The Town of Addison’s Building Safety Division, based at the Addison Service Center on Westgrove Drive, issues building and trade permits inside the town, and every application, payment and inspection request goes through the Town’s Citizen Self Service (CSS) portal. A new house is priced on a sliding square-foot scale that starts at $1.15 per square foot, and an inspection booked in CSS before 7:00 a.m. is carried out the same day.
What needs a permit in Addison?
The Town’s Building Permit Requirement Checklist says a permit is needed when you build, remodel or enlarge a building, and it lists the common cases. The list is not complete, so call Building Safety at 972-450-2880 if your job is not on it.
Permit required
- New buildings, additions and foundation repairs
- Sheds (permanent or portable), gazebos, carports and patio covers
- Remodels that add or remove a wall or enlarge a window or door opening
- Decks, stairs and concrete flatwork
- Fences, and retaining walls over 4 ft from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall
- Roof replacement
- Electrical work, plumbing work, water heaters and replacement water or sewer lines
- Furnaces, air-conditioning systems and lawn irrigation
- Drive approaches, circular drives and satellite dishes
- Pools and spas, and demolition
No permit
- Painting, wallpaper, carpet, cabinets and trim
- Replacing fixtures, existing wiring or existing plumbing
- Swapping switches, plugs and ballasts
- Washer and faucet repairs
Homeowners may do their own work on their home without a contractor licence, including electrical, plumbing, mechanical and irrigation work they carry out themselves. Any contractor doing permitted work must be registered with the Town unless the homeowner pulls the permit in their own name. The Town also tells owners to check their homeowners’ association deed restrictions and covenants.
Who issues building permits in Addison?
Building Safety reviews plans, issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, inspects the work and issues certificates of occupancy for property inside the Town of Addison. Fire sprinkler, fire alarm, access control and tent permits come from the Fire Marshal’s Office, which also reviews life safety systems and files through the same CSS portal.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Building Safety Division, Addison Service Center, 16801 Westgrove Drive, Addison, TX 75001 |
| Phone | 972-450-2880, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Permit questions | Permits@addisontx.gov |
| Inspections | 24-hour request line 972-450-2885; inspections@addisontx.gov |
| Portal help | registrations@addisontx.gov |
| Fire Marshal’s Office | 972-450-7221 |
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →CSS portal, contractor registration and forms
Create an account in CSS before you apply. The same login is used to pay fees, upload engineering letters, request inspections, read inspection results and open development cases.
- Contractor registration – required before any project in the town. Bring state photo ID, your professional licences and proof of insurance. Registration lasts one year and the fee depends on the licence type.
- Contractor (trade) validation form – each plumber, electrician or HVAC contractor files one for every scope of work on every job site; one form cannot cover several sites. The general contractor files one too when someone else applied for the permit.
- Building Permit Application and Addendum – the addendum form changes a permit that has already been issued.
- Certificate of Occupancy application, Business Acknowledgement Form, Special Inspections packet, sign hanger registration and the Public Works right-of-way permit guide, all on the Forms and Applications page.
Permit fees in Addison
Homes, townhomes and condominiums of three storeys or less, small bed and breakfasts and live-work units with under 10% commercial space pay a residential combination permit priced on gross square footage. Commercial buildings pay by job valuation.
| Gross floor area | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to 2,000 sq ft | $1.15 per sq ft |
| 2,001–5,000 sq ft | $2,300 plus $0.75 per sq ft over 2,000 |
| 5,001–8,000 sq ft | $4,550 plus $0.50 per sq ft over 5,000 |
| 8,001 sq ft and up | $6,050 plus $0.25 per sq ft over 8,000 |
A 2,500 sq ft house therefore costs $2,300 plus 500 × $0.75, or $2,675.
