Converse, Texas Building Permit Guide

The City of Converse Building Division issues building, electrical, plumbing, gas and mechanical permits for property inside city limits, and applications are filed and paid for in the City’s SmartGov portal. A home addition or new house costs $0.75 per square foot plus a plan review fee of half that amount, and plan review comments come back within three weeks.

What requires a permit in Converse?

All construction inside Converse must meet the City’s Technical Construction Codes, and the Building Division publishes its own list of everyday projects that need a permit and those that usually do not:

Awnings need a City variance before a permit can be issued.

Converse building department: who handles permitting

The Building Division, part of Development Services, enforces the construction codes, reviews plans, issues permits and inspects work inside the city. Development Services also runs Planning and a Development Review Team, which applicants can meet by filing a request in SmartGov. Converse is in Bexar County.

SmartGov, contractor registration and who may apply

Applications and supporting documents are submitted in SmartGov by a registered contractor, the property owner or an authorized agent, and any permit fee is paid when the application is submitted. Permit types include new and existing residential, new commercial, commercial remodel, a Certificate of Occupancy with no alterations, and separate electrical, plumbing, mechanical and irrigation permits.

Every contractor must hold a current City registration before a permit is issued. General contractors file the registration application, a $5,000 surety bond and a $100 fee, renewed for $75 a year; trade contractors file the application, a copy of their master trade licence and proof of $1,000,000 in liability insurance, with no City fee. Registrations last one year. A licensed electrician can file an affidavit naming an agent to pull permits on their behalf.

Homeowners may do the work themselves only on the house they own and live in, and only if they do the work personally. The City warns that a homeowner who pulls a permit for an unregistered contractor takes on responsibility for any accident or damage.

Converse permit costs

Fees are set in Section 8-103 of the Code of Ordinances, rewritten in May 2025 and amended in February 2026. A $25 or 5% administrative surcharge, whichever is greater, is added to every fee.

For a 2,000 sq ft new house the building permit is $1,500 and plan review $750, before the four $175 trade permits and the surcharge. Commercial building permits use a valuation scale with a $100 base fee, and building in a special flood hazard area costs $1,500. Work started without a permit costs $250 plus double the normal fee, and failing to call for a required inspection costs $200 per trade for each day.

Converse trade permits

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work each needs its own permit, pulled by the registered trade contractor, and new systems must be engineered. The City’s permit types describe mechanical permits as covering heating, cooling, ventilation and refrigeration installs and replacements, and electrical permits as covering new wiring, rewiring and repairs. Gas work has its own permit too, as do fire sprinkler, fire alarm and hood suppression systems, and fire suppression or alarm plans must be in before the frame inspection.

A new lawn irrigation system needs an approved backflow valve and a separate water meter, and its plans must meet TCEQ minimum standards. Minor trade permits that need no plan review are issued within one week.

Plans to submit and review times

• Plot plan to scale, with property lines, easements, fences, existing structures and the proposed work, for zoning setbacks.
• Foundation plan with footings, reinforcement and vapor barrier; large additions need an engineer’s signed and dated stamp.
• Floor plans with dimensions, doors and windows, naming every room and any area planned for later use.
• Framing and structural drawings, with engineer letters and shop drawings for pre-engineered floor joists and roof trusses.
• Electrical, plumbing and HVAC plans.
• Flatwork drawings showing rebar or wire mesh and how new paving ties in.
• Demolition plans, before a demolition permit is issued.

Permits that need no plan review are issued within one week. For those that do, the City returns comments within three weeks of receiving the application. Commercial projects pay an extra 25% of the plan review fee from the third review, and expedited review is available for 150% of the plan review fee.

Converse permit application: local filing sequence

Inspections in Converse

Request inspections in SmartGov before 4:00 p.m. for a next-day visit. Someone must be there to let the inspector in for residential interior inspections, and on commercial jobs the City recommends the contractor be on site to answer questions. The permit and City-approved plans must be on site for every inspection, and the address must be posted where it can be seen from the street. The first inspection of each type is included in the permit fee.

The City’s single-family inspection guideline sets this order: temporary pole; plumbing rough, water service and sewer yard lines; foundation, with a registered surveyor’s form survey and the engineer’s foundation report uploaded; exterior sheathing; weather-resistant barrier; frame group (framing, electrical, mechanical, plumbing top-out and gas rough); insulation; flatwork; electric and gas meter release; and the building final, scheduled only once meters are set and energy compliance documents are uploaded.

Cancel plumbing and sewer inspections when the soil is wet, because leaks cannot be checked. A failed inspection costs $100 per trade the first time, $150 the second and $500 for each failure after that.

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

Converse permit search and official resources

• Converse Building Division
• Permits: process, types and plans
• Inspections
• Contractor registration
• Single-family residential inspection guidelines
• Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8 (codes and fees)
• SmartGov permit portal

Frequently asked questions

How much is a building permit in Converse?

Homes, additions and alterations cost $0.75 per square foot with a $50 minimum, plus a plan review fee of 50% and a 5% administrative surcharge. Trade permits for a new house are $175 each.

How long does plan review take in Converse?

Comments come back within three weeks; permits that need no plan review are issued within one week.

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

Yes. Roofing and water heaters are both on the City’s permit list; a residential roof replacement permit is $150.

Can I pull my own permit in Converse?

Yes, for work on the home you own and live in, if you do the work yourself.

Are electrical, plumbing and HVAC permits separate?

Yes. Each trade pulls its own permit through a City-registered contractor.

When must inspections be requested?

Before 4:00 p.m. in SmartGov for a next-day inspection.

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