TXBuilding permits in Texas
Permit rules are set city by city. Pick yours below to see which projects need a permit, where the size cutoffs fall, and how to apply.
Cities covered
28
Projects each
17
How Texas works
Texas does not impose one residential building code on its cities. Each city adopts its own edition of the International Residential Code and amends it, so the answer genuinely differs from town to town. There is no statewide shortcut — you have to check the city you're building in.
Compare all cities on one job
Useful if you build across town lines: one table per project type, showing where every city in Texas draws the line.
- Fence 28 cities
- Deck 28 cities
- Shed 28 cities
- Swimming Pool 28 cities
- Roof Replacement 28 cities
- Water Heater 28 cities
- HVAC Replacement 28 cities
- Electrical Panel 28 cities
- Demolition 28 cities
- Driveway 28 cities
- Tree Removal 28 cities
- Sign 28 cities
- Short-Term Rental 28 cities
- ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) 28 cities
- Garage 28 cities
- Basement 28 cities
- Above-Ground Pool 28 cities
Cities
- Houston 2,390k
- San Antonio 1,527k
- Austin 994k
- El Paso 682k
- Corpus Christi 317k
- Plano 293k
- Laredo 261k
- McKinney 228k
- Grand Prairie 207k
- Amarillo 204k
- Brownsville 192k
- Denton 166k
- Killeen 161k
- Mesquite 150k
- Pasadena 150k
- Waco 147k
- Midland 144k
- Lewisville 136k
- Round Rock 135k
- Abilene 131k
- Pearland 130k
- College Station 128k
- League City 118k
- Richardson 118k
- New Braunfels 116k
- Conroe 115k
- Allen 114k
- Sugar Land 110k