Bellmead, Texas Building Permit Guide

Bellmead’s Community Development Department issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits inside city limits. You file the City’s one-page Building Permit Application by email or at City Hall, 3015 Bellmead Drive. A new home starts at $200 for the first 1,000 sq ft plus $0.25 for each further square foot, with a $50 residential plan review fee.

What requires a permit in Bellmead?

These are the types of work listed on the City’s Building Permit Application, plus the code’s grading rule; one form covers them, with a box ticked for each.

Who handles permitting in Bellmead?

Community Development runs planning, zoning, building permits and code enforcement for land inside Bellmead city limits. Fred Morris is Director of Community Development and Bill Hunt is the Building Official. Land outside the city is in unincorporated McLennan County, which issues no house permits; the City’s published pages do not describe any building rules for an extraterritorial area.

Bellmead application forms and contractor registration

Bellmead has no online permit portal. The forms are PDFs posted on the Community Development page:

• Building Permit Application: one form for residential or commercial work, listing the general contractor and subcontractor with their state licence and driver’s licence numbers, a written description, square footage (finished or unfinished) and the value of construction.
• Contractor Registration Application: contractors register with the City before work starts. General contractors, solar, sign and pool companies pay $100 a year; licensed electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fire and irrigation contractors register free. Attach a driver’s licence, state licence and insurance certificate.
• Fire Marshal’s Permit Application: for sprinkler, alarm, standpipe, hood and other fire systems and fuel tanks, with proof of liability insurance, the DBA certificate and company and technician licences.
• Certificate of Occupancy Application: filed on the City’s Occupational Permit form; new certificates are $150.
• Right of Way Permit Application: Public Works’ form for road bores and other work in city right-of-way, with a traffic control plan where lanes close.

Bellmead permit fees

Fees come from Appendix B of the City code, the master fee schedule adopted in April 2025 and last amended on September 9, 2025.

Where the City sends plans to an outside reviewer, it charges that reviewer’s cost plus 10%. Zoning changes, variances and specific use permits are $500 each.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire permits

The same Community Development application is used for trade work: tick Electrical, Plumbing or Mechanical/HVAC. Trade contractors must be registered with the City, though licensed trades pay no registration fee.

Fire system permits are filed on the Fire Marshal’s form and paid in full before any inspection. The form still prints its 2019 prices; the 2025 master fee schedule above is the newer adopted figure.

How to get a Bellmead building permit

Inspections in Bellmead

Inspections are booked by phone with Community Development. The City’s permit flow chart lists them in this order:

• Site plan items such as setbacks and driveway location
• Foundation
• Framing, electrical, plumbing and HVAC rough-ins
• Final building inspection

A failed inspection costs $55 to repeat, and an inspection of work done without a permit is $35. Fire system inspections need 24 hours’ notice to the Fire Marshal. Before a certificate of occupancy is issued, both the Building Official and the Fire Marshal must approve the building.

Local Bellmead details

Dumpsters: any job with a dumpster on site must use Frontier Waste Solutions, the City’s contracted hauler. Under Ordinance 2021-08, new commercial buildings and commercial remodels must include a dumpster enclosure; it is reviewed with the building permit at no extra fee.

Right-of-way: lane closures are allowed only from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with at least 2 business days’ notice. Work on North State Loop 340, I-35 or Highway 84/Bellmead Drive also needs a TxDOT permit. Right-of-way permits for driveways, sidewalks and curbs are $50, and excavation is $75 per dig.

Zoning variances: the City notes that state law allows variances only for unnecessary hardship, and the cost of complying is not a ground for one.

Annexation: owners of land just outside the city limits can petition to be brought into Bellmead; the City posts a voluntary annexation form.

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

Bellmead permit search and official resources

Bellmead’s own pages, forms and code:

• Bellmead — Community Development
• Bellmead — Permits & Inspections
• Building Permit Application (PDF)
• Contractor Registration Application (PDF)
• Fire Marshal’s Permit Application (PDF)
• Certificate of Occupancy Application (PDF)
• Right of Way Permit Application (PDF)
• Bellmead master fee schedule (Code Appendix B)
• Bellmead adopted building codes (Code Chapter 4)

Bellmead permit FAQs

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

$200 for the first 1,000 sq ft plus $0.25 per extra square foot, and $50 for plan review. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are each $0.25 per sq ft with a $200 minimum.

Do I need a permit for a fence or a shed in Bellmead?

Yes. A fence permit is $50 and a storage building is $75; a larger accessory building is $75 plus $9 per $1,000 of value.

How do I submit a permit application?

Email the completed Building Permit Application and plans to alara@bellmeadtx.gov, or bring them to City Hall at 3015 Bellmead Drive. There is no online portal.

Do contractors have to register in Bellmead?

Yes. General, solar, sign and pool contractors pay $100 a year; licensed electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fire and irrigation contractors register at no charge.

Does foundation repair need a permit?

Not for a home when the repair only stabilizes the existing foundation without removing concrete, even if new piers are installed.

What codes does Bellmead use?

The 2018 International Building, Residential, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Energy and Swimming Pool codes with local amendments, and the electrical code edition adopted by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Simplify Bellmead 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 Bellmead permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.