Inside Alamo city limits, building permits are handled by the City’s Community Planning & Development (CPD) department at City Hall, 420 N. Tower Rd., and applications are moving to the City’s eCityPermits online portal. The City’s permit form asks applicants to allow at least 10 days, and building questions go to 956-787-0006, option 4.
What needs a permit in Alamo?
The City’s building permit application covers residential, multi-family, commercial and industrial property and lists these kinds of work:
Building work
- New buildings
- Additions
- Remodels and repairs
- Demolition
- Moving a building
Site and other work
- Fences
- Driveways
- Signs
- Fire alarm systems (Fire Department alarm permit)
- Open burning for land clearing (Fire Marshal burn permit)
The form asks for the improvement value, the living and total square footage, parking spaces and the floor elevation above sea level, so have a survey or plot plan before you apply.
Who issues building permits in Alamo?
CPD administers the City’s building-related codes, zoning ordinance, subdivision ordinance and property maintenance code, and it is the staff contact for the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Zoning Board of Adjustments. The City Inspector works from City Hall and carries out the field inspections.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Community Planning & Development, City Hall, 420 N. Tower Rd., Alamo, TX 78516 |
| Phone | 956-787-0006, option 4 (Planning Department) |
| Fax | 956-283-8855 |
| City Inspector in the office | 8:00–10:00 a.m. and 1:00–3:00 p.m. |
| Fire Prevention Clerk | 956-781-2004, Fire Station #2, 415 N. Tower Rd. |
The subdivision ordinance applies both inside the city limits and in Alamo’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), and the City publishes a city limits and ETJ map. The City’s pages describe building permits only for property inside the city limits.
eCityPermits and City forms
The City is moving permit registration and approval online and links a short video that walks through creating an eCityPermits account. The paper Building Permit Application (revised March 2019) is still posted on the Resident Forms page, together with these planning applications:
- Variance application (2023), heard by the Zoning Board of Adjustments, which meets as needed.
- Conditional Use Permit application (2024) and rezoning application, heard by the Planning and Zoning Commission, which usually meets on the third Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m.
- Subdivision application and the 2023 subdivision plat requirements, for turning land into building sites in the city or the ETJ.
Alamo does not charge city registration fees to master electricians, master plumbers or licensed air-conditioning contractors.
Permit costs in Alamo
The City does not post a building permit fee schedule on its website; the fee is entered on the application by staff, next to the permit number and issue date.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →Two fire-related fees are published: a fire alarm permit costs $40 for a new installation and $30 for each renewal, under Ordinance 15-02-22, and the City does not send renewal reminders or invoices.
Trade codes and fire review
CPD enforces these code editions:
- 2024 International Building Code and 2024 International Residential Code, including its windstorm provisions
- 2021 International Mechanical Code and 2021 International Plumbing Code
- 2018 International Fuel Gas Code and 2018 International Fire Code
- 2021 International Energy Conservation Code and 2021 International Property Maintenance Code
- 2023 National Electrical Code
A commercial building may need a fire sprinkler plan with its building plans. Fire alarm permits are filed with the Alamo Fire Department at 415 N. Tower Rd., and the Fire Department also inspects every new business before a business licence is issued.
What to submit for a new commercial building
For a new business in a new building, the City asks for the building permit application with:
- A full plan set: foundation, floor, roof, elevations, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and structural sheets
- A site plan with landscaping and lighting details
- A fire sprinkler plan where one is required
- A COMcheck energy report (the City’s page cites the 2012 version)
- A windstorm design
- A Manual J load calculation
- A Registered Accessibility Specialist review certificate
Staff review the package and release the permit once every item is approved.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →How to get an Alamo building permit
Make sure the use is allowed in the lot’s zoning district and that the land is a platted building site; rezoning, conditional uses and plats go through the Planning and Zoning Commission first.
Follow the City’s video to register on the portal, or ask CPD at 956-787-0006, option 4.
Prepare the plan set, energy, windstorm and accessibility documents your project type needs.
The City’s form tells applicants to plan on a 10-day minimum before the permit is issued.
Ask CPD for each inspection; the inspector is in the field late morning and late afternoon.
Commercial buildings need a final inspection and certificate of occupancy, then a business licence with a fire inspection before opening.
Inspections in Alamo
The City Inspector is at City Hall from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. and from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., and is out on inspections from 10:00 a.m. to noon and from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The City does not publish a separate inspection request line, so arrange inspections through CPD at 956-787-0006, option 4.
A new commercial building may not be occupied until it passes a final inspection and receives a certificate of occupancy. To open the business, the owner or tenant then brings the address, the building owner’s name, the square footage, the State Comptroller tax ID and, if the building has electricity, the AEP ESI number to the Planning office for a business licence, which includes a fire inspection.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Local Alamo details
Existing buildings: a new business moving into an existing building still needs a business licence and fire inspection, and the City will not release the licence until any required parking, landscaping, building repairs, lighting or fire sprinklers are in place.
Zoning: every property in the city is zoned. The districts include R-1 single-family, senior housing, R-2 duplex and multi-family, C-1 light commercial, C commercial and M industrial, and zoning sets lot size, setbacks, landscaping, building height and paved off-street parking.
Stormwater: CPD enforces the City’s MS4 rules on larger sites and new subdivisions to keep sediment and debris out of the storm sewer during construction.
Burn permits: open burning of brush for land clearing needs a permit from the Fire Marshal’s office at 415 N. Tower Rd., issued on weekdays from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.; trash burning is prohibited and credit cards are not accepted.
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
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Alamo official resources
- Alamo Community Planning & Development
- eCityPermits portal
- Building permit application (PDF)
- Opening a business
- Resident forms
- City limits and ETJ map (PDF)
- Alamo Fire Department
Alamo permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Alamo, Texas?
The City’s Community Planning & Development department at City Hall, 420 N. Tower Rd., for property inside the city limits.
Can I apply for an Alamo permit online?
Yes. The City directs applicants to its eCityPermits portal and posts a video on setting up an account.
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How long does an Alamo building permit take?
The City’s application form asks for at least 10 days.
Which building code does Alamo use?
The 2024 IBC and IRC, the 2021 mechanical, plumbing and energy codes, the 2018 fire and fuel gas codes and the 2023 NEC.
Do electricians and plumbers have to register with the City?
The City charges no registration fee to master electricians, master plumbers or licensed air-conditioning contractors.
When can I reach the City Inspector?
At City Hall from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on workdays.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Alamo permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.