El Paso building permits
Department contacts, adopted codes, permit types, fees, and gotchas for El Paso, Texas.
Last verified 2026-09-06 · Source · Embed this page’s badge · Version history
Building department
- Address
- 811 Texas Ave., El Paso, TX 79901
- Phone
- (915) 212-0104
- Office hours
- Call Center: Mon-Thu 7:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Fri 8:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Lobby: Mon-Thu 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Fri 8:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (effective Oct 30, 2023)
- Website
- Official site
Inspection guide
See how inspections work in El Paso — sequence, scheduling & re-inspection fees.
Codes adopted
Texas adopts the International Residential Code as it existed on May 1, 2012 as the municipal residential building code, by statute rather than through a state agency. A municipality may adopt local amendments that add, modify, or remove requirements set by that code, and may review and consider later International Code Council changes but is not obliged to. The statutory edition does not advance on a cycle.
- 2021 International Building Code (ICC) — El Paso Municipal Code Ch. 18.08
- 2021 International Residential Code (ICC) — El Paso Municipal Code Ch. 18.10
- 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (ICC) — El Paso Municipal Code Ch. 18.70
- 2021 International Mechanical Code (ICC) — El Paso Municipal Code Ch. 18.12
- 2020 NFPA 70 National Electrical Code — El Paso Municipal Code Ch. 18.16
- 2021 International Plumbing Code (ICC) — El Paso Municipal Code Ch. 18.20
- 2021 International Fuel Gas Code (ICC) — El Paso Municipal Code Ch. 18.24
- 2021 International Existing Building Code (ICC) — El Paso Municipal Code Ch. 18.28
- 2021 International Fire Code (ICC), per City's own 'Currently Adopted Codes and Amendments' summary
- 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code (ICC) — El Paso Municipal Code Ch. 18.30
- 2021 International Property Maintenance Code (ICC), per City's own 'Currently Adopted Codes and Amendments' summary
- Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) under the Architectural Barriers Act (Tex. Gov't Code Ch. 469) and ICC/ANSI A117.1-2009
- Locally authored 'Recommended Requirements to Code Officials for Solar Heating, Cooling and Hot Water Systems' (not an ICC-numbered edition) — El Paso Municipal Code Ch. 18.32
- Outdoor Lighting Code, Landscape Code, and Irrigation Systems regulations — El Paso Municipal Code Chs. 18.18, 18.46, 18.47 (locally authored, not ICC editions)
Permit types & fees
Building Permit
A permit is required to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure within the City of El Paso's jurisdiction. A homeowner may be issued a permit to perform such work on property they own, upon proof of ownership.
See fee scheduleElectrical Permit
A separate subcontractor permit is required for electrical work under the City's technical codes; electrical contracting must be performed under a licensed master electrician or a registered employer of one.
See fee schedulePlumbing Permit
A separate subcontractor permit is required for plumbing work under the City's technical codes; plumbing contracting must be performed under a licensed master plumber or a registered employer of one.
See fee scheduleMechanical Permit
A separate subcontractor permit is required for mechanical (HVAC) work under the City's technical codes; mechanical contracting must be performed by a Texas-licensed contractor.
See fee scheduleDemolition Permit
A demolition permit is required before any person proceeds with the demolition or partial demolition of a building, classified by the City into three levels based on the gross floor area being demolished, with fees and requirements that scale with level.
See fee scheduleRoofing Permit
A permit is required for reroofing or roof-recovering work; only a final inspection is required once the work is complete.
See fee scheduleFence Permit
A permit is required to construct a fence. For one- or two-family dwellings, fences may be permitted under the same permit as the principal building or structure, provided the fence is on the same site/lot and under the same ownership.
See fee scheduleSwimming Pool / Spa Permit
A building permit is required for pools and ponds over 24 inches of depth, or above-ground pools containing 5,000 gallons of water or more, under the City's adopted 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code.
See fee scheduleSolar Permit
Solar installations (solar panels, solar shingles, and solar heating systems) require building, electrical, and/or plumbing permits, and are also subject to the City's Solar Ready provisions under the Energy Conservation Code and its own locally authored solar heating/cooling standard.
See fee schedule
El Paso's permit history isn't searchable here yet
This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for El Paso yet is the record of permits actually issued — the history you'd search by street address. That is a gap in our coverage, not a statement about any particular property.
Your email, and the place — never an address. We only use it to tell you when El Paso lands. Privacy.
New residential construction activity
New privately-owned residential construction onlyHousing units authorized by building permits for new privately-owned residential construction — this is not total permit volume (no commercial permits or remodels).
- Latest month (2026-08)
- No data reported
- Trailing 12 months
- No data reported
- Year to date (2026 YTD)
- No data reported
- Full year 2025
- No data reported
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (BPS), 2026-08 vintage. Census survey data — separate from the permit-requirements verification above. All Texas building activity
Tips & gotchas
- No permit is required for like-for-like replacement of switches, receptacles, fuses, fans, or light fixtures that don't alter mechanical/electrical/plumbing systems, or for one accessory storage structure under 200 sq. ft. per site (not over a utility easement).
- Pools/ponds 24 in. deep or shallower, or above-ground pools holding under 5,000 gallons, are exempt from permitting.
- Properties in a historic district or designated as a historic landmark require City review for historic appropriateness before construction, alteration, or demolition — even where no building permit is otherwise required.
- For one- and two-family dwellings, a fence can be permitted under the same permit as the principal structure if on the same site/lot and under common ownership — a separate fence permit isn't always needed.
- Starting work without a permit carries a penalty: double the permit fee for a homeowner working on their own residence, triple the fee for a contractor.
- As of Sept. 1, 2025, Residential and Commercial Submittal Fee Deposits ($200 residential / $400 commercial) are charged and later credited toward the permit fee.
- THE CITY PUBLISHES A PHISHING ALERT IN ITS OWN WORDS, at the top of the Planning & Inspections page: "Phishing Alert: Scammers are posing as The City of El Paso Planning & Inspections Department, asking for a fake 'City Compensation Fee'." The department number on the same page is (915) 212-0104. Note the specific invention - a "City Compensation Fee" is not a real charge, so the name itself is the tell.