The City of Corsicana’s Building Inspection Department issues building and trade permits inside city limits, and applications are filed online through EnerGov Self Service or returned to the Planning & Zoning office. A new house is charged $785 for the first 1,500 sq ft plus $0.35 for each extra square foot, a fee that already covers plan review and the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, and inspections called in before 3 p.m. can usually be made the same day.
What requires a permit in Corsicana?
A permit is needed to build, alter, enlarge or repair any home or commercial building inside the city limits. The City lists separate permits for:
Building and site
- New homes, additions and remodels
- Commercial buildings and finish-outs
- Accessory buildings
- Exterior work such as porches, decks, solar panels, foundation leveling and windows
- Roofing
- Fences, sidewalks and drive approaches
- Swimming pools
- Excavation and grading, demolition and moving a structure
Trades and other
- Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work
- Irrigation systems
- Signs and banners
- Certificate of Occupancy for commercial buildings and manufactured homes
- Floodplain permit for land in a flood zone
- Food truck and vendor permits
Commercial applications go beyond Building Inspection and Planning and Zoning to the Fire, Engineering and Environmental Services departments, and sometimes the Health Department.
Short on time to read all of this?
Get a free quote →Corsicana building department: who handles permitting
The Building Inspection Department, under Permits & Inspections, reviews plans and inspects residential and commercial work inside Corsicana. Every building permit application is also reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Department, which receives paper applications. A City permit is required for building, altering, enlarging or repairing a home or commercial structure within the city limits.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | Permits & Inspections (Building Inspection Department) |
| Phone | 903-654-4870, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. |
| permits@corsicanatx.gov | |
| City Hall | 200 N. 12th St., Corsicana; main line 903-654-4800 |
| Online | EnerGov Self Service |
Corsicana permit types and applications
Apply online in EnerGov Self Service, or download the City’s PDF application and return it in person, by email to permits@corsicanatx.gov or by mail to the Planning & Zoning office. Incomplete applications are returned.
- Residential Building Permit (new or remodel/addition), with a submittal checklist; the form asks whether the lot is in a flood zone, since that needs a separate floodplain permit.
- Commercial Building Permit and Certificate of Occupancy (a separate CO form exists for food trucks).
- Accessory Building Permit, filed with a site plan and building plans and signed off by the engineer and the P&Z manager.
- Fence Permit, with a site plan or survey; the permit does not allow a fence on an easement and lasts 60 days.
- Irrigation Permit with its plan checklist, Swimming Pool, Driveway Approach, Demolition (with a permission form), House Moving, Sign and Banner permits.
Who can pull a permit: a licensed contractor registered with the City, or a homeowner, who can take out a homestead permit to do the work on their own home.
Corsicana permit fees
Fees are set in Chapter 13 of the Code of Ordinances (building pages last revised by Ordinance 3206, September 8, 2025).
Not sure this scope needs a permit?
Get a free quote →| Project | Fee |
|---|---|
| New home, up to 1,500 sq ft (includes plan review and trade fees) | $785 |
| New home, 1,501–10,000 sq ft | $785 plus $0.35 per sq ft over 1,500 |
| New home over 10,000 sq ft | $3,760 plus $0.15 per sq ft over 10,000 |
| Remodel | $0.45 per sq ft |
| Residential roofing | $50 |
| Accessory building, exterior work (porch, deck, solar, leveling, windows) | $50 each |
| Fence, sidewalk or drive approach | $50 each |
| Demolition | $60 |
| Excavation or grading | $150 |
| Re-inspection | $75 |
For example, a 2,500 sq ft house costs $785 plus $350, or $1,135, with the trade permits included. Commercial new buildings and remodels are charged on valuation, from $76.92 for work up to $10,000 to $596.25 plus $3.36 per $1,000 above $100,000, with commercial plan review charged separately on a similar valuation table; that permit fee also covers the trades. A Certificate of Occupancy for a commercial building or manufactured home costs $150. Pools are charged on valuation, starting at $20 for $2,000 or less. The City’s fence application still prints a $30 fee, but the current fee schedule sets fence permits at $50.
Rather talk it over?
Call 1-855-478-4290 →Corsicana trade permits and contractor registration
Electrical, plumbing and HVAC each need their own permit. On a new house the trade fees are part of the building permit fee; for remodel work not tied to a building project they are charged separately:
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Electrical remodel | $35 plus $0.85 per opening and fixture |
| Electrical service inspection | $35 |
| Plumbing remodel | Base fee plus $4.25 per fixture, trap, water heater, vent or water/sewer connection; $8.50 per gas pressure test |
| Residential HVAC remodel | $50 |
| Irrigation | $35 plus $4.25 for up to 5 heads, or $0.65 per head over 5 |
All contractors and subcontractors must register before pulling a permit. Registration costs $110 the first year and $55 to renew; a renewal more than 30 days after expiry pays the full amount again. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors register free with proof of their state license and a $300,000 insurance certificate. General, fence and sign contractors need a $2,500 surety bond or a $1,000,000 insurance certificate. Everyone supplies a picture ID.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Corsicana permit application: how to apply step by step
Confirm the lot is inside city limits, its zoning, any overlay district and whether it is in a flood zone.
Submit the contractor registration with ID and insurance or bond; homeowners doing their own work take out a homestead permit instead.
For a new house: site plan at 1 inch = 20 feet, elevations, floor plans, foundation plans sealed by a Texas engineer (or an IRC foundation detail), the engineer’s foundation design letter, engineered wind bracing, electrical, plumbing and mechanical layouts and a certified energy compliance report. For paper filings, the checklist asks for two printed sets and one digital set, while the application form itself asks for three printed sets and one digital set.
Apply in EnerGov Self Service or return the form to Planning & Zoning; the building inspector and Planning and Zoning review it.
Pay the fees and start work. The residential permit form warns that the permit lapses if work is not finished within 6 months after it starts, unless its special conditions say otherwise.
Schedule each inspection by phone; the inspector issues the Certificate of Occupancy at completion, before anyone moves in.
Inspections in Corsicana
The permit holder is responsible for calling in each inspection the project needs, at 903-654-4870 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. Inspections called in before 3 p.m. can usually be made the same day. A re-inspection costs $75.
For a new house, a form survey sealed by a Texas licensed surveyor must be on site for the plumbing rough inspection. The building cannot be occupied until the inspector issues a Certificate of Occupancy.
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
Corsicana official permit resources
- Corsicana Permits & Inspections
- EnerGov Self Service permit portal
- Permit process and contractor registration
- Applications and documents
- Residential building permit and submittal checklist
- Permit fees
- Code of Ordinances Chapter 13: fees and cost of services
- Adopted codes
Frequently asked questions
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →How much is a building permit for a new house in Corsicana?
$785 for the first 1,500 sq ft plus $0.35 per additional square foot up to 10,000 sq ft. The fee includes plan review and the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit fees, so a 2,500 sq ft house costs $1,135.
Can a homeowner pull a permit in Corsicana?
Yes. A homeowner doing the work on their own home can take out a homestead permit; otherwise the work must be done by a licensed contractor registered with the City.
Do I need a permit for a fence or roof in Corsicana?
Yes. A fence permit is $50 under the fee schedule and needs a site plan, and a residential roofing permit is $50.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call 903-654-4870, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Calls before 3 p.m. can usually be inspected the same day.
How much is contractor registration?
$110 for the first year and $55 a year after that. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors register without a fee.
Which building codes does Corsicana use?
The 2018 International Building, Residential, Energy, Fire, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code.
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More Texas permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Corsicana permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.