Dickinson, Texas Building Permit Guide

Inside Dickinson city limits, the Building Permits & Inspections Division of Community Development issues building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, and every application, plan upload, payment and inspection request goes through MyGov. A new house is charged $0.60 per square foot of living space and $0.30 for the garage, plus a plan review fee of half that amount, and same-day inspections must be booked by 6 a.m.

What requires a permit in Dickinson?

The City requires permits for building construction, mechanical, electrical and plumbing work, pools and signs, among others. If you are not sure whether your project needs one, Community Development answers on 281-337-2489. The fee schedule shows the residential work the City permits:

Who issues permits in Dickinson?

Community Development runs three divisions: Building Permits & Inspections, Planning & Zoning, and Code Enforcement. Building Permits & Inspections reviews plans, issues permits, inspects construction and issues Certificates of Occupancy for buildings inside the city. Travis Moore is the Community Development Manager and Chief Building Official. The Fire Marshal’s Office reviews plans for every new commercial business and change of occupancy and issues fire permits.

MyGov registration and Dickinson forms

MyGov replaced paper filing on October 3, 2022. Register as a contractor or a homeowner, then apply, upload plans, follow review comments, pay, print the approved permit and book inspections in the portal. If MyGov does not recognise the address, file an Address Request/Correction in its Licenses module with a site plan; an address is only assigned to a recorded plat, and the Galveston County property ID can help find the record.

Every contractor on a job must hold a City credential. The application asks for photo ID, the state or master licence for the trade, and a certificate of liability insurance naming the City of Dickinson as certificate holder, signed by a licensed agent. Architects, engineers, general, demolition, pool and sign contractors pay $100 to register and $50 to renew.

• Homestead Exemption Permit Affidavit: a notarised statement that the owner has a homestead exemption with the Galveston County appraisal district and will do all the work personally, without help.
• Subcontractor and General Contractor Validation Forms: the general contractor fills in the top, and the master plumber, HVAC contractor and master electrician sign their sections.
• Utility forms: Request for Temporary Utilities, Utility Verification Form and Affidavit to Disconnect Utilities.
• Other affidavits: Demolition Affidavit and Change of Contractor Affidavit ($30 fee).
• Dickinson Energy Compliance Form and the current FEMA Elevation Certificate.

Dickinson permit fees

Fees come from the City’s 2024 Updated Master Fee Schedule, and MyGov has a permit fee estimator. Every permit carries a non-refundable application fee.

For example, a new house with 2,000 sq ft of living space and a 400 sq ft garage pays $1,320 in square-foot charges, $660 for plan review, the $100 application fee, $900 for the trade permits and $75 for stormwater, or $3,055 in all before any engineering review cost.

Commercial permits use a valuation table: $35 up to $500, rising to $313 for the first $50,000 plus $3.25 per extra $1,000, $475.50 for the first $100,000 plus $3.75 per $1,000, and $3,879.25 for the first $1 million plus $3 per $1,000. Commercial plan review is 50% of the permit fee, a change of occupancy inspection is $200, and the Fire Marshal charges a $50 construction plan review fee plus $25 per fire permit application.

Failed inspections cost $50 for the first re-inspection, $100 for the second on the same failure and $200 for each after that. The first plan resubmittal is $100; a second resubmittal for the same comment is 50% of the original permit fee. Work started without a permit pays double, and after-hours inspections are $100 an hour (two-hour minimum) or the City’s total hourly cost, whichever is greater.

Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Dickinson

On a new house, the electrical, plumbing and HVAC work is covered by a single $900 trade fee, and the master electrician, master plumber and HVAC contractor each sign the Subcontractor Validation Form. Trade work that is not part of another permit is a $150 single-trade permit, and irrigation systems are $150. Pools, generators, solar panels and manufactured homes include their trade permits in one flat fee. Commercial trade permits are priced on their own valuation table, from $50 for work up to $2,000.

Each trade contractor must hold a City credential backed by its state licence before it can be listed on a permit.

What a new home application needs

• Engineer-stamped plans, including the foundation plan, designed to the 2018 IRC and 2018 IECC
• Floor plan with the building’s square footage and room dimensions
• Survey or plot plan showing all easements
• Engineer-stamped drainage plan for the lot
• FEMA Elevation Certificate marked “Construction Drawings”
• Dickinson Energy Compliance form
• Subcontractor Validation Form signed by the three trades

In the floodplain, the finished floor must sit at least 18 inches above the 100-year base flood elevation. After the foundation is poured, upload a form survey and an “Under Construction” Elevation Certificate. Any Elevation Certificate signed on or after July 7, 2023 must be on FEMA’s current form; the City allows no grace period for the old one.

How to apply for a Dickinson permit

Inspections in Dickinson

Schedule inspections and read results in MyGov. Since July 11, 2024, a same-day inspection must be booked by 6 a.m. Re-inspection fees apply whenever the work is not ready, corrections have not been made or part of the structure cannot be reached.

Before you request the final inspection on a new home, upload the updated survey and drainage plan if anything changed, a “Finished Construction” Elevation Certificate, the second page of the Dickinson Energy Compliance form and the WPI-8 certificate issued after a TDI windstorm inspection. Commercial buildings also need the Fire Marshal’s final inspection; send inspection tag notices to FMO@dickinsontexas.gov.

Local Dickinson details

Flood and windstorm: every new house files Elevation Certificates at three stages, and the TDI windstorm certificate (WPI-8) is required before the final inspection.

Tree removal: a tree removal permit costs $150 plus plan review by site size ($50 for up to 4 acres, up to $500 above 99 acres) and a fee for each tree: $50 for 10–19 inch diameter, $250 for 20–29 inches and $500 at 30 inches.

Boards: Community Development supports the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Board of Adjustment and the Building and Standards Commission, and publishes monthly building reports.

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

Dickinson permit resources

• Dickinson Building Permits & Inspections
• MyGov permit portal
• MyGov permit fee estimator
• Permits & applications and forms
• 2024 Updated Master Fee Schedule
• Residential single-family new construction checklist
• FEMA Elevation Certificate form
• Dickinson Fire Marshal’s Office
• Community Development

Frequently asked questions

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

$0.60 per sq ft of air-conditioned space and $0.30 per sq ft of garage, plus plan review at 50% of that, a $100 application fee, $900 for the trade permits and $75 for stormwater. A 2,000 sq ft house with a 400 sq ft garage comes to $3,055.

Do I need a permit for a roof, fence or shed in Dickinson?

Yes. Roof, siding, window and door replacement is $150, a qualifying residential fence $225, and a storage building $0.30 per sq ft.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Dickinson?

Yes, for a homestead. Register in MyGov as a homeowner and file the notarised Homestead Exemption Permit Affidavit, which commits you to doing all the work yourself.

What is the inspection cut-off?

6 a.m. for a same-day inspection, booked in MyGov.

Which codes does Dickinson enforce?

The 2018 International Building, Residential, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy Conservation, Fuel Gas and Fire Codes, and the 2017 National Electrical Code.

What flood paperwork does a new house need?

Elevation Certificates at the construction drawing, under construction and finished stages, with the finished floor at least 18 inches above base flood elevation in the floodplain.

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