Big Spring, Texas Building Permit Guide

The City of Big Spring’s Building Permits and Inspections Department, in the City Hall Annex at 217 E. 3rd St., issues building, electrical, gas, plumbing and mechanical permits inside city limits. Plans go in on paper with the City’s construction checklist, and a new house costs $0.25 per square foot plus a plan review fee of 25% of the permit fee.

What requires a permit in Big Spring?

Under the City’s adopted codes, building, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a structure, and installing or replacing electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing systems, all need a permit from the Building Official. Its FAQ names these common jobs:

A manufactured home needs a permit before it is moved into the city. Homes built before June 15, 1976 cannot be placed in Big Spring at all, and manufactured homes are allowed only in the SF-3 and General Residential zoning districts.

Big Spring building department: who handles permitting

Permits / Inspections covers addresses inside Big Spring city limits; the Building Official reviews plans, assigns 911 addresses for new homes and signs off occupancy with the Fire Marshal. The Planning Department, in the same building, handles zoning, plats, specific use permits and annexation. Rural Howard County land is not covered by these city permits.

Big Spring forms and the SmartGov portal

The City’s SmartGov public portal lets you sign up, view your applications and see inspection results. Construction packages themselves go to the Building Inspection office on paper, as the checklists describe. The department publishes:

• Residential Construction Checklist for single- and two-family homes, filed with the permit application.
• Commercial Construction Checklist for multi-family and commercial buildings.
• Contractor Registration Form: free registration for general, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, roofing, fence, sign, irrigation, backflow tester, fire sprinkler, pool and curb-cut contractors. Attach the state licence, a driver’s licence and proof of liability insurance or a bond, and send it by mail, email or in person. The City can hold permits for contractors who leave earlier permits without finals.
• Manufactured Home Information Sheet, the placement checklist.
• Certificate of Occupancy Application and the Backflow Prevention Test Form.

Big Spring permit cost

The City’s Building Permit Fees sheet sets fees under Sections 20-1 and 20-2 of the Code of Ordinances, as revised on July 29, 2019.

For example, a 2,000 sq ft house has a $500 building permit fee and a $125 plan review fee, before trade permits and any water or sewer taps.

A permit renewed within 60 days of expiring costs nothing; from 61 to 180 days it costs half the original fee, and after 180 days you need a new application and the full fee. The City’s FAQ still quotes older re-roof ($25) and Zoning Board ($50) charges; the 2019 fee sheet lists $50 and $100 for residential work.

Big Spring trade permits

Each trade contractor pulls its own permit and must be registered with the City; on a manufactured home, the plumbing and electrical subcontractors apply once the home’s permit is issued.

Water, sewer and gas lines on a new lot must be installed by a master plumber, and the electric meter base by a master electrician. New water and sewer taps are bought through the Permits office: a 3/4-inch water tap is $512 under a paved road or $357 under unimproved ground, and a 4-inch sewer tap $346 or $265, for the first 50 feet.

Plans and documents

Big Spring permit application: how to apply step by step

Inspections in Big Spring

Contractors request inspections from the Inspection Department, particularly before covering any work, and results appear in the SmartGov portal. The City’s general list groups them in five visits:

• Ground works before concrete: reinforcing, forms, foundation and underfloor plumbing
• Framing and close-in: slab, shear walls, framing, roof decking and rough electrical, plumbing, mechanical and low-voltage wiring
• Insulation
• Exterior and weather protection: roof and deck waterproofing, exterior and interior lath
• Final electrical, plumbing, mechanical and occupancy

Manufactured homes are inspected for the underground work, foundation, anchors, electrical connection, plumbing and HVAC. For a certificate of occupancy, the Building Official and Fire Marshal walk the building together, and the certificate is issued once every inspecting department has approved; it must be posted where it can be seen.

Big Spring local details

Floodplain: a lot in the flood plain needs a FEMA elevation certificate before any structure is placed on it; the Permits office can say whether a property is in it.

Manufactured home lots: lot coverage is capped at 35% in SF-3 and 45% in General Residential, and a home may sit on only one lot, so unplatted multiple lots may need a replat.

Landfill: the City Landfill accepts construction debris only from jobs with a building permit, and the FAQ lists commercial contractor landfill fees at $46.92 per ton.

Setback encroachments: the Building Official denies the request and refers it to the Zoning Board, which notifies owners within 200 feet of the property.

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

Big Spring permit forms and official resources

• Big Spring Permits / Inspections
• Building Permit Fee Schedule (2019)
• Residential Construction Checklist
• Commercial Construction Checklist
• General Building Inspection List
• Manufactured Home Information Sheet
• Contractor Registration Form
• Certificate of Occupancy Application
• SmartGov public portal
• Permits / Inspections FAQs

Big Spring permit FAQs

How much is a building permit for a new house in Big Spring?

$0.25 per square foot plus 25% of that for plan review: $625 in total for a 2,000 sq ft house, before trade permits and taps.

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

Yes to both. A residential re-roof is $50 on the 2019 fee sheet, and a water heater permit is $40.

Do I need a permit for a carport or a fence?

Yes. Carports are $25 per vehicle and residential fences $25, and every carport needs a permit wherever it is placed on the lot.

Does it cost anything to register as a contractor?

No. Registration is free, but you must provide your state licence, driver’s licence and proof of liability insurance or a bond.

Can I put a mobile home in Big Spring?

Only a HUD-code manufactured home built on or after June 15, 1976, on a lot zoned SF-3 or General Residential, with a permit issued before the home is moved in.

Can I apply online?

The SmartGov portal shows your applications and inspection results, but the construction checklists ask for paper plan sets delivered to the City Hall Annex.

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