Bastrop, Texas Building Permit Guide

Inside Bastrop city limits, building and trade permits are issued by Development Services, based at Bastrop City Hall, 1311 Chestnut Street (512-332-8840), and every application goes through the MyGov portal, where contractors must first hold a City credential. New home permits start at $690, with plan review at 25% and inspections at 45% of the permit fee added, and building applications are taken in on Mondays before 4:00 p.m.

What requires a permit in Bastrop?

Bastrop requires permits as its adopted building, residential, electrical, fire, mechanical, fuel gas, plumbing and pool codes set out. The City publishes checklists for each of these jobs:

Some approvals come before the building permit: a recorded plat or a platting exemption for any unplatted lot, a floodplain development permit in the floodplain, a Certificate of Appropriateness for a historic landmark, and a moving permit when a building is moved on or off a lot. Development inside the Lost Pines Habitat Conservation Plan area also needs authorization from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or Bastrop County to protect the endangered Houston toad.

Who issues building permits in Bastrop?

Development Services reviews and issues permits for property inside the city limits, and the Building Official, James “Doc” Cowey, who is also Director of Development Services, makes the final decision on each building permit. Outside the city limits, the City still controls subdivision in its extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), but development permits there come from Bastrop County; under an interlocal agreement, subdivisions in ETJ Area B go to Bastrop County Development Services.

MyGov, credentials and forms

All permits and planning cases are filed in MyGov after creating a Collaborator account. Bastrop also uses MyGov’s Request Manager, which needs no login, to book Building Pre-Application Meetings.

• Contractor credential: every contractor and tradesperson applies in MyGov’s Credential Manager before pulling a permit, so the City can check licences (including TDLR and plumbing board numbers) and insurance.
• Insurance: under Ord. No. 2019-46, contractors and subcontractors must carry commercial general liability insurance of at least $200,000 combined for property damage and bodily injury, with $200,000 aggregate for products and completed operations.
• Homestead Affidavit: an owner of a homestead registered with the Bastrop Central Appraisal District can pull some permits; a separate affidavit is needed for each trade and for general contracting.
• Owner Agent and Contractor Authorization forms let someone else file for the owner or the tradesperson.
• Certificates of Appropriateness for alterations, demolition or relocation of historic landmarks.

How much does a building permit cost in Bastrop?

Fees come from the Master Fee Schedule adopted April 28, 2026. A new home’s permit fee is set by floor area, then a residential plan review fee of 25% and an inspection fee of 45% of that permit fee are added, along with a 5% administration fee and a $6 technology fee on sliding-scale permits. Payment is mailed ahead of the MyGov submittal, and MyGov has a fee estimator.

Commercial: new buildings under $500,000 in value pay $5 per $1,000 of valuation, with a $1,000 minimum, plus 30% plan review and 45% inspection fees; a commercial remodel is $1,000 plus $0.50 per sq ft, and a commercial re-roof $500 plus $0.10 per sq ft. A Certificate of Occupancy for a new tenant is $125.

Starting work before the permit is issued costs the greater of 100% of the permit and inspection fees or $150, on top of the normal fees. Emergency repairs confirmed by the Building Official get a 50% fee reduction.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Bastrop

Trade permits are separate from the building permit and must be issued before the trade inspections. Tradespeople must be licensed or work under a licensed tradesperson, unless a homestead owner files the trade’s affidavit. Trade permits can be submitted any day of the week and are processed in the order received.

On a residential job, each trade attached to a building permit costs $125, and a stand-alone residential electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit is also $125, as are a water heater replacement, an HVAC replacement and a residential irrigation permit. Commercial attachment permits are $215 for electrical and plumbing and $160 for mechanical. New construction, additions and remodels also need Bastrop Power & Light’s Electrical Needs Checklist, and a TCEQ customer service inspection (CSI) form applies where required.

Fire sprinkler, fire alarm and kitchen hood systems have their own fire permits, and fire inspections need 48 hours’ notice.

What to submit

Each permit type has a checklist in MyGov, and some projects need several; a new restaurant, for example, uses the New Commercial, Electrical Needs, TCEQ CSI and fire system checklists together.

The City first checks a submittal for completeness and issues Correction Items for anything missing; review comments come back the same way, and the applicant resubmits until the Building Official approves the permit.

How to get a building permit in Bastrop

Inspections in Bastrop

Inspections are requested in MyGov from the project’s list of steps, or by phone on the inspection line, 512-332-8848. Give the contact name and phone number, the address, the inspection type and the date wanted. Most inspections happen the next day, though some take 48 hours; fire inspections always need 48 hours’ notice. Requests after 3:00 p.m. will likely take two business days, and City holidays add delays. As the City’s example puts it, a plumbing rough requested on Monday before 3:00 p.m. is inspected on Tuesday, while a fire final requested at the same time is inspected on Wednesday.

Each re-inspection costs $150. Inspections are the last steps before the Certificate of Occupancy is issued.

Local Bastrop details

Emergency repairs: after a storm or other emergency, work on safety hazards can start at once and the permit can be filed afterwards in MyGov, noting why it is an emergency; discounted fees may apply. Common examples needing a permit are burst water lines, water heater replacement, main electrical service and structural damage.

Trees: the City’s Protected and Heritage Tree Ordinance allows storm-related emergency removal of dead, diseased or hazardous trees before a permit, with no fee but with documentation.

Codes and zoning: Bastrop uses the 2018 International codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code with local amendments. The Bastrop Building Block (B³) Code stopped applying on April 14, 2026, and the Bastrop Development Code and Subdivision Regulations were updated in July 2026.

Right-of-way and drainage: driveways, sidewalks and culverts in the right-of-way need a $200 permit, and a drainage permit is $125.

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

Official Bastrop resources

• Bastrop Building & Permitting (checklists, FAQs, inspections)
• Bastrop MyGov public portal
• Bastrop MyGov information and Credential Manager
• Bastrop Master Fee Schedule (April 28, 2026)
• Bastrop Development Services and adopted codes
• Bastrop development process and ETJ platting
• Bastrop emergency permits

Bastrop building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Bastrop, Texas?

The City of Bastrop Development Services department, for property inside the city limits; the Building Official approves each permit. In the ETJ, development permits come from Bastrop County.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Bastrop?

The base fee depends on floor area: $690 under 900 sq ft, $1,200 plus $0.25 per sq ft for 901 to 1,500 sq ft, and $1,500 plus $0.25 per sq ft for 1,501 to 5,000 sq ft. Plan review (25%) and inspection fees (45%) are added.

When can I submit a building permit?

Building permits for new construction and remodels are accepted on Mondays before 4:00 p.m. Trade permits can be submitted any day.

Do I need a permit to replace a roof or a water heater?

Yes. A residential roofing permit is $160 and a water heater replacement $125.

Can a homeowner pull permits in Bastrop?

Yes, on a homestead registered with the Bastrop Central Appraisal District, by filing a Homestead Affidavit for each trade and for general contracting.

How fast are inspections?

Usually the next day if requested by 3:00 p.m., sometimes 48 hours. Fire inspections need 48 hours’ notice.

Simplify Bastrop permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Texas. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Bastrop permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.