Two pieces of infrastructure come with most Lake Conroe waterfront homes, and they move to a buyer in different ways. Under 30 TAC Chapter 285, septic permits follow a defined transfer rule. The dock is a different matter. It extends onto a reservoir regulated by the San Jacinto River Authority, and it can stay there only under a license the homeowner signs, which SJRA can revoke. SJRA's public materials don't say how that license changes hands. That leaves the dock as the piece of a Lake Conroe purchase most likely to need paperwork before closing.
The Dock Runs on an SJRA License
SJRA states plainly that owning waterfront property does not, by itself, give you the right to build, operate or maintain a private residential structure on the reservoir or on SJRA land. A proper license is required, and SJRA can revoke it. The homeowner signs the license agreement, not the builder or contractor. Where a subdivision has an HOA, POA or architectural committee, that approval is also part of the application.
SJRA's own budget says it outright. "Annual permits are required for all boat docks on Lake Conroe," according to the authority's FY2027 operating budget, which covers September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027.
The license agreement, revised in September 2014, reads like a contract because it is one. Once SJRA accepts it in writing, it is binding on the licensee and on the licensee's "heirs, assigns, and any other person claiming by, under, or through Licensee." Three of its terms matter most when a home is about to sell:
- Deed restrictions. If the dock or its use violates a deed restriction or a covenant that runs with the land, the license becomes void automatically, and SJRA doesn't have to take any action for that to happen.
- Lapses. Breaking SJRA rules also voids the license automatically. A licensee who lets the agreement lapse and later wants it reinstated pays a reinstatement fee set by SJRA.
- Unpaid fees. If annual fees go unpaid, the license is considered revoked. The structure then counts as a "purpresture and trespass," subject to penalties and to removal by SJRA at the owner's expense.
The heirs-and-assigns wording is as close as the agreement gets to discussing a sale. It doesn't lay out a procedure for a new owner, and the SJRA pages we reviewed don't say whether a license carries over to a buyer, gets reissued, or has to be applied for again. The safe approach is to ask SJRA directly, in writing, before closing.
What the Annual Fee Actually Measures
Under the rate schedule the SJRA board adopted on September 1, 2010, the residential structure fee is $0.188 per square foot per year, with a $60 annual minimum. The FY2027 budget, adopted in August 2026, says dock fees are "expected to remain the same for FY2027 at $0.188 per square-foot." SJRA projects $1,191,870 in revenue from dock fees and other lake licensing and permitting this fiscal year.
The measurement rule matters more than the rate. SJRA counts the dock's footprint plus the area of any vessel extending past the bulkhead at full-pool level, even when the lake is lower. The license agreement backs that up, requiring fees "regardless of the level or condition of Lake Conroe." A fully cut-in slip, surrounded by land on three sides, pays the $60 minimum. A partly cut-in slip pays the minimum plus the area that extends past the bulkhead.
Here is some simple math for a buyer comparing two listings:
- A fully cut-in slip pays $60 a year.
- A 400-square-foot dock over open water pays $75.20 a year at $0.188 per square foot.
- A 1,000-square-foot dock and boathouse pays $188 a year.
None of these amounts will break a budget. Missing a payment is what does the damage, because an unpaid fee is the event that revokes the license.
The Septic Permit Moves on Its Own
Septic follows a different set of rules and a different path. Texas regulates on-site sewage facilities under 30 TAC Chapter 285, and the rule on transfers is one sentence long:
"Permits shall be transferred to a new owner automatically upon sale or other legal transfer of an OSSF."
Around the lake, SJRA is the permitting authority. Any septic system installed within 2,075 feet of the reservoir shoreline needs an SJRA permit. SJRA's OSSF order took effect June 1, 2016. Montgomery County's own OSSF order excludes areas already covered by another order. A home near the water therefore deals with SJRA for septic as well as for the dock.
SJRA's posted fee sheet lists a $300 construction permit and initial inspection, a $260 reinspection, and an "On-Site Sewage Facility Transfer" fee of $100. The public OSSF pages don't explain when the transfer fee applies or which form goes with it, and the fee sheet carries no printed effective date. Treat the $100 as an item to confirm with SJRA, not a settled closing cost.
The Aerobic System Clause
Aerobic systems carry an extra condition. Before a system that needs continuous maintenance can be authorized, the owner records an affidavit in the county deed records. The affidavit states that the permit transfers to the new owner. It also states that after the initial two-year service policy, the owner of a single-family aerobic system must either sign a maintenance contract within 30 days of the transfer or maintain the system personally.
SJRA's order narrows the personal-maintenance option. An owner can maintain the system personally only if it serves a single-family dwelling that is the owner's primary residence and the owner meets one of these qualifications:
- a TCEQ maintenance provider license
- a Class D or higher wastewater treatment license
- completion of a TCEQ-approved Basic Maintenance Provider Course
- completion of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension course on aerobic systems, B-6235
Every other owner needs a written contract with a TCEQ-licensed maintenance provider. A buyer purchasing a weekend or second home on an aerobic system doesn't meet the primary-residence condition, so the 30-day maintenance contract becomes part of the closing timeline. SJRA can also inspect any OSSF periodically, at whatever frequency it considers appropriate.
Bulkheads Add a Third File
A bulkhead has its own SJRA permit. The application asks for a survey by a registered professional land surveyor, construction plans and materials, and proof of SJRA permission if the bulkhead would sit on SJRA property. Any change or addition requires another approval from SJRA Operations. SJRA's bulkhead application also includes an office-use "Dock Compliant" field, so the authority's records on one structure can affect a request involving another. A buyer who plans to replace or extend a bulkhead after closing benefits from knowing the dock's status first.
Where the Paths Meet Before Closing
Most of this can be handled online. SJRA launched its Customer Portal in 2024, and the portal takes applications for docks, bulkheading, on-site sewage facilities, buoys, pools, irrigation, dredging and lake events. It also handles payments and lists preferred vendors approved to work on and around Lake Conroe. "This tool allows customers to connect with us anytime, anywhere," said Heather Ramsey, SJRA's Director of Communications and Public Affairs, in a January 2026 SJRA post.
A practical sequence for the option period:
- Ask the seller for the SJRA license number and proof that annual dock fees are current.
- Compare the dock's footprint at full pool with the square footage on the license.
- Confirm HOA, POA or architectural committee approval where the subdivision requires it.
- Ask SJRA in writing how the license and the account will move to the buyer at closing.
- Find out whether the septic system is aerobic, and if it is, line up a TCEQ-licensed maintenance provider in time to sign within 30 days.
- Ask SJRA whether the $100 OSSF transfer fee applies to this sale.
- Collect any bulkhead permit and survey on file.
A Few Quick Answers
Does the dock fee go up if the lake is low when I buy? The fee doesn't change with the lake level. SJRA measures at full pool and charges the same rate whatever the lake's condition.
Has the dock rate changed for this fiscal year? No. SJRA's FY2027 budget keeps the rate at $0.188 per square foot.
Does a sale trigger a septic inspection? The state rule ties inspections to construction, and none of the rules we reviewed name a sale as a trigger. SJRA keeps the authority to inspect periodically.
Who signs the dock license? The homeowner signs it, not the builder or contractor.
Planning to buy or sell on Lake Conroe? The Property Joes Group can help you collect the SJRA dock license records, septic details and bulkhead files early in the option period, so the dock's status is confirmed in writing well before closing day. Start Your Home Journey Today.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