| Valuation | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1–$500 | $40 |
| $501–$2,000 | $40 plus $5 per extra $100 |
| $2,001–$25,000 | $115 plus $23 per extra $1,000 |
| $25,001–$50,000 | $644 plus $15 per extra $1,000 |
| $50,001–$100,000 | $1,019 plus $11 per extra $1,000 |
| $100,001–$500,000 | $1,569 plus $9 per extra $1,000 |
| $500,001–$1,000,000 | $5,159 plus $8 per extra $1,000 |
| Over $1,000,000 | $9,169 plus $6 per extra $1,000 |
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Fence / masonry fence | $50 / $75 |
| Retaining wall, foundation repair, sports court, gazebo or arbor | $125 each |
| Re-roof, window replacement, private driveway | $75 each |
| Swimming pool / spa, hot tub or fountain | $350 / $250 |
| Demolition of a whole structure / as part of an alteration | $125 / $50 |
| House moving | $250 |
| Minor building work not listed | $50 |
| First re-inspection / each later one | $75 / $125 |
| Inspection outside business hours | $50 an hour, 2-hour minimum |
| Extra plan review for revised plans | $50 an hour, half-hour minimum |
A re-inspection fee has to be paid before any further inspection is scheduled. Outside plan-check consultants, where the Town uses them, are billed at actual cost.
Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire permits
On a new house the trades sit inside the combination permit, but each plumbing, electrical and HVAC contractor must be validated onto the permit before any inspection is requested. Work that is not part of a combination permit is priced on its own:
| Work | Fee |
|---|---|
| Temporary pole, temporary power release, grounding or bonding | $50 each |
| Electrical service change or upgrade, lightning protection | $75 each |
| Solar system wiring | $125 |
| Furnace, AC coil or condensing unit replacement | $50 per unit |
| Furnace with coil and condenser, or package unit | $75 per unit |
| Duct work, irrigation system | $75 each |
| Water heater replacement | $50 per unit |
| Added plumbing fixtures | $50 per fixture |
| Gas line, sewer lateral or water line work | $50 each |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →The Town publishes separate requirement sheets for emergency generators, solar panels, water heater installation and HVAC replacement. Fire sprinkler, fire alarm, access control and tent permits are filed with the Fire Marshal’s Office in CSS.
Plans and documents to upload
The construction packets ask for each part of the submittal as its own PDF file. Any change to approved plans must be resubmitted and approved, or the Town can stop the work.
One- and two-family homes
- Completed permit application
- Energy Compliance Path form and the compliance report used (REScheck, IC3 or similar); a third-party energy inspector checks before framing and final
- PE-sealed foundation letter and foundation design
- PE-sealed shear wall design
- Floor plan with every room labelled
- Electrical plan locating smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
- Site plan and landscape plan
- Fire assembly details from the listing agency, where one is required
Commercial
- Permit application and COMcheck, with a third-party energy final before the building final
- Sealed foundation letter confirming design for the lot’s soils and the 2024 IBC
- Structural, mechanical (CFM per unit), electrical (grounding, fault current and load calculations) and plumbing drawings
- Site plan, landscape plan and a code review sheet with construction type, occupancy, occupant load and exits
- TDLR accessibility registration when the job is over $50,000
- Asbestos survey for remodels, additions and demolition
Exterior signs need their own sign permit, and sign drawings in a building set are not reviewed. Multi-family work uses its own packet, and projects with special inspections file a Statement of Required Special Inspections and an approved-agency form, then a sealed final special inspection report before the building final is requested.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →How to get an Addison permit
Every contractor on the job registers with the Town for the year; trade contractors then file a validation form for this address.
Use the Citizen Self Service portal to start the application; email registrations@addisontx.gov if the account set-up stalls.
Follow the residential, multi-family or commercial packet and upload each section as its own PDF.
Revise and resubmit in CSS; extra review caused by later changes is billed at $50 an hour.
Pay in CSS and print the Town-stamped approved plans, which must stay on site because paper sets are no longer issued.
Book each inspection in the required sequence; nothing is inspected while an earlier inspection is still open.
