Every building, trade and floodplain permit in Bellaire comes from the City’s Development Services department at City Hall, 7008 S. Rice Avenue (713-662-8230), and all applications, payments and inspection requests go through the SmartGov portal. Almost any work needs a permit, even painting, which takes a $130 floodplain development permit. Ask for an inspection before 3:00 p.m. and it is booked for the following business day.
What requires a permit in Bellaire?
Bellaire requires a permit before work begins, and even painting and small cosmetic projects generally need a floodplain development permit. The City’s FAQs and fee schedule set out these cases:
Full permit
- New homes, additions and remodels
- Window and window frame replacement
- Re-roofing
- Driveways and flatwork
- Demolition and house moving
- Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, gas, lawn sprinkler and generator work
- Fire sprinkler systems
- Signs and removal of protected trees
- Certificate of Occupancy for a new or leased house and each commercial tenant
Floodplain permit only
- Painting a house
- Repairing or replacing a fence, with a property survey
- Other cosmetic work
The fee schedule also charges a $130 floodplain development permit for residential replacement of HVAC, electrical, plumbing or foundation work, and $447 for new construction, additions and remodels.
A protected tree includes any tree of 12 inches or more in diameter anywhere in the city, a tree of 6 inches or more in a front yard, street side yard or right-of-way, and every tree of 6 inches or more on a site with an active development permit.
Who issues building permits in Bellaire?
Development Services enforces the building codes, health codes and zoning ordinance, and handles permits, inspections, platting and contractor registration for property inside the city limits. Travis Tanner is the Director of Development Services.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | City Hall, 7008 S. Rice Avenue, Bellaire, TX 77401 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) |
| Permits and inspections | 713-662-8230, inspections@bellairetx.gov |
| Building Official | 713-662-8232, buildingofficial@bellairetx.gov |
| Zoning and platting | 713-662-8240, zoning@bellairetx.gov |
| Director of Development Services | Travis Tanner, 713-662-8243 |
SmartGov, registration and insurance
SmartGov is the City’s official channel for every Development Services request. With an account you can apply for building permits and board or commission applications, upload plans, register as a contractor, request inspections, see results and pay online; credit cards are accepted. Its Parcel Search map shows each lot’s zoning and flood category without an account. When setting up a contractor account, the City’s guide asks for the company name as the display name.
- Contractor registration: builders and irrigation or drainage contractors register for $44.
- Insurance: any company working in Bellaire needs at least $300,000 of general liability insurance.
- Homeowners Building Permit: an owner whose home is listed as a homestead with the Harris County Appraisal District can pull a permit to repair a roof or remodel the house, with a copy of the homeowner’s insurance declarations page.
How much does a building permit cost in Bellaire?
Fees come from the FY 2026 Schedule of Fees and Charges, adopted September 15, 2025 and in effect since October 1, 2025. Each permit also carries a $44 processing fee, and work begun without a permit is charged twice the required fee.
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Floor area | Permit fee |
|---|---|
| 120 sq ft or less | $157 |
| 121–500 sq ft | $157 plus $21 per 100 sq ft over 120 |
| 501–1,000 sq ft | $235 plus $30 per 100 sq ft over 500 |
| 1,001–2,000 sq ft | $409 plus $64 per 100 sq ft over 1,000 |
| 2,001–3,000 sq ft | $1,879 plus $56 per 100 sq ft over 2,000 |
| 3,001–4,000 sq ft | $2,442 plus $75 per 100 sq ft over 3,000 |
| 4,001–5,000 sq ft | $3,193 plus $60 per 100 sq ft over 4,000 |
| Over 5,000 sq ft | $3,793 plus $30 per 100 sq ft over 5,000 |
Residential plan review adds 50% of the permit fee, covering the first submittal and two resubmittals; a third or later resubmittal costs half the plan review fee again. As printed, the 1,001–2,000 sq ft band does not run on into the $1,879 starting figure of the next band, so ask Development Services for the fee on a house in that range.
| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| Floodplain permit: new construction, additions and remodels | $447 |
| Floodplain permit: residential replacement or cosmetic work | $130 |
| Fence (new or repair) | $101 |
| Driveway or flatwork | $213 |
| Residential re-roof (non-structural) | $66 |
| Window or door replacement | $109 plus $11 each |
| Residential demolition | $268 |
| Residential drainage review | $384 |
| Residential Certificate of Occupancy | $212 |
| Tree disposition review: minor / new home | $260 / $520 |
| Re-inspection: first / second / third or more | $94 / $141 / $188 |
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Commercial: permits are priced on valuation, from $249 under $10,000 to $2,397 plus $9 per $1,000 between $100,000 and $500,000, with plan review at 65% of the permit fee. A commercial Certificate of Occupancy is $372.
