Demolition permits across Texas
Where each city draws the line on demolition work. Sort any column — useful if you build across several towns and need to know where the rules change.
Cities compared
28
Always need one
14
Depends on size
0
| Where the line falls | Fee | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 2,390,125 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| San Antonio | 1,526,656 | Yes | Demolishing a structure or part of one needs a demolition… | — |
| Austin | 993,588 | Yes | You need a demolition permit from the building official b… | The code does not print a dollar amount. Austin sets permit… |
| El Paso | 681,723 | Yes | Tearing down a building or structure, or any part of one,… | You pay the established demolition fee for a building, a st… |
| Corpus Christi | 317,317 | Yes | Demolishing a structure or part of one needs a demolition… | Residential demolition permit is $266.20 (commercial $532.4… |
| Plano | 293,286 | Yes | Tearing down a building or structure, or part of one, nee… | You pay the permit fee set in the City of Plano building in… |
| Laredo | 261,260 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| McKinney | 227,526 | Unconfirmed | — | You pay demolition permit fees set in the city's building-p… |
| Grand Prairie | 207,331 | Yes | Demolishing a structure or part of one needs a demolition… | — |
| Amarillo | 203,729 | Yes | You need a demolition permit from the building official b… | The code does not print a flat demolition amount. A deposit… |
| Brownsville | 191,967 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Denton | 165,998 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Killeen | 160,616 | Yes | You need a permit before you demolish a building or struc… | The code does not print a dollar amount. The city sets perm… |
| Mesquite | 150,140 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Pasadena | 149,617 | Unconfirmed | — | No permit is less than a $50 minimum (Sec. 9-60). |
| Waco | 146,608 | Yes | You need a permit before you demolish a structure or part… | The code does not print a dollar amount. The city council s… |
| Midland | 143,687 | Unconfirmed | — | The code does not print a dollar amount; fees are set in th… |
| Lewisville | 135,983 | Unconfirmed | — | Fees are set by the city fee schedule (Sec. 2-201). |
| Round Rock | 135,359 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Abilene | 130,501 | Yes | No size threshold in the code | — |
| Pearland | 129,620 | Unconfirmed | — | Set by Appendix A, Building Fee Schedule; the code does not… |
| College Station | 128,023 | Yes | No size threshold in the code | A demolition permit fee is set in the city fee schedule. |
| League City | 118,456 | Unconfirmed | — | Permit and plan-review fees are set by city council in the … |
| Richardson | 118,221 | Yes | No size threshold in the code | Set by the Master Fee Schedule |
| New Braunfels | 116,477 | Unconfirmed | — | Appendix D sets a residential building demolition fee of $1… |
| Conroe | 114,581 | Yes | Any demolition (a demolition permit must be obtained befo… | A demolition permit fee applies, set in Appendix A. |
| Allen | 113,746 | Unconfirmed | — | — |
| Sugar Land | 109,851 | Yes | Demolishing a structure or part of one needs a permit. R1… | Residential demolition permit: base fee $72.00 (Sec. 2-137)… |
“Unconfirmed” means the city's code doesn't state the rule plainly enough to publish. Those city pages link straight to the ordinance section instead.
Why neighboring cities disagree
Every city starts from a model code and then edits it. One town raises the shed cutoff, the next lowers the fence height, a third exempts the structure where its neighbor only exempts repairs to it. None of that is visible from a national article — you have to read each ordinance, which is what these pages do.