Addison inspections and certificates of occupancy
Request an inspection in CSS or on the 24-hour line, 972-450-2885, but not both, because duplicates slow scheduling. CSS requests entered before 7:00 a.m. are inspected the same business day; phone requests before 3:00 p.m. are done the next business day. Have the last five digits of the permit number, the street address with suite, the inspection type and a contact ready. Inspectors take technical calls from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 to 4:00 p.m.
A new home is inspected in this order: temporary pole, piers (engineer or lab report), right-of-way flatwork, plumbing rough with the form board survey, foundation, shear wall where needed, one combined framing inspection for all trades, fire assembly, electrical meter release, gas meter release, a right-of-way final by Engineering, and one combined set of finals. Results appear in CSS and no tags are left on site. Fees for re-inspections can be charged when the work is not ready, the address is not posted, the site is locked, trash, erosion or tree protection has lapsed, or the same item fails twice.
A certificate of occupancy is needed before anyone uses a building, for each tenant space, and again after a change of owner, tenant or business name. Apply in CSS or in person with the Business Acknowledgement Form and a labelled floor plan, and pay the square-footage fee up front; review takes about 3 business days. Several departments then inspect together on a Wednesday or Thursday between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m.; email coinspections@addisontx.gov by 6:00 p.m. on Monday to be seen that week. Temporary certificates are at the Building Official’s discretion, for example to stock a store or train staff.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Addison rules that catch builders out
Adopted codes: permits filed on or after June 1, 2024 follow the 2024 International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Swimming Pool and Spa, Fire and Property Maintenance Codes with Town amendments, plus the 2018 IECC. The Adopted Codes page now lists the 2026 National Electrical Code (Ordinance O26-026), while the residential and commercial packets still cite the 2023 NEC.
Job site: every lot under construction needs a trash bin at least 4 ft by 4 ft by 4 ft, and materials must sit at least 5 ft back from the curb where there is no sidewalk, or behind the sidewalk where there is one. Post the address in 4-inch numbers, including on the temporary pole, and keep the water meter box in place.
Temporary power: the Town cites the superintendent or electrician if temporary power is tied straight into the permanent panel; a licensed electrician may test house circuits only while on site.
Texas building code
Texas has no single statewide building code: state law makes the International Residential Code the base code for homes in cities and the International Building Code the base for commercial buildings, with each city choosing the edition and its own amendments, while the National Electrical Code and the energy code apply statewide. Outside city limits most counties issue no building permits for homes. Texas building code rules
Addison permit search and official resources
- Addison Building Safety Division
- Building Permit Requirement Checklist
- Citizen Self Service (CSS) portal
- Addison adopted codes
- Building Safety Fee Schedule (PDF)
- Residential construction packet (PDF)
- Commercial construction packet, 2024 codes (PDF)
- Certificate of occupancy packet, July 2026 (PDF)
- Contractor registration
- Forms and applications
- Fire Prevention and Fire Marshal’s Office
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Addison permit FAQs
How much is a building permit for a new house in Addison?
$1.15 per square foot for the first 2,000 sq ft, then $0.75 per sq ft up to 5,000, $0.50 up to 8,000 and $0.25 beyond. A 2,500 sq ft house comes to $2,675 for the combination permit.
Do I need a permit for a fence or a new roof in Addison?
Yes, both. A fence permit is $50 ($75 for masonry) and a re-roof permit is $75.
Can I pull my own permit as a homeowner?
Yes. You can do your own work, including trade work you carry out yourself, and a contractor you hire must be registered unless the permit is in your name.
How fast can I get an inspection?
Same day if you book in CSS before 7:00 a.m.; next business day if you call 972-450-2885 before 3:00 p.m.
What does a failed inspection cost?
$75 for the first re-inspection and $125 for each one after that, paid before the next inspection is booked.
Does a new tenant need a certificate of occupancy?
Yes. Any change of tenant, owner or business name needs a new certificate, and each tenant space gets its own.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Addison permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.