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits in Bellaire
Each trade has its own permit in SmartGov with a $44 issuing fee plus item charges, and a $59 minimum: for example, $12 per plumbing fixture, $35 for a water heater, $107 for a lawn sprinkler system, $12 per ton of air conditioning and $208 for a generator. Gas piping is $23 for the first 5 outlets, and a residential fire sprinkler system is $353 per floor.
New homes with living space above the second floor need an automatic fire sprinkler system, and some homes do when the distance from the driveway to the rear of the building exceeds 150 feet; the Fire Marshal reviews each application to decide.
How to get a building permit in Bellaire
Use SmartGov’s Parcel Search for the zoning district and flood category, then the setback sheet or Chapter 24 for setbacks.
Building across two lots, or adding a pool or garage on a neighboring lot you bought, needs an amended plat first.
Create a SmartGov account under the company name, register as a builder ($44) and have $300,000 of liability insurance on file.
Submit the building, floodplain, drainage and tree applications the job needs, with plans and the elevation certificate.
The plan review fee covers the first submittal and two resubmittals.
Book inspections in SmartGov, then apply for the Certificate of Occupancy, which a new or leased house needs before anyone lives there.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Inspections in Bellaire
All inspection requests are made online in SmartGov; anyone having trouble can call the front desk at 713-662-8230. Requests made by 3:00 p.m. are scheduled for the next regular business day, and later requests for the following one. Re-inspections cost $94 the first time, $141 the second and $188 after that.
Residential job sites must keep perimeter fencing, silt fencing, a metal roll-off trash container and one sign of no more than 8 sq ft with the builder’s name and site address. Construction is allowed every day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the City asks contractors to start later on weekends.
Flood rules and other local details
Design Flood Elevation: Bellaire builds to a higher standard than the federal minimum, requiring construction at or above its Design Flood Elevation rather than just the Base Flood Elevation. Work equal to 50% or more of a building’s market value within 365 days counts as substantial improvement and must meet new-building rules, and after two flooding events the City adds up improvements over a period of up to ten years. Elevation certificates for structures finished since the City joined the Community Rating System in April 2022 are available on request, and the Development Services flood line is 713-662-8232.
Fill: no more than 8 inches of dirt, or a 1% slope from the back of the curb, may be brought in to raise a lot.
Zoning: Bellaire is zoned, and a house in a residential district may be used as an office only by an owner who lives there. A rezoning or specific use permit costs $10,053. The City does not enforce deed restrictions.
Codes: the 2024 International codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code have applied since February 1, 2026, adopted in Chapter 9 of the Code of Ordinances (Ordinance No. 25-112).
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →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
Bellaire permit search and official resources
Bellaire fee, code, floodplain and portal documents:
- Official city source
- Official permit information
- Official inspection / project guidance
- Bellaire FY 2026 Schedule of Fees and Charges
- Bellaire adopted building codes
- Bellaire development in the floodplain
- Bellaire SmartGov portal guide
Bellaire permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Bellaire, Texas?
The City of Bellaire Development Services department at City Hall, 7008 S. Rice Avenue, through the SmartGov portal (713-662-8230).
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Do I need a permit to paint my house or replace my fence?
Painting needs only a floodplain development permit. A fence repair or replacement also needs only a floodplain development permit, applied for in SmartGov with a property survey.
Do I need a permit to replace windows?
Yes. Window and frame replacement needs a permit: $109 plus $11 per window or door.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Bellaire?
Yes, to repair a roof or remodel a homestead listed with the Harris County Appraisal District, with the insurance declarations page.
When is the inspection cutoff?
Requests in SmartGov by 3:00 p.m. go on the next business day’s schedule.
Does my house need fire sprinklers?
Yes if it has living space above the second floor, and possibly if the driveway is more than 150 feet from the rear of the building. The Fire Marshal decides during review.
What codes does Bellaire use?
The 2024 ICC family (building, residential, existing building, energy, fire, fuel gas, mechanical, plumbing and pool codes) plus the 2023 NEC, in force since February 1, 2026.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Bellaire permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.