Houston Permit Fee Estimator
Estimates based on the 2026 Building Code Enforcement Permit Fee Schedule, Ordinance No. 2023-907, effective January 1, 2026.
Estimates are based on the City of Houston 2026 Building Code Enforcement Permit Fee Schedule (Ordinance No. 2023-907), effective January 1, 2026. Plan review is figured at 25 percent of the estimated permit fee and is charged at plan submittal. Every permit carries a $33.56 administrative fee, and a $91.06 minimum permit fee applies. We are not a government agency and are not liable for differences between these estimates and final city billing. Fees are updated every January 1. Fee schedule current as of September 2026.
Building Permits in Houston: 2026 Guide
Houston keeps growing outward in every direction, from new subdivisions in Bridgeland to infill townhomes inside the loop. Whatever your project looks like, the permit fee is usually the first number you need. Here is how Houston actually figures it.
How Houston calculates your fee
Houston runs a 9-tier fee system set by Ordinance 2023-907, effective January 1, 2026. It is more sophisticated than most Texas cities, but the logic is simple once you see it.
Commercial projects, including new multi-family buildings and commercial remodels, are priced by the value of the work. The fee is a base charge plus a rate for every additional $1,000 of valuation or fraction thereof, which means any partial $1,000 chunk bills as a full one. A $50,000 job runs about $277. A $250,000 job runs about $1,302.
Single-family and duplex homes use the same 9 tiers, converted to square footage through a construction-type formula. A typical wood-frame home (Type VB) bills $5.36 for every additional 8.17 square feet or fraction thereof in the lower tiers, with the rate dropping as homes get larger. The estimator defaults to Type VB, the standard wood-frame home type.
Home remodels and alterations on single-family and duplex homes use the same residential table, priced on the project's square footage.
On top of the base fee, three things always apply: plan review at 25 percent of the permit fee (non-refundable, charged when you submit your plans), a $33.56 administrative fee per permit, and a $91.06 minimum permit fee that raises very small jobs up to that floor.
What that looks like in real numbers
- 2,000 square foot new home: $1,278 fee, plus $319.50 plan review and $33.56 admin, about $1,631.06 all in
- 1,800 square foot new home with the small-home discount: $583 fee, plus $145.75 plan review and $33.56 admin, about $762.31 all in
- $250,000 commercial remodel: $1,302 fee, plus $325.50 plan review and $33.56 admin, about $1,661.06 all in
- $50,000 commercial job: $277 fee, plus $69.25 plan review and $33.56 admin, about $379.81 all in
Our calculator above runs the city's exact tables, so the number you get is the number the tables produce.
Two discounts worth knowing about
New one- and two-family homes and townhouses of 1,800 square feet or less get a 50 percent discount on the permit fee, and our calculator applies it automatically. Designated historic buildings, or properties in a historic district with a certificate of appropriateness, also get 50 percent off. Check the historic box in the calculator if that applies to you.
One honest quirk worth knowing
Houston's published brackets have small jumps at the edges. A $150,000 project computes to $813, while $150,001 computes to $820. That is genuinely how the city's tables read. We implemented the tables exactly as published, and the city sets the final fee when you submit, so treat any estimate near a bracket edge as a ballpark.
The fee schedule changes every year
Unlike most Texas cities, Houston updates its fee amounts every January 1, while the 9-tier structure set by Ordinance 2023-907 stays in place. The next update is expected January 1, 2027. We re-verify these numbers every December.
What the estimate does not include
Trade permits for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC are separate and priced per item (outlets, fixtures, tons), not included in the structural permit estimate. Certificates of occupancy, reinspection fees ($94), and demolition permits are separate too. Starting work without a permit can bring an investigation fee of $333.42 or double the permit fee, whichever is greater, so the permit is always the cheap part.
How to Get a Building Permit in Houston, Texas
The short version: You apply online through the city's iPermits portal, pay the plan review fee, upload your plans, the Houston Permitting Center reviews them, you pay your permit fees, and then you schedule inspections as work progresses.
Do you actually need a permit?
