requirements, and relevant design guidelines.

• Abandonments
• Annexation
• Encroachment Agreements
• Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ)
• Historic Preservation
• Plan Review
• Subdivision Platting
• Tax Foreclosed Properties for Sale (Property Management)
• Zoning and Land Use (including special permits and PUDs)
• Zoning Special District Overlays
• Zoning District Definitions
• Zoning Verification Request

We are also responsible for ensuring compliance with the zoning ordinance. Our zoning inspector responds to complaints of alleged zoning violations and initiates fair and unbiased enforcement action to correct violations and maintain neighborhood livability.

• Inspections
• Zoning Violations

We also process permits for on-site and off-site signs, short-term rentals, Open Air Vending/Food Trucks, Street Furnishing, and Farmer’s Markets

• Sign Permits
• Short Term Rentals
• Open Air Vending/Food Truck Permits

Planners also develop policy, gather data and analyze trends, initiate and develop area plans and other special studies, and implement the vision put forth in the city’s City Plan. Long-range planning provides an opportunity for the city, in partnership with its citizens, to shape the neighborhoods where we live, work or own property, through consideration of land use, zoning, transportation, and urban design elements.

• Comprehensive Plan
• Imagine Waco Plan(PDF, 6MB)
• Transportation Planning
• Demographics and Data
• Downtown Implementation Plan(PDF, 14MB)

The Mae Jackson Development Center is excited to bring you a new way of doing business with the launch of a new software system.

Log in today to our customer system called Citizen Self Service which will enable you to create a new account, to apply for all permits and applications, including a way to track and pay online.

Stay tuned for updates, tutorials, and new notifications and resources.