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New Residential Construction Permit in Houston, Texas

Residential construction: new homes or residential accessory structures, remodel or conversion of existing buildings, or additions to existing buildings. (HPWCODE1136)

Reviewed 2026-09-06 · Source

When you need this permit

  • May require approval by any or all of the following groups based on scope or other conditions: Structural, Planning, Utilities, Stormwater, Traffic, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Infrastructure, Forestry, Sprinklers, Fire Marshal, Health, Engineering, Flood Plain.
  • Based on scope of work, architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sprinkler/standpipe, fire alarm, and fire-suppression drawings may be required for plan review.

Required documents

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Fee schedule

Review timeline

Plan reviewHouston’s published plan-review target
15–15 business days

How long did your New Residential Construction Permit permit actually take in Houston?

Anonymous — one question, no email. Answers are combined and only shown once at least 5 people have reported.

Inspection process

  1. 1

    Structural inspection (Houston Public Works Structural Inspections). Permit and plans must be on-site.

  2. 2

    Effective immediately per the city's own page: a legal form survey must be provided to the inspector at the first scheduled structural inspection, for all new construction and additions that extend the existing footprint (slab-on-grade and pier-and-beam foundations).

See the full Houston inspection guide — scheduling & re-inspection fees →

Frequently asked questions

Houston requires a new residential construction permit for: May require approval by any or all of the following groups based on scope or other conditions: Structural, Planning, Utilities, Stormwater, Traffic, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Infrastructure, Forestry, Sprinklers, Fire Marshal, Health, Engineering, Flood Plain.; Based on scope of work, architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, sprinkler/standpipe, fire alarm, and fire-suppression drawings may be required for plan review.. If your project isn't listed, confirm with Houston Permitting Center — Building Code Enforcement, Permits Office at 832.394.8899 before starting work.

Houston's published plan-review target for a new residential construction permit is 15–15 business days.

You'll need: Building Permit Application; Declaration in Support of Application for City of Houston Building Permit; Complete Set of Plans Uploaded (via ProjectDox); Residential Prerequisite Checklist (CE-1301) and the documentation listed on it. See the required-documents checklist on this page for details on each.

Houston requires 2 inspection(s) for a new residential construction permit, in order: Structural inspection (Houston Public Works Structural Inspections). Permit and plans must be on-site., Effective immediately per the city's own page: a legal form survey must be provided to the inspector at the first scheduled structural inspection, for all new construction and additions that extend the existing footprint (slab-on-grade and pier-and-beam foundations).. Schedule each through Houston Permitting Center — Building Code Enforcement, Permits Office (832.394.8899).

Apply through Houston Permitting Center — Building Code Enforcement, Permits Office at 1002 Washington Ave., 1st Floor, Houston, TX 77002. Phone: 832.394.8899, email: permits_office@houstontx.gov. Office hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Official information: https://www.houstonpermittingcenter.org/building-code-enforcement/permits.

Houston, Texas has adopted: 2021 International Residential Code, with Houston Amendments (ICC) — effective January 1, 2024; 2021 International Building Code, with Houston Amendments (ICC) — effective January 1, 2024; 2021 International Existing Building Code, with Houston Amendments (ICC) — effective January 1, 2024; 2021 International Fire Code, with Houston Amendments (ICC) — effective January 1, 2024; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, with Houston Amendments — Residential (ICC) — effective January 1, 2024; 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, with Houston Amendments — Commercial (ICC) — effective January 1, 2024; 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code, with Houston Amendments (IAPMO) — effective January 1, 2024; 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, with Houston Amendments (IAPMO) — effective January 1, 2024; 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code, with Houston Amendments (ICC) — effective January 1, 2024; 2022 Minimum Design Loads & Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures, ASCE 7 (ASCE/SEI) — effective January 1, 2024; ASHRAE 90.1-2019, with Houston Amendments — Commercial (ASHRAE) — effective January 1, 2024; Sign Code, Chapter 46 of the Houston Building Code (City of Houston) — effective July 29, 2020; 2023 National Electrical Code, State Mandated, with Administrative Code Provisions (NFPA) — code effective September 1, 2023 / administrative provisions effective January 1, 2024 — SUPERSEDED, see note below; 2021 Code Words — various sections interpreted and administrative policies (City of Houston). Local amendments apply — see the Houston overview page for the full list.

Sources & verification

Key facts verified against official sources. Last reviewed 2026-09-06.

Department & other records

Fees, timelines, and adopted codes are researched from each jurisdiction's published records — see how we verify. Requirements change and vary by project, so always confirm the current details with the Houston building department before you submit. PermitBase is an independent reference and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Houston's permit history isn't searchable here yet

This page covers what the permit requires. What we don't have for Houston 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.

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