In Houston, most real construction work needs one: new buildings, additions, structural changes, and anything touching electrical, plumbing, or mechanical systems. Cosmetic work like painting, flooring, and cabinets that does not touch structure or systems generally does not. When in doubt, a quick call to 832-394-9000 settles it, and that call is a lot cheaper than a stop-work order.
How to apply, step by step
- Figure out your permit type. Match your project to the city's categories: new residential construction, residential repair, new multi-family, new commercial, or commercial alterations. Each has its own submittal requirements.
- Gather your documents. Construction plans are required, and depending on the project you may need a site plan, survey, and energy code compliance forms.
- Apply online through iPermits. The city's portal at hpceservices.org handles applications around the clock. You apply first, pay the plan review fee (25 percent of the estimated permit fee), then receive an email invitation to upload your plans to ProjectDox. You can also visit the Houston Permitting Center in person at 1002 Washington Ave, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Satellite offices are available in Kingwood, Clear Lake, and Northwest Houston.
- Wait for plan review. The city's published processing time is 15 business days for new residential construction and 10 business days for residential repairs. The 30-Day Residential Permitting Pilot (launched July 2025) targets 7 business days for the first review cycle and 6 for the second on qualifying single-family projects, with a goal of approval in two cycles. Commercial projects do not have a published turnaround target. If reviewers send comments, you correct and resubmit, which starts another cycle.
- Pay your fees. Once plans are approved, you pay the permit fee plus the $33.56 administrative fee, and the permit is issued.
- Schedule inspections. Inspections happen at key milestones: foundation, framing, rough-ins, and final. Schedule through the automated inspection line at 713-222-9922.
In a hurry? A faster lane exists
The 30-Day Residential Permitting Pilot gives qualifying single-family projects a structured three-cycle review: 7 business days for the first cycle, 6 for the second, with an "Approved in 2" target. Early results were strong enough that the city is exploring scaling it. Separately, you can book appointments online to discuss plan review comments with reviewers, though those appointments are for discussing comments only.
How long does the whole process take?
Plan review for new residential construction is published at 15 business days, or 7 plus 6 for pilot projects. Houston has been publicly working through permit backlogs, and the 30-day pilot is the city's answer for single-family. As with every city, the biggest controllable factor is on your side: complete plans the first time through.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a building permit cost in Houston?
It depends on the project. A 2,000 square foot new home runs about $1,631.06 all in, an 1,800 square foot new home with the small-home discount runs about $762.31, and a $250,000 commercial remodel runs about $1,661.06. The calculator at the top of this page runs the city's exact tables.
Where do I apply for a Houston building permit?
Online through the iPermits portal at hpceservices.org, or in person at the Houston Permitting Center, 1002 Washington Ave.
How long does Houston plan review take?
The published processing time is 15 business days for new residential construction and 10 for residential repairs. The 30-Day Residential Permitting Pilot targets 7 business days for the first review cycle and 6 for the second. Commercial projects have no published target.
Do I need a permit for a remodel in Houston?
If the work touches electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or structural elements, yes. Purely cosmetic updates generally do not need one. When in doubt, call 832-394-9000.
Who do I contact with questions about my Houston permit?
The main line is 832-394-9000, the Permits Office is 832-394-8899, and Plan Review is 832-394-8810. Inspection scheduling is 713-222-9922.
Are Houston permit fees going up soon?
Fee amounts update every January 1, so the next update is expected January 1, 2027. We re-verify these numbers every December.
Real stories: why permits matter
These are real cases from around the country. The names and fines are real, and every one of them comes down to the same lesson: the permit is the cheap part.
The HGTV stars who skipped permits and paid $20,000 in penalties
HGTV hosts Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama of "Renovation Aloha" flipped houses on Oahu without waiting for building permits. Work on the show's Season 1 homes began before permits were approved, and one home's permit listed only windows and a carport while the crew did $425,000 of structural, electrical and plumbing work. The city revoked the permit and the couple paid $20,000 in penalties, then faced another $40,000 in fines for related rental violations.
Illustrates: even professionals with TV crews behind them cannot outrun the permit office, and fines follow the property.
Source: TV Insider
The New Jersey homeowner hit with a Stop Construction Order and weekly fines
Merrick Wilson of Lambertville, New Jersey, had tenants living in his garage and began installing a bathroom on an enclosed porch without permits. The city issued a Stop Construction Order and fined him $2,000 plus another $2,000 for each week the violations stayed open, and the penalties survived his appeal.
Illustrates: weekly fines turn a small unpermitted project into an open-ended bill.
Source: New Jersey Courts opinion (PDF)
The Florida treehouse that cost its owners 14 years and a $188,621 lien
Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen built a two-story treehouse at their beachfront resort in Holmes Beach, Florida, in 2011. The city cited them for building without a permit, and $125-a-day fines piled up for 14 years. A judge ordered the treehouse removed, it was demolished on August 29, 2024, and in July 2025 the city refused to reduce the resulting $188,621 lien.
Illustrates: fighting the permit office for a decade costs far more than the permit ever would.
Source: Anna Maria Island Sun
The $6.7 million estate with a secret second house built without permits
The owners of a palatial home in West Vancouver, assessed at more than $6.7 million, built a small second residence at the back of the property with no permits and no inspections. After a neighbor complaint, the city posted a Stop Work Order and ordered the 1,500-square-foot structure demolished, and the owners lost their appeal.
Illustrates: wealth does not exempt anyone from permits.
Source: News report (YouTube)
The $3 million "renovation" that was really a new house
Philip and Raven Garrow of West Vancouver pulled a permit to renovate a small house and add a garage, then demolished the original house entirely and built a massive ultra-modern home with almost no permits or inspections. After neighbors complained, the District issued Stop Work orders and asked the B.C. Supreme Court to force demolition at the owners' expense.
Illustrates: a permit for one thing does not cover doing something else.
Source: Canadian Contractor
The flipped rowhouse with an illegal, leaking gas tap
In 2003, Washington Post real estate columnist Jill Chodorov Kaminsky was representing a buyer on a newly flipped rowhouse in Washington, D.C. During the home inspection, they smelled gas and the inspector found the flipper had tapped into the gas meter illegally and it was leaking at an alarming rate. The deadly defect might have been caught earlier if the flip had been properly permitted and inspected.
Illustrates: unpermitted work can be genuinely dangerous, not just a paperwork problem.
Source: Washington Post column (PDF)
The South Florida homeowner facing foreclosure over the previous owner's unpermitted work
Angelica Martinez bought her South Florida home in 2019 after a clean title search. Years later, city inspectors found unpermitted work done by the previous owner, code enforcement fines piled up, and CBS News Miami reported her home was on the brink of foreclosure over violations she did not create.
Illustrates: unpermitted work follows the property, not the person who did it.
Source: CBS News Miami (YouTube)
The Bethesda homeowner whose permits caught the previous owner's shortcut
A Bethesda, Maryland homeowner hired a contractor to build a second story on an addition the previous owner had built. Because the contractor pulled permits before starting, the county discovered the existing addition had never been permitted and required the foundation to be dug up and rebuilt.
Illustrates: pulling permits before you build catches hidden problems while they are still fixable.
Source: Washington Post column (PDF)
The Silver Spring sellers who checked permit records before listing
Before listing a home, agent Jill Chodorov Kaminsky looked up the property's permit history and found the contractor had never pulled permits for a back addition built five years earlier. The sellers hired an engineer, got a post-construction permit, and the only cost was the engineer's report and the permit fee.
Illustrates: a five-minute permit lookup before selling can save a deal and a lawsuit.
Source: Washington Post column (PDF)
The HVAC system that got its permit after the fact, before the sale
A home's new HVAC system had no county inspector approval sticker, and the seller admitted a family member had installed it. Before listing, the seller applied for a permit and received approval after installation.
Illustrates: it is never too late to legalize work.
Source: Washington Post column (PDF)
The treehouse owners who asked the city first (and why you get it in writing)
Before building their treehouse, Lynn Tran and Richard Hazen say they contacted the building department to ask whether they needed a permit and were told they did not. After it was built, code enforcement cited them anyway: the original inquiry described a simple platform in a tree, not the elaborate two-story structure actually built.
Illustrates: asking first is the right instinct, but get the city's answer in writing.
Source: Anna Maria Island Sun
Figures on this page come from the 2026 Building Code Enforcement Permit Fee Schedule (Ordinance No. 2023-907, effective January 1, 2026) and the Houston Permitting Center's published permit materials. Fee amounts are updated every January 1, so confirm current fees with the city before finalizing your project budget. Last updated September 2026.
Good News in Houston
Good things are happening all over Houston. Here are a few worth knowing about.
Hill at Sims Regional Park Opens, Sunnyside's First New Park in 50 Years
May 2026. Hill at Sims, a 100-acre regional park built on a Harris County flood-control basin, celebrated its grand opening in Sunnyside. The nearly $30 million project pairs recreation with flood resilience, offering trails, a hilltop pavilion with downtown views, a fishing pier, and six large-scale murals, serving nearly 50,000 residents.
Source: SWA Group
Houston Texans Announce $34B "Toro District" Global HQ in Bridgeland
February 2026. The Houston Texans, Harris County, and Howard Hughes unveiled plans for Toro District, an 83-acre sports and entertainment destination in Bridgeland with the team's new global headquarters and training complex at its center. The project is projected to generate about $34 billion in long-term economic impact and create more than 17,000 jobs across the region.
Source: Houston Texans
Houston Ranked No. 9 Best City in America for 2026
June 2026. Houston returned to the top 10 of Resonance Consultancy's annual "America's Best Cities" report, ranking No. 9 nationwide, up from No. 13 in 2025. The report also ranks Houston seventh nationally for perceived job opportunities.
Source: InnovationMap
Houston Hosts Seven World Cup Matches, Including a July 4 Round of 16
June 2026. Houston Stadium (NRG Stadium, rebranded for the tournament) hosted seven 2026 FIFA World Cup matches, five in the group stage and two knockout-round fixtures, including a Round of 16 match on July 4. Matchups featured Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Saudi Arabia in front of 70,000-plus crowds.
Source: USA Today
Expand Energy Moves Corporate Headquarters to Houston
February 2026. Expand Energy, the largest U.S. natural gas producer, announced it will relocate its corporate headquarters from Oklahoma City to Houston in mid-2026. The company cited Houston's leading role as a gateway to the global natural gas market as the reason for the move.
Source: World Oil
Reliant Stadium Returns in August 2026
April 2026. NRG Stadium and the surrounding NRG Park were renamed Reliant Stadium and Reliant Park in August 2026, restoring the venue's original name from its 2002 debut. Surveys showed 90 percent of Houston-area customers supported the return of the hometown brand, and the change coincided with the Texans' 25th anniversary season.
Source: Fox 28 (press release)
Rodeo Houston Breaks Ground on $300M "The Farm" Agricultural Complex
September 2026. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo broke ground on The Farm, a $300 million livestock and agricultural complex on 350 acres near Highway 288, scheduled to open in 2029. The facility's three air-conditioned buildings will total more than one million square feet, plus a 5,000-seat arena, serving as a year-round destination for agriculture, education, and community events.
Source: CultureMap Houston
TMEIC Opens Flagship Power Electronics Factory in Waller County
September 2026. Japanese manufacturer TMEIC opened its new 280,000-square-foot Twinwood facility in Waller County, its largest and most advanced factory among 13 worldwide. The plant will create more than 200 jobs in the greater Houston area, growing to 500 as operations scale, making power electronics for the AI data-center boom.
Source: WCIA (press release)
Opera Gallery Opens New Houston Space in River Oaks District
March 2026. International art dealer Opera Gallery opened its 14th global location in Houston's River Oaks District, its first Texas outpost. The inaugural exhibition brought works by Monet, Picasso, Chagall, Kusama, and Kehinde Wiley to Houston, with more than 350 collectors and art enthusiasts attending the opening celebrations.
Source: PaperCity Magazine
Ferrovial Wins $1.5B Grand Parkway Contract in Houston
May 2026. Ferrovial was awarded the roughly $1.47 billion SH 99 Grand Parkway Segment B-1 contract, covering nearly 15 miles of new highway southeast of Houston with four new tolled lanes, frontage roads, and major interchange upgrades. The project strengthens mobility, freight movement, and hurricane evacuation capacity across the region, with completion anticipated in 2032.
Source: Highways Today
Know a good-news story from around Houston we should feature? We would love to hear about it.