Dripping Springs, Texas Building Permit Guide

The City of Dripping Springs Building Department issues building permits inside the city limits, in two limited-purpose annexed commercial areas and in ETJ subdivisions with development agreements, and every application is filed digitally through MGO Connect. A new house costs $1.00 per square foot of conditioned space, with plan review and inspections included, and the first round of review comments is due within 10 business days of payment.

What requires a permit in Dripping Springs?

Any building or structure that is built, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, removed, converted or demolished needs a City building permit. Cosmetic work such as painting or new carpet does not. MGO lists the permit types the Building Department issues:

The Building Department also handles pool encroachment variances and licences to encroach on public utility easements.

Who issues permits in Dripping Springs?

The Building Department reviews plans and issues permits; structural plan review and inspections are contracted to a third-party agency, BB Inspection Services, whose BJ Bealor serves as Interim Building Official. The Planning Department reviews every project in the city limits and the ETJ, even where the City does not issue the building permit.

City building permits are required in three kinds of area:

• Inside the city limits.
• Limited-purpose city limits: Ledgestone Commercial and Belterra Commercial.
• ETJ subdivisions with development agreements: the builder packet names Anarene/Cynosure, Blue Blazes, Caliterra, Driftwood Creek, Driftwood Golf & Ranch, Headwaters, Parten Ranch, Reunion Ranch and Westwood. The Building Department page links a separate list of 18 subdivisions that require permits, which also includes Arrowhead Ranch, Blue Ridge, Founders Ridge, Harrison Hills, Hidden Springs Ranch, Legacy Trails, Texas Heritage Village and others.

Elsewhere in the ETJ the City rejects building applications, and septic systems there are permitted by Hays County; inside the city limits the City Sanitarian handles septic (OSSF) permits.

MGO filing, registration and homeowner permits

All forms are submitted digitally in MGO; handwritten forms are not accepted. Before applying, the property must have a 911 address from Hays County GIS, and any OSSF, county floodplain, variance or conditional use approvals should already be applied for. The Building Department encourages a call before submittal to confirm requirements for the location, zoning and scope, and may refer the project for exterior design, landscape or exterior lighting review.

All licensed tradesmen working in the city limits or in development-agreement subdivisions must register in MGO before permits are issued, and every trade must be listed on the application. A homeowner can get a homestead exemption permit to do plumbing, electrical and mechanical work in a home they own and live in, after signing the Home Owners Exemption Affidavit and proving ownership through the Hays County Appraisal District; this does not apply to rental or commercial property.

Dripping Springs permit fees

The City’s Residential Builder Information Packet gives these residential rates; they include plan review and inspection fees unless noted.

Garages and covered porches are not counted; conditioned area is checked against the REScheck and Manual J. A new house with 2,500 sq ft of conditioned space therefore pays $2,500.

Electrical, plumbing, mechanical and fire work

Electrical, plumbing and irrigation permits are separate MGO permit types, issued to registered trades or to a homestead owner doing the work. On a new home the trades are listed on the building application and inspected through the combined framing and MEP inspection and the MEP final. Gas piping is tested on a Class 1A gauge holding 6 to 10 psi; propane tanks and yard lines are inspected by the Railroad Commission, whose reports must be uploaded before the building final.

Fire plan review, fire operational permits and pyrotechnics permits are also filed in MGO, and fire inspections on commercial projects are carried out by the North Hays fire inspectors listed on the City’s inspection page.

What a new home submittal needs

• Residential building permit application naming the area manager or superintendent and all registered trades
• Plan cover sheet with sheet index, design criteria, address and model options
• Scaled site plan or survey: setbacks, easements, utilities (water meter, service lines, OSSF), driveway, impervious cover and drainage flow
• Architectural plans with elevations, sections, floor plan and area schedule
• Framing and engineered lateral wind bracing design
• Electrical plan with load calculation
• Manual J, S and D (Manual D required since January 1, 2024)
• REScheck energy report and the Residential Lumen Calculation workbook

Incomplete applications are returned. Commercial projects use the City’s commercial plan review checklist, plus landscape, exterior lighting and exterior design checklists.

How to get a Dripping Springs building permit

Inspections and closeout

Inspections run Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.; from May through September they can start at 7 a.m. Scheduling questions go to schedule@bb-inspections.com, and cancelled inspections must be rebooked by the applicant. The approved plans must be on site for every inspection, the address must be posted in numbers at least 4 inches tall, and each site needs a trash receptacle.

Some inspections are locked until a document is uploaded: the form survey before the pre-pour inspection, truss drawings before framing/MEP, the engineer’s foundation letter before drywall and the energy reports before the building MEP final. A new home also passes temporary pole, plumbing rough, sewer and water tap, sheathing, water-resistive barrier, insulation, gas final, electric meter release (TOPS), irrigation final and outdoor lighting final inspections.

To close out, upload the stamped foundation letter, form survey, truss drawings, blower door test and duct leakage test. A passed building final is not a Certificate of Occupancy, and occupying the house, even with furniture, before the CO brings a $2,000 fee. Where the City supplies water, Public Works carries out the customer service inspection.

Local Dripping Springs rules

Outdoor lighting: the Outdoor Lighting Ordinance applies in the city limits and in ETJ subdivisions with development agreements or variances, and is voluntary elsewhere in the ETJ. New homes submit a lumen workbook and pass a lighting inspection before the CO.

Commercial design review: commercial projects may need landscape, exterior lighting and exterior architectural inspections from the City’s consultants in addition to building and fire inspections.

Job sites: new subdivisions need at least one portable toilet for every four houses, or one per site over 0.75 acres.

Pools: pool encroachment variances are applied for through the Building Department, and pool builders follow the City’s Residential Pool Builder Information Packet and pool safety certification.

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

Dripping Springs permit resources

• Dripping Springs Building Department
• MGO Connect permit portal
• Building permit information and permit types
• Residential Builder Information Packet
• Plan review checklists
• Building forms
• Inspection information
• Subdivisions that require City permits
• Outdoor lighting jurisdiction map

Frequently asked questions

Who issues building permits in Dripping Springs?

The City of Dripping Springs Building Department, for property in the city limits, the Ledgestone and Belterra commercial areas and ETJ subdivisions with development agreements.

Do I need a City building permit in the Dripping Springs ETJ?

Only in subdivisions with development agreements. Elsewhere in the ETJ the City rejects building applications, though the Planning Department still reviews projects, and Hays County permits septic systems.

How much is a building permit for a new house in Dripping Springs?

$1.00 per sq ft of conditioned space, with plan review and inspections included. Garages and porches are not counted.

How long does plan review take?

The City has 5 business days to accept the application, 3 business days after payment to start review and 10 business days for the first comments; resubmittals get a response within 5 business days.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Dripping Springs?

Yes, a homestead exemption permit for plumbing, electrical and mechanical work in a home you own and live in, with the signed affidavit and proof of ownership. Rentals and commercial property do not qualify.

Which codes does Dripping Springs use?

The 2024 International Residential, Building, Pool and Spa, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation and Fire Codes and the 2026 National Electrical Code, with local amendments